How many HS boys could run sub 1:06:00 for HalfMth?

A guy in my grade ran a half marathon right after graduating ( so after track). He was a 4:15, 9:00, 14:55(5k xc) guy and he ran 69 flat. Just a point of reference. He ran consistent 15:0x, so he was good, but not Nico good.

Nico pretty much tied my college 3k PR with his 7:56 or whatever he did. When I ran that I was running 90-100 miles per week in college, so my strength was probably more than his, he might be able to beat me in a mile at that moment. My half marathon speed was probably only 66 flat at that time, so I don't think Nico is in shape right now to go under 66 since his strength isn't great yet due to his youth. So I'd say that zero high schoolers right now could do it, and only a few ever for America.

Think of how few college guys run under 24:50 as freshmen for 8k, and this is 5 flat pace for only 5 miles. And that's with a fall of higher mileage than they did in high school. They've got to go twice that distance and then another 5k to get to a half marathon. You really do need years of mileage to run those longer distances well.

NWARunner wrote:

A guy in my grade ran a half marathon right after graduating ( so after track). He was a 4:15, 9:00, 14:55(5k xc) guy and he ran 69 flat. Just a point of reference. He ran consistent 15:0x, so he was good, but not Nico good.

I went and looked him up to check and he actually only ran 1:58, 4:19, but ran 8:55. Compared to Nico Young’s PRs of 4:07, 8:40, and 13:38 3 mi (14:10-15 5k). If Nico is more than 10 sec/mi better in the 5k and only 10 sec/mi better at the 3200, I feel like he could be more than 10 sec/mi better in the HM. My guess is Nico Young could and that’s about it, maybe 1 or 2 other top guys.

Not trying to spam this thread, but I just thought of Soren Knudsen and James Mwaura who both ran 14 flat for the 5k either during their senior year or right after graduating. They both ran 80 - 100 mpw, so I see them having been able to. Brides hasty and Drew hunter are two more I can think of. My guess would be 0 - 3 HS guys a year could do it.

World Junior XC Champs anybody? wrote:

I'm pretty sure guys like Chapa, Hulst, Hunt, and Kimball could've easy run a half marathon under 66 minutes. I don't think that guys are training the same way these days to make it a common occurrence like it possibly would've been in the "heyday".

I’d add Lindgren to your short list as a possible sub 66.

I ran the same half event nearly every summer during HS, and then the summer after my freshman year of college.

Ran a 1:09 before my senior year of HS, and a 1:11 after college (much easier, though). The summer between HS and college I did the 10K and failed big time.

I was no Nico, nor anyone you've ever heard of, but I did wonder even then why I didn't see more high school dudes out there. The top guys were always either collegiate guys home on break, or the town's local old fast dude, then me at 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20.

My theory put me at a low-2:40 marathon at the time, if I'd only do a few more long runs, but I didn't run one until it was far too late.

In the US. Zero.

Oh Please wrote:

Jzs wrote:

Maybe 2 dozen each year..? Would a halfMth championship help identify our best talent for the future best marathoners? How do we compare to Japan and E. Africa?

Pretty close to zero. I actually think Lukas Verzbicas could have. In the summer of 2011(?) when he was 3:59/8:29 and undefeated for all of HS in cross country. He seemed to have the right combination.

Chapa and his unbreakable 10,000 HS record is a good thought, as is Rupp when he ran 13:3x in high school.

I'm almost positive there was a pretty good HS runner who ran sub 67 randomly a few years ago. Need to see if I can recall his name.

Perhaps you're thinking of German Fernandez, who ran 69:45.

Oh Please wrote:

Jzs wrote:

Maybe 2 dozen each year..? Would a halfMth championship help identify our best talent for the future best marathoners? How do we compare to Japan and E. Africa?

Pretty close to zero. I actually think Lukas Verzbicas could have. In the summer of 2011(?) when he was 3:59/8:29 and undefeated for all of HS in cross country. He seemed to have the right combination.

Chapa and his unbreakable 10,000 HS record is a good thought, as is Rupp when he ran 13:3x in high school.

I'm almost positive there was a pretty good HS runner who ran sub 67 randomly a few years ago. Need to see if I can recall his name.

Apparently, one high schooler who did run half marathons during Track Season was Eddie Owens, who ran 1:10 and 1:07.

This was also after Verzbicas lapped him in an Indoor 5K. Based on this, I'll assume that Verzbicas could probably have run a 1:06 or better.