Almost every high school and college coach I speak to says that I am built like an 800m runner. What does this mean?
Most of the 800m runners I know of, like Laura Roesler and Shelby Houlihan, are pretty muscular. I’m long and twiggy, the opposite.
Should I try the 800 just based off my body type? I’m currently a 200/400 runner.
800m runners are generally taller, and less muscular than sprinters. Look at Ajee Wilson or David Rudisha. Unless your 100m time is very good you won't have much progression in the 200m/400m. Consider being a 400m/800m runner if you lack sprint speed.
SpeedyBoiS wrote:
800m runners are generally taller, and less muscular than sprinters. Look at Ajee Wilson or David Rudisha. Unless your 100m time is very good you won't have much progression in the 200m/400m. Consider being a 400m/800m runner if you lack sprint speed.
I charted all T&F Olympic male medalists in all running events from 1896 to 2008. I have the data stored on another computer. I recall 100m sprinters are the tallest and height of the medalists. The heights gradually decrease to Marathon. One hundred-metres is a full stride event. Events 200m to Marathon, gradually the events require less brute physical strength and gradually shifts to a build to endure. The height decreases from 6' or 6'1" for 100m to 5'9" for 1500m. About 5'5" for Marathon. You can double check me. The data is on Olympic Sport Reference.
not true wrote:
SpeedyBoiS wrote:
800m runners are generally taller, and less muscular than sprinters. Look at Ajee Wilson or David Rudisha. Unless your 100m time is very good you won't have much progression in the 200m/400m. Consider being a 400m/800m runner if you lack sprint speed.
I charted all T&F Olympic male medalists in all running events from 1896 to 2008. I have the data stored on another computer. I recall 100m sprinters are the tallest and height of the medalists. The heights gradually decrease to Marathon. One hundred-metres is a full stride event. Events 200m to Marathon, gradually the events require less brute physical strength and gradually shifts to a build to endure. The height decreases from 6' or 6'1" for 100m to 5'9" for 1500m. About 5'5" for Marathon. You can double check me. The data is on Olympic Sport Reference.
What? It is known fact that sprinters are not giants, the tallest runners are 400m runners, followed by 800m and then sprinters. Then it declines from 1500 on. The 400 needs strong anaerobic power, which increases with increasing body dimensions.
Many great 800m runners are VERY tall, and taller than the average sprinter (don't forget, Bolt was an exception and he might not have been clean to run his times with his height). Rudisha and Kiprop were 6'4", and you could see their super long stride propelling them forward. Even Brazier is 6'2"!
Since OP is a female, we should also show her some females. Best German 800m runner, Christine Hering is 6'1", and has 52s 400m speed and 1:59 800m, both world-class times (the 400 for an 800m specialist is GREAT).
https://i2.wp.com/68.media.tumblr.com/d057027536cf83b9d2eba70dd6d44f0e/tumblr_ow8noe3l2I1s87z9ro1_1280.jpg?w=605She is very long, and has the same type of legs that Rudisha and Kiprop have - super long, efficient strides not this 270+ cadence step frequency that true 100-200m sprint specialists have. Her 100m, while still respectable, is only 12.6s.
So listen to your coach, unless you are able to break 12s in the 100m , then I'd say you got a significant number of FT fibers and are suited for sprints as a female.
Ccc123 wrote:
Almost every high school and college coach I speak to says that I am built like an 800m runner. What does this mean?
Most of the 800m runners I know of, like Laura Roesler and Shelby Houlihan, are pretty muscular. I’m long and twiggy, the opposite.
Should I try the 800 just based off my body type? I’m currently a 200/400 runner.
it means they don't think you are a short sprinter and possibly think you might be a great 800 runner given that you are twiggy and running fast times at 200/400?
btw, everything until the last sentence you wrote sounds makes it sound like you are a long distance runner that is being told to go down in distance rather than the other way around
That means Alberto would call you fat.
Ccc123 wrote:
Almost every high school and college coach I speak to says that I am built like an 800m runner. What does this mean?
Most of the 800m runners I know of, like Laura Roesler and Shelby Houlihan, are pretty muscular. I’m long and twiggy, the opposite.
Should I try the 800 just based off my body type? I’m currently a 200/400 runner.
Why not? You might turn out to be good at it.
What these coaches might mean is that when they see you run, you look like an 800 person.
