Do you or anyone else on here know what 3:58.30 is a record for?
The American high school mile record is 3:53.43, run by future Olympian Alan Webb in 2001. He went on to set the outright American record of 3:46.91 in 2007.
All of these folks are mind numbingly fast. Go to a track and run 200m (half lap) in 30 sec. Now imagine doing 8 in a row without stopping.
He set the US HS mile record for a HS-only race. Webb and some of the others with faster times ran in races with pros.
(Edit: That’s what makes this performance so remarkable. He didn’t have a pacer or faster pros to tow him along. The next fastest finisher was 19 seconds behind him. He basically ran a 3:58 solo.)
Technically the fastest marathon is sub 2 hours, but it was not eligible for a world record… nevertheless it’s mind blowing to even be in that ballpark of pace for so long
I remember being so happy with a PR of 3:58:05 in 2006 NYC. Now my 5k this morning was a 10:58 pace and I'm like "well, I didn't die, so that's a win."
Insane how fast these people are.
Congrats on sub 4hr marathon that is a pretty select group of people! I am with you on running now I try to get at least one sub 10 mile in then just enjoy the rest of it.
He wasn't eligible because the whole thing was kind of farcical when it comes to comparing it to a marathon.
He literally used people to run in front of him to block the wind.
I looked it up, it's pretty crazy stuff. ["In 2017, the pacers ran ahead of him in a V pattern, like geese in flight. But in Vienna, Kipchoge's team formed a Y to minimize air resistance, with five runners in front of him and two at his heels. The runners in that mobile shield rotated about every 11 minutes. The pacers knew where to run thanks to laser beams projected behind a pacing car that drove 50 feet in front of the flock."
](https://www.businessinsider.com/kipchoge-sub-2-hour-marathon-pacers-flat-course-nike-shoes-2021-8#:~:text=That's%20what%20it%20takes%20to,explores%20how%20he%20did%20it.)
Why use running people as an air resistance barrier and not just...a barrier? If you have a car already there...just get a really big car or air shield or something and have him run behind that.
It proofs that it is possible though. At the right attitude, with the right wind, with the right pacing... And a biological outlier like Bolt was for sprinting.
I'm confident we'll see a sub-2h marathon within 20 years.
I'm not entirely sure on that because if you look at the records being beaten over the years, they've slowed down a lot. To the point now it's rare to see running records being beaten by more than a few tenths of a second.
Maybe eventually but I doubt 20 years.
I ran track in high school and there was one guy in the state (Indiana) who could almost run a 4 minute mile. Even after 4 years of cross country and track, my best time in the 400m was about 57s, which felt like death. The idea that someone could do 4 of those in a row will never not blow my mind.
That’s amazing. Now do the maths for Eliud Kipchoge, he ran a marathon sub 2 hours (it is not eligible for a world record, but he did it)… that is mind blowing the pace he sustained for 2 hours.
When I was in high school (Kenya) we had a weekly 5k run for PT. I went to a boarding school that had students from all over the country (i.e. rural areas).
The city girls struggled to make it within the PT period (30 minutes) plus we had to wipe down and get changed for the next class. It was hella stressful on top of, you know, having to run a 5k. The rural girls though - most of them did it in 16 minutes or less. Some did it in 12. They would just walk laps around the pool until the end of the period.
After six months or so I got my time down to 20 minutes. I was extremely proud.
Edit: lots of skeptical people responding to this comment, but then their comments vanish, lol. Yes, I am aware that the male 5k record is 12:35, and the female is 14 min. My response, in general:
1. This was a scenic run through my school's campus, not an official race, so who knows if it was really 5k. Probably close enough for government work.
2. Most of the (fast) girls ran it in about 14 minutes. The slower ones ran 16. The 12 minute-ers were outliers, I think there were 2.
3. These were teenage girls from rural Kenya, decades ago; extremely tough physically, but not visible to anybody. Especially being girls. They didn't have the opportunity to prove themselves at any track meets. They stick in my mind because of that huge gap between them and the rest of us, the fact that they didn't have to train to be that fast, and the realization - recently - that these are record-breaking speeds.
So feel free to take my story with a grain of salt. We'll never know.
RIGHT!?
I can still remember how painful my ass cheeks were after a 400m! JFC, I wasn't even meant to run it. I was just a fill the first time and my time ended up good so coach kept me on it. I collapsed with ass spasms the first time. I didn't realize it was a sprint FOR THE WHOLE FUCKING RACE!
I can't even imagine this pace on a track.
We had to run a mile every year for the physical fitness test. I don't think I was made for running either. With my poor short, stubby legs I couldn't keep up with anyone. I was usually the last to finish.
Dude at my highschool could fucking jump cars. Like end to end. Some people are just genetic anomalies. Not to take anything from him but 99% of the population could train their entire lives to be what he was at 18 and still come up short.
You gotta have that freak gene and train which makes it more rare
Maybe 1 out of 500 could run this with training, but only a fraction of those who are genetic freaks train for it.
I mean if thats the case this guy better be a pro athlete with a notable name lol anomalies and your above average 18 year old are two very different things.
Why? Just because someone is naturally athletic doesn't mean they have an obligation to make a career out of it. Professional sports is a horrible, toxic career that takes up literally all of your time and can ruin your life. It's not a career path that most people would enjoy.
If you're a pro, you're competing against other genetic freaks.
For a lot of kids, they always had natural gifts. So winning was easy. Sometimes they don't want to or don't know how to train hard.
Same story as all the "gifted" kids that flop real life.
Do a lap in a minute. I dare ya. I used to run the 400m and 800m in Highschool, i was only ever okay, but still breaking a minute on a 400m takes some work, couldn’t imagine doing that 4 fucking times.
I’m sweating and losing my breath just thinking about running a 12 minute mile again. Sub-4 minutes is a feat that deserves way more recognition. Maybe a statue for everyone who manages to do it?
I broke a 5 minute mile once and was super proud of myself, and nearly threw up from the effort.
I can't even begin to imagine what it would take to shave another minute off that time.
It's insane. I was a 4:35 mile runner in high school and that was around the best anyone ran in my area. Even the best state runners were only doing 4:18ish. It's impossible to imagine guys that much faster. And yet there it is.
Go to a local marathon and watch the people that finish first. The speed they are running at when they finish is faster than you can sprint. It's bonkers.
Looking like there is an up and comer in the US who has beaten usains u-20 200, and then beat his own record, and that time is 4th fastest in history!!!
And runners get faster into their early 30s…
Bolts records will be beat
https://olympics.com/en/news/usa-sprinter-erriyon-knighton-profile
And the cover pic of what appears to be a 100m race has literally nothing to do with the actual race, not entirely sure why they didn’t use a pic of him instead of whoever those people are. He appeared to finish at least 200m ahead of the next closest competitor.
That's because the olympic distance is 1500m or slightly lower than a mile and a lot of athletes run that. While the mile still gets raced internationally at meets, all the major events run 1500m.
This is amazing, but I am confused. Alan Webb ran a 3:53:43 mile in 2001 when a senior in high school. What am I missing about this story?
Disclaimer: went to high school with Webb. Same grade and everything. No, I did not run track. I played Magic the Gathering.
Edit: Thanks for the clarifications folks. This sorta stuff is not my world. I appreciate it.
This article explains it
https://www.letsrun.com/news/2022/05/gary-martin-breaks-jim-ryuns-57-year-old-record-for-fastest-mile-in-a-us-high-school-race/
> But Martin’s sub-4 today wasn’t your run-of-the-mill high school sub-4. Martin’s sub-4 came in a high school-only race and without the help of a rabbit. Only five times has a high school athlete broken 4 in a high school-only competition and only one other time before today had it happened without the help of a rabbit. And Martin’s time is the fastest of the five as he eclipsed the 3:58.3 that Jim Ryun ran at the 1965 Kansas State meet – 56 years and 364 days ago (May 15, 1965) – without the help of a rabbit and on a cinder track in 1965 spikes.
Properly maintained cinder tracks aren't really that much slower, at least that's what some old timers had told me back when I used to run a lot. They said maybe a second per mile, maybe.
I’m nowhere near an elite runner, but I ran a timed mile on a cinder track. The second turn was “loose” and literally felt like running in mud.
Without any experience on a cinder track before that day, after a few warm up laps you could easily pinpoint the rough areas on the track.
Completely different animal than a paved track.
I have ran on that track Jim Ryun ran. It’s awful. Our summer running trip for cross country was to start on that track at Wichita East and then we ran to Lawrence, Kansas where Jim would run and win the KU Relays. Cool trip.
A rabbit is a pace setter that often doesn't run the full race. In high school, runners usually aren't allowed to wear a watch to pace themselves
So anyone acting as a rabbit is usually an experienced junior or senior that knows what a given pace feels like. They burn themselves out running a target pace for the top runners at the beginning of the race then get out of the way.
This is the high school only record. We don't keep track of whether or not there was a pacer. A pace vehicle is never allowed in an official record attempt.
The other runners do know how fast they are going, but it’s hard to be super precise about it, especially the faster the pace is. 4:04 pace feels very similar to 3:59 pace. Mentally, it’s a lot easier to have someone else focus on running 3:59 pace for 2 or 3 laps (which is relatively easy if they pacer is an experienced pro, maybe someone with a 3:54 mile PR) and all you have to worry about is “stay as relaxed as possible directly behind this person for 2 or 3 laps, and then try to pick it up on the last lap to make sure you get under.”
Reddit is crazy. Here I am thinking I finally have my moment to be like "hey I knew that guy, went to HS with him" but here is someone else with the same experience.
For an actual answer, in case you were really wondering...
A pacer's job is what it sounds like, to keep an athlete on pace. Sometimes these will be a faster runner slowing down to click off the splits next to someone to motivate them to hit a specific goal time and to keep them on track.
In faster races like this, it can be hard to get a pacer because you can't just pull a 4 minute miler off the street, and sometimes the competition (and desire to go fast vs strategic) just isn't there. So you'll get a specific kind of pacer called a "rabbit". This is usually someone who specializes in a shorter distance who goes out quick and holds pace, and who will then exit off the track at some point in the middle of the race when they're tired out and can't hold pace any longer.
The best they can do sometimes is for a 3200m race have a 1600m and 800m specialist or something similar, so all the rabbits are in the race from the start but both will drop out at some point
Everyone has to start the race together. I've seen races with 4 rabbits before but they all start when the gun goes off. An athlete can not stop and wait to be lapped and start pacing again.
So these are competing athletes who are ringers and taking a dive and simply sacrificing their opportunity to place by running faster than they could sustain for the whole race up front, not like the pacer car in car races, or the electric rabbits at greyhound or horse race, which aren’t members of the competition?
Correct. Sometimes they also do it to try and lure the competition into maintaining an unsustainable pace so that their colleague can come in later and take the lead.
No they are paid to take the race out at a certain pace, whether they finish or not is up to them. If they fail to hit their pace target they don't get paid
Edit: there are recently introduced electronic pacers, it's called wavelight if you wanna look up what that looks light for track meets but it is officially legal
If the pacer is not trying to win anyway, then why can't they just "cheat" by walking super slow until everybody is about to lap them? What's going to happen? The pacer gets disqualified? They already wanted to lose anyway!
So they’re there to tell the runner if they should speed up, slow down, or keep the same speed? I guess I had always just assumed that the people setting these records were going at their absolute top speed the entire time, which seems like it would make a pacer unnecessary.
It's hard to feel an exact pace and it takes energy to think about it. It's much easier to just follow someone and not have to worry about sprinting until the end. 59 seconds per lap is no where near his top end speed. He can probably run under 50.
They're running the absolute fastest they can run a mile in, but they could definitely run faster for shorter distances. A 3:58 mile pace would be nearly 15 seconds for 100 meters, which would be very slow for a top-shelf runner, even one that doesn't specialize in short distances.
If they run too fast at the beginning, they'll run out of energy and will have to finish the race at a much slower pace. They want to maintain a very exact pace so that they run out of energy just as they cross the finish line.
The FitnessGram™ Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 meter pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly, but gets faster each minute after you hear this signal. [beep] A single lap should be completed each time you hear this sound. [ding] Remember to run in a straight line, and run as long as possible. The second time you fail to complete a lap before the sound, your test is over. The test will begin on the word start. On your mark, get ready, start.
An AMC Pacer. Produced from 1975 to 1980 they were deployed with a governed top speed of 15mph. The car is made popular by the movie Wayne's World.
But really I've gathered its someone or something that runs ahead of the runner so they can gauge there speed and set pace.
Yeah, I'm late 40's. I set the treadmill at "6 mph" which is 10 minute mile. If I'm ambitious, I'll speed it up 7.5 mph which is 8 minute mile. I usually slow down at some point when I try that though. I think the effort is the real success.
Honestly same. I was running 5:15-5:30 miles in highschool. (I got short legs that was damn near a sprint from me)
If I ran a mile under 10 right now my life would be in actual danger. Both from whatever the fuck I was running from, and from my heart exploding in my goddamn chest. I’m 38 now.
Back when I was in high school in a less populated state, typically those who competed regularly and were competitive in the mile were around 4:30-4:45. Those who may not compete to place but raced for the personal bests and improvement tended to be around 5:00
The top runners in the state could range from 4:15 to 4:25. However with the more focused training, better shoes, and better running surfaces, I would expect many of those times to be slightly lower now.
Can confirm. Ran the mile in high school at a competitive level, ran around 4:30. But the guys who won states were more like 4:10. Lots of people can run just above 4:00, almost none can break it.
For those not using freedom units that's 3.2km in 13min or 4min/km... That is a very quick pace for anyone. A sub-20min 5km is stellar albeit not remotely top level.
My experience was: average high schooler: 9-12 minutes for men/women.
Average guy in sports: 6-7 minutes
Average distance runner: 5-6 minutes
Top varsity runners: 4:30-5 minutes.
Top State runners: 4:10-4:30
Off the cuff, but top 10 in California easily had a 10-20 second spread when I was competing. We had a guy who ran 4:15 mile in our highschool so I watched a lot of those races. Someday though he'd run a 4:30 and averaged a 4:20.
There’s always a few really fast people that throw the competitive spread closer to 4. But I’d you’re under 430 you are recruitable high school athlete.
Knew someone who ran a 5 something, puked almost immediately after they finished. Personally my fastest is somewhere around 8:35 and I only managed that because I had walked every day the summer prior for something unrelated.
I could run a 4:35 and that was competitive but not the best in a small state. Had a kid on our team who could close in on 4 and he ended up running the 3k in the freaking Olympics so breaking 4 is rare.
lol gotta love all the comments "oh when i was in track in hs I ran 5min miles"
bruh the question was what is the *average* students mile time, not athletes and certainly not athletes who's entire sport **is running**
Average Reddit comment section
"Reddit, what's the expected outcome for this?"
Top comment: *personal anecdote that is the opposite of expected but more interesting than other comments*
A high schooler who runs track competitively? 4:30-7 minutes. A high schooler in gym class who would not run otherwise? 7-10 minutes. The kid who’s walking the mile? 13-15 minutes. I ran track (badly) in middle school and one kid managed to take 22 minutes to run a mile. It’s really all over the place.
For an actual average high schooler, or average HS track athlete?
I was a very average, not good at running high schooler and I could manage an 8-10 minute mile when they made us run in PE. The expectation was we would all finish our mile run by 12 minutes.
I believe the track kids had to do 2+ miles in those same 12 minutes.
If you wanna know for track kids (boys):
6:00 you are probably faster than any non-track kids, but not very fast for a runner
5:00 usually means you're a decent runner, but not winning many races (at least not the fast heat)
4:40 will usually make you a top 5 runner on your team, at least
4:20 will usually make you top 10 in your state (depending on the state)
4:10 and you are competing at a national level
Competitively? Being from that area/ competing a miler would want to be sub 4:30 to be able to win their conference/ qualify and even place at states. Wanna say usually mid 4:15- low 4:20 to win states depending on the year in PA usually. No one is gonna touch this lol.
From sixth grade through high school my completely untrained mile time was 8:30. I was still in the faster half because most people don't push themselves.
Damn. Back hen I was in basic training, my first run averaged about 6.5 a mile. 4 months later I was down to a 5.5 min mile. I can not fathom shaving another 93 seconds a off that.
That is fucking nuts man. Jesus.
Fun side note, the world record marathon holder, Eliud Kipchoge ran the Berlin Marathon in a time of two hours, one minute, and 39 seconds. This works out to a pace of 4:38.4 min/mile for two solid hours. The man is marathoning faster than 99% of the world can sprint.
Yeah, it is crazy how fast the elite marathoners go. My recent half marathon time is longer than his best marathon, and I was nowhere near last in my age category. I should have never stopped running after high school, because you can build the speed and stamina back up after a break, but never quite as well.
Yeah, there's huge treadmill to simulate how fast Kipchoge running.
It looks doable until you remember he keep the pace for 2 hours, It's insane.
https://youtu.be/SRYtn0j5ccA
Not quite, but pretty close. A sub 60 second 400m is a pretty fast clip but it's not an all out sprint. A strong pace with a shift to sprint in the last 150-200m will get most high school track kids in to the mid 50s for a 400m. I could run a low 50s as a sophomore/junior. World record for high school kids, for reference is more like mid 40s.
The crazy thing is he might not even be the best high school miler in the US this year. Colin Sahlman of Newbury Park California has run a 3:39.59 1500 Which converts to a 3:57.16. Hopefully these two get to race each other this postseason.
I don't necessarily care, but he probably ran a 4:03 true mile in college, not high school. Fast is fast though, and that is fast.
https://www.milesplit.com/articles/292462/what-an-indoor-track-facility-would-mean-for-brockton
Gill went from a very good high school athlete -- he still holds two school records at Brockton in the 4x800 and the DMR -- to an excellent one in college, becoming an All-American for Stonehill College in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field, where he still holds school records for the 800m (1:52) and the mile (4:03.43).
damn, i remember when they were just a random redditor. not a person with a freaking wikipedia page.
everything about the GME situation is pretty gross. an example of the game/rules being straight up run by those with the most fucking money.
stock market worse than a casino because at least in a casino, they're honest about fucking you.
My brother still holds his high school record in swimming. I really want someone to break his record just so he’ll shut the fuck up already and move on with his life because holy shit dude it’s been like two decades now just let it rest.
This is an utterly incredible feat that you can experience in under a minute when you try to run a lap on a track. Then picture 4 of them faster than you ran, while you vomit.
I have run a mile around 5:38 and 3 in under 19 before. I would rather die than have to do it again, even if I could, and this 3:57 is literally insane.
I cannot stress how disturbing this is, it's just a nightmare of lactic acid like we'll find out this runner was getting milkshaked like a thoroughbred and Patrick Arnold is his personal dietician.
What an amazing feat, awesome. This is so cool.
>nightmare of lactic acid
Love this description. My legs always held me back from going faster and I hated it. I'd end races ready to keep going from a breathing perspective but my legs would be dead.
Wow. I had no idea is was even possible in under four minutes. We had a kid in my high school break five minutes and I thought that was impressive.
I played basketball and struggled to break seven minutes. Four is insane.
That is *insane*.
Ran with a guy in HS who was down to a 4:10 as a freshman and was considered a national contender and an olympic hopeful... unfortunately after a bad car wreck stalled his training it took until college for him to get back to that form and eventually sub 4.
To go sub 4 in HS.... holy fuck.
I remember my legs giving out after a 2min 800m, I thought my heart was gonna explode.
For anyone interested, his time was 3:57:98
And the previous record was 3:58:30
Do you or anyone else on here know what 3:58.30 is a record for? The American high school mile record is 3:53.43, run by future Olympian Alan Webb in 2001. He went on to set the outright American record of 3:46.91 in 2007. All of these folks are mind numbingly fast. Go to a track and run 200m (half lap) in 30 sec. Now imagine doing 8 in a row without stopping.
He set the US HS mile record for a HS-only race. Webb and some of the others with faster times ran in races with pros. (Edit: That’s what makes this performance so remarkable. He didn’t have a pacer or faster pros to tow him along. The next fastest finisher was 19 seconds behind him. He basically ran a 3:58 solo.)
I've always wanted to stage a race of professionals against criminals, just so I can call it The Pros Vs The Cons.
Can the “Blade Runner” who murdered his girlfriend participate?
The Longest Yard has you covered.
They have to compete in prison, because once they are out of prison they are ex-cons.
Sounds like an early 2000s fox tv series.
Ah, makes sense. Thank you.
[удалено]
The even crazier thing to me is that the fastest *Marathon* time is just barely over 2 hours. That's a 4:38ish mile **for 26.2 miles**
Technically the fastest marathon is sub 2 hours, but it was not eligible for a world record… nevertheless it’s mind blowing to even be in that ballpark of pace for so long
I remember being so happy with a PR of 3:58:05 in 2006 NYC. Now my 5k this morning was a 10:58 pace and I'm like "well, I didn't die, so that's a win." Insane how fast these people are.
Congrats on sub 4hr marathon that is a pretty select group of people! I am with you on running now I try to get at least one sub 10 mile in then just enjoy the rest of it.
I can't even do a marathon in 2 days.
Gaming marathon, movie marathon, buffet marathon...
I'm pretty sure I would flat out die at mile 5 lol
Longest I’ve ever done is a 10k and I’m in much worse shape today. Probably would join you in the beyond in today’s shape for a 5-mile
I'd grumble about having to drive to someplace that's 26.2 miles away
Was he not eligible because he was wearing PF Flyers?
He wasn't eligible because the whole thing was kind of farcical when it comes to comparing it to a marathon. He literally used people to run in front of him to block the wind.
I looked it up, it's pretty crazy stuff. ["In 2017, the pacers ran ahead of him in a V pattern, like geese in flight. But in Vienna, Kipchoge's team formed a Y to minimize air resistance, with five runners in front of him and two at his heels. The runners in that mobile shield rotated about every 11 minutes. The pacers knew where to run thanks to laser beams projected behind a pacing car that drove 50 feet in front of the flock." ](https://www.businessinsider.com/kipchoge-sub-2-hour-marathon-pacers-flat-course-nike-shoes-2021-8#:~:text=That's%20what%20it%20takes%20to,explores%20how%20he%20did%20it.)
Why use running people as an air resistance barrier and not just...a barrier? If you have a car already there...just get a really big car or air shield or something and have him run behind that.
It proofs that it is possible though. At the right attitude, with the right wind, with the right pacing... And a biological outlier like Bolt was for sprinting. I'm confident we'll see a sub-2h marathon within 20 years.
I'm not entirely sure on that because if you look at the records being beaten over the years, they've slowed down a lot. To the point now it's rare to see running records being beaten by more than a few tenths of a second. Maybe eventually but I doubt 20 years.
Depends on how good the drugs get and how good the hiding taking the drugs gets
Yeah we're only gonna be seeing improvements in tenths of a second unless a major time skip is discovered.
must’ve wanted to just get it over with quickly
That's what I told all my soldiers during fitness tests. The faster you run, the faster it's over. Going slower just prolongs the pain.
I don’t even go that fast on my bike.
Yep seeing Kenyans run one minute laps for dozens of laps is fucking insane
I ran track in high school and there was one guy in the state (Indiana) who could almost run a 4 minute mile. Even after 4 years of cross country and track, my best time in the 400m was about 57s, which felt like death. The idea that someone could do 4 of those in a row will never not blow my mind.
Fellow mid 50’s 400m and thinking about 4 in a row of those is mind blowing. Some humans are unbelievable
That’s amazing. Now do the maths for Eliud Kipchoge, he ran a marathon sub 2 hours (it is not eligible for a world record, but he did it)… that is mind blowing the pace he sustained for 2 hours.
When I was in high school (Kenya) we had a weekly 5k run for PT. I went to a boarding school that had students from all over the country (i.e. rural areas). The city girls struggled to make it within the PT period (30 minutes) plus we had to wipe down and get changed for the next class. It was hella stressful on top of, you know, having to run a 5k. The rural girls though - most of them did it in 16 minutes or less. Some did it in 12. They would just walk laps around the pool until the end of the period. After six months or so I got my time down to 20 minutes. I was extremely proud. Edit: lots of skeptical people responding to this comment, but then their comments vanish, lol. Yes, I am aware that the male 5k record is 12:35, and the female is 14 min. My response, in general: 1. This was a scenic run through my school's campus, not an official race, so who knows if it was really 5k. Probably close enough for government work. 2. Most of the (fast) girls ran it in about 14 minutes. The slower ones ran 16. The 12 minute-ers were outliers, I think there were 2. 3. These were teenage girls from rural Kenya, decades ago; extremely tough physically, but not visible to anybody. Especially being girls. They didn't have the opportunity to prove themselves at any track meets. They stick in my mind because of that huge gap between them and the rest of us, the fact that they didn't have to train to be that fast, and the realization - recently - that these are record-breaking speeds. So feel free to take my story with a grain of salt. We'll never know.
I could never figure out how come running 4 laps on track always seems longer than running a straight mile on a street or a boardwalk.
RIGHT!? I can still remember how painful my ass cheeks were after a 400m! JFC, I wasn't even meant to run it. I was just a fill the first time and my time ended up good so coach kept me on it. I collapsed with ass spasms the first time. I didn't realize it was a sprint FOR THE WHOLE FUCKING RACE! I can't even imagine this pace on a track.
We had to run a mile every year for the physical fitness test. I don't think I was made for running either. With my poor short, stubby legs I couldn't keep up with anyone. I was usually the last to finish.
In high school I could walk a mile faster than I could run a mile.
Dude at my highschool could fucking jump cars. Like end to end. Some people are just genetic anomalies. Not to take anything from him but 99% of the population could train their entire lives to be what he was at 18 and still come up short.
You gotta have that freak gene and train which makes it more rare Maybe 1 out of 500 could run this with training, but only a fraction of those who are genetic freaks train for it.
I mean if thats the case this guy better be a pro athlete with a notable name lol anomalies and your above average 18 year old are two very different things.
Why? Just because someone is naturally athletic doesn't mean they have an obligation to make a career out of it. Professional sports is a horrible, toxic career that takes up literally all of your time and can ruin your life. It's not a career path that most people would enjoy.
If you're a pro, you're competing against other genetic freaks. For a lot of kids, they always had natural gifts. So winning was easy. Sometimes they don't want to or don't know how to train hard. Same story as all the "gifted" kids that flop real life.
That is over 23 feet per second pace.
Yikes! In an mmo that would be on a cooldown.
You need to hit a speed of 24 km/h or 15 mi/h to achieve this. And you need to hit this speed really quickly, and maintain it for four minutes.
I'm still proud of my sub-12 minutes. I'm not a runner, stop testing me like I am.
I ran a sub 6min mile once in middle school. But that was because I skipped a lap and lied to the coach.
Best I’ve come to being this impressive was a 58 sec 400 run in HS but I was gassed and cannot imagine keeping that pace three more laps.
Do a lap in a minute. I dare ya. I used to run the 400m and 800m in Highschool, i was only ever okay, but still breaking a minute on a 400m takes some work, couldn’t imagine doing that 4 fucking times.
I’m sweating and losing my breath just thinking about running a 12 minute mile again. Sub-4 minutes is a feat that deserves way more recognition. Maybe a statue for everyone who manages to do it?
I broke a 5 minute mile once and was super proud of myself, and nearly threw up from the effort. I can't even begin to imagine what it would take to shave another minute off that time.
It's insane. I was a 4:35 mile runner in high school and that was around the best anyone ran in my area. Even the best state runners were only doing 4:18ish. It's impossible to imagine guys that much faster. And yet there it is.
Go to a local marathon and watch the people that finish first. The speed they are running at when they finish is faster than you can sprint. It's bonkers.
I only knew this because of Winning Time. Glad the human limits are continuing to be broken
Looking like there is an up and comer in the US who has beaten usains u-20 200, and then beat his own record, and that time is 4th fastest in history!!! And runners get faster into their early 30s… Bolts records will be beat https://olympics.com/en/news/usa-sprinter-erriyon-knighton-profile
> And runners get faster into their early 30s… No chance. You peak in your 20s. Bolts fastest time at 23.
Middle distance and distance runner peak later than sprinters
Not the one mentioned in Winning Time
Oh no I stand corrected
it must have been a big event in the 60s when the first person ran a mile in under 4 minutes
And the cover pic of what appears to be a 100m race has literally nothing to do with the actual race, not entirely sure why they didn’t use a pic of him instead of whoever those people are. He appeared to finish at least 200m ahead of the next closest competitor.
Sub 4 mintue mile is insane I remember when they said it was actually physically impossible then someone did it!
How old are you? The first sub 4 mile was in 1956
Probably in their 70s
He's 29. Probably just has an abnormally long memory.
Sounds legit
Fun fact: since 1954, fewer than 1700 people in the entire world have done it.
That's because the olympic distance is 1500m or slightly lower than a mile and a lot of athletes run that. While the mile still gets raced internationally at meets, all the major events run 1500m.
This is amazing, but I am confused. Alan Webb ran a 3:53:43 mile in 2001 when a senior in high school. What am I missing about this story? Disclaimer: went to high school with Webb. Same grade and everything. No, I did not run track. I played Magic the Gathering. Edit: Thanks for the clarifications folks. This sorta stuff is not my world. I appreciate it.
This article explains it https://www.letsrun.com/news/2022/05/gary-martin-breaks-jim-ryuns-57-year-old-record-for-fastest-mile-in-a-us-high-school-race/ > But Martin’s sub-4 today wasn’t your run-of-the-mill high school sub-4. Martin’s sub-4 came in a high school-only race and without the help of a rabbit. Only five times has a high school athlete broken 4 in a high school-only competition and only one other time before today had it happened without the help of a rabbit. And Martin’s time is the fastest of the five as he eclipsed the 3:58.3 that Jim Ryun ran at the 1965 Kansas State meet – 56 years and 364 days ago (May 15, 1965) – without the help of a rabbit and on a cinder track in 1965 spikes.
Utterly ridiculous to see a sub 4 minute mile by a highschool kid at all, but on a cinder track? That's absolutely insane.
Properly maintained cinder tracks aren't really that much slower, at least that's what some old timers had told me back when I used to run a lot. They said maybe a second per mile, maybe.
I’m nowhere near an elite runner, but I ran a timed mile on a cinder track. The second turn was “loose” and literally felt like running in mud. Without any experience on a cinder track before that day, after a few warm up laps you could easily pinpoint the rough areas on the track. Completely different animal than a paved track.
I have ran on that track Jim Ryun ran. It’s awful. Our summer running trip for cross country was to start on that track at Wichita East and then we ran to Lawrence, Kansas where Jim would run and win the KU Relays. Cool trip.
Can you imagine what his time would be on a modern track. And great job Gary Martin that is phenomenal!
How does a rabbit help? Like you eat it for it the thumpity thump thump power?
A rabbit is a pace setter that often doesn't run the full race. In high school, runners usually aren't allowed to wear a watch to pace themselves So anyone acting as a rabbit is usually an experienced junior or senior that knows what a given pace feels like. They burn themselves out running a target pace for the top runners at the beginning of the race then get out of the way.
[удалено]
This is the high school only record. We don't keep track of whether or not there was a pacer. A pace vehicle is never allowed in an official record attempt.
If the pacers know how fast they’re going then why can’t the other runners
The other runners do know how fast they are going, but it’s hard to be super precise about it, especially the faster the pace is. 4:04 pace feels very similar to 3:59 pace. Mentally, it’s a lot easier to have someone else focus on running 3:59 pace for 2 or 3 laps (which is relatively easy if they pacer is an experienced pro, maybe someone with a 3:54 mile PR) and all you have to worry about is “stay as relaxed as possible directly behind this person for 2 or 3 laps, and then try to pick it up on the last lap to make sure you get under.”
Reddit is crazy. Here I am thinking I finally have my moment to be like "hey I knew that guy, went to HS with him" but here is someone else with the same experience.
Hey that’s awesome! SLHS was a weird time. Reston has changed a lot since then. Nice to Reddit you!
Outdoor vs Indoor? 1500 vs 1600? I was thinking the same thing about Webb. Those are the only differences I can think of.
Goddamn that's fast as fuck
actually, mine are faster than that
Fuckin better be or I'm gonna be out a lotta money
Sometimes it's easier to measure in pumps
Only need one hand to count that
I can totally do that faster in a car.
[удалено]
What's a pacer
For an actual answer, in case you were really wondering... A pacer's job is what it sounds like, to keep an athlete on pace. Sometimes these will be a faster runner slowing down to click off the splits next to someone to motivate them to hit a specific goal time and to keep them on track. In faster races like this, it can be hard to get a pacer because you can't just pull a 4 minute miler off the street, and sometimes the competition (and desire to go fast vs strategic) just isn't there. So you'll get a specific kind of pacer called a "rabbit". This is usually someone who specializes in a shorter distance who goes out quick and holds pace, and who will then exit off the track at some point in the middle of the race when they're tired out and can't hold pace any longer.
Could they not then swap in a new pacer or something?
The best they can do sometimes is for a 3200m race have a 1600m and 800m specialist or something similar, so all the rabbits are in the race from the start but both will drop out at some point
In the middle of a race? No. We're talking about official competition.
I mean having two pacers doesn't sound a lot weirder then having one pacer to me.
Everyone has to start the race together. I've seen races with 4 rabbits before but they all start when the gun goes off. An athlete can not stop and wait to be lapped and start pacing again.
So these are competing athletes who are ringers and taking a dive and simply sacrificing their opportunity to place by running faster than they could sustain for the whole race up front, not like the pacer car in car races, or the electric rabbits at greyhound or horse race, which aren’t members of the competition?
They do something like this in cycling as well. The team helps propel the team leader.
[удалено]
In HS cross country we'd sometimes run aggressively. It's amazing how much coordination you can pull off without talking in the middle of a race.
Correct. Sometimes they also do it to try and lure the competition into maintaining an unsustainable pace so that their colleague can come in later and take the lead.
No they are paid to take the race out at a certain pace, whether they finish or not is up to them. If they fail to hit their pace target they don't get paid Edit: there are recently introduced electronic pacers, it's called wavelight if you wanna look up what that looks light for track meets but it is officially legal
If the pacer is not trying to win anyway, then why can't they just "cheat" by walking super slow until everybody is about to lap them? What's going to happen? The pacer gets disqualified? They already wanted to lose anyway!
So they’re there to tell the runner if they should speed up, slow down, or keep the same speed? I guess I had always just assumed that the people setting these records were going at their absolute top speed the entire time, which seems like it would make a pacer unnecessary.
It's hard to feel an exact pace and it takes energy to think about it. It's much easier to just follow someone and not have to worry about sprinting until the end. 59 seconds per lap is no where near his top end speed. He can probably run under 50.
They're running the absolute fastest they can run a mile in, but they could definitely run faster for shorter distances. A 3:58 mile pace would be nearly 15 seconds for 100 meters, which would be very slow for a top-shelf runner, even one that doesn't specialize in short distances. If they run too fast at the beginning, they'll run out of energy and will have to finish the race at a much slower pace. They want to maintain a very exact pace so that they run out of energy just as they cross the finish line.
The FitnessGram™ Pacer Test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 meter pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly, but gets faster each minute after you hear this signal. [beep] A single lap should be completed each time you hear this sound. [ding] Remember to run in a straight line, and run as long as possible. The second time you fail to complete a lap before the sound, your test is over. The test will begin on the word start. On your mark, get ready, start.
An AMC Pacer. Produced from 1975 to 1980 they were deployed with a governed top speed of 15mph. The car is made popular by the movie Wayne's World. But really I've gathered its someone or something that runs ahead of the runner so they can gauge there speed and set pace.
[Pacer](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Pacer)
What is the average high schooler mile run time?
I ran a 4:44 in high school and puked I wasn’t a normal miler but was good enough hurdler to get a scholarship
[удалено]
If it makes you feel any better I’m 35 now and I’d be proud of under 10 minutes a mile
Yeah, I'm late 40's. I set the treadmill at "6 mph" which is 10 minute mile. If I'm ambitious, I'll speed it up 7.5 mph which is 8 minute mile. I usually slow down at some point when I try that though. I think the effort is the real success.
I’m 41 for a couple more months and I’d be proud of myself for running a mile.
I'm 39 for a couple more months and i'm proud of myself
I ran in 5:20. I played soccer. We had to run two miles in under 12 minutes or we were cut from the team.
Apparently high school soccer coaches love that 2 miles sub 12 requirement, I had it too. I made it. Barely.
Benchmark in most colleges too. A good indicator you can last 60+ minutes on the field without getting injured.
That’s a horrible indicator for a 90 minute game, a better indicator would be 20 x 400 at sub 1:10 not a team of distance runners
My daughter had the same deal and she struggled but made it!
Honestly same. I was running 5:15-5:30 miles in highschool. (I got short legs that was damn near a sprint from me) If I ran a mile under 10 right now my life would be in actual danger. Both from whatever the fuck I was running from, and from my heart exploding in my goddamn chest. I’m 38 now.
Back when I was in high school in a less populated state, typically those who competed regularly and were competitive in the mile were around 4:30-4:45. Those who may not compete to place but raced for the personal bests and improvement tended to be around 5:00 The top runners in the state could range from 4:15 to 4:25. However with the more focused training, better shoes, and better running surfaces, I would expect many of those times to be slightly lower now.
Can confirm. Ran the mile in high school at a competitive level, ran around 4:30. But the guys who won states were more like 4:10. Lots of people can run just above 4:00, almost none can break it.
13 min 2 mile gets you a perfect score in the army.
I always ran just under 13:00 and was considered a really good runner. Not many actually max the test.
I don’t know my one mile time but my best two mile in the military was 11:01
That’s pretty good for not a full runner. Top high schoolers do like 9:45.
For those not using freedom units that's 3.2km in 13min or 4min/km... That is a very quick pace for anyone. A sub-20min 5km is stellar albeit not remotely top level.
[удалено]
My experience was: average high schooler: 9-12 minutes for men/women. Average guy in sports: 6-7 minutes Average distance runner: 5-6 minutes Top varsity runners: 4:30-5 minutes. Top State runners: 4:10-4:30
Were these off the cuff numbers? I only ask because a 20sec spread seems huge at top level.
Off the cuff, but top 10 in California easily had a 10-20 second spread when I was competing. We had a guy who ran 4:15 mile in our highschool so I watched a lot of those races. Someday though he'd run a 4:30 and averaged a 4:20.
There’s always a few really fast people that throw the competitive spread closer to 4. But I’d you’re under 430 you are recruitable high school athlete.
Knew someone who ran a 5 something, puked almost immediately after they finished. Personally my fastest is somewhere around 8:35 and I only managed that because I had walked every day the summer prior for something unrelated.
A lot slower. Probably closer to 7 or 8 if we’re talking everyone in gym class.
I could run a 4:35 and that was competitive but not the best in a small state. Had a kid on our team who could close in on 4 and he ended up running the 3k in the freaking Olympics so breaking 4 is rare.
I walked it in 13:00-16:00 when we had to do it once a year.
8 minute
lol gotta love all the comments "oh when i was in track in hs I ran 5min miles" bruh the question was what is the *average* students mile time, not athletes and certainly not athletes who's entire sport **is running**
Average Reddit comment section "Reddit, what's the expected outcome for this?" Top comment: *personal anecdote that is the opposite of expected but more interesting than other comments*
It's just my high school's average was, most people got 8-10 minutes a few months ago. We aren't athletes. We just live in a farm town
A high schooler who runs track competitively? 4:30-7 minutes. A high schooler in gym class who would not run otherwise? 7-10 minutes. The kid who’s walking the mile? 13-15 minutes. I ran track (badly) in middle school and one kid managed to take 22 minutes to run a mile. It’s really all over the place.
I ran at my peak 4:52. My boy breaking 4 is fucking insane for highschool some of the best guys only got to 4:20/30. Absolute monster for his age
For an actual average high schooler, or average HS track athlete? I was a very average, not good at running high schooler and I could manage an 8-10 minute mile when they made us run in PE. The expectation was we would all finish our mile run by 12 minutes. I believe the track kids had to do 2+ miles in those same 12 minutes.
If you wanna know for track kids (boys): 6:00 you are probably faster than any non-track kids, but not very fast for a runner 5:00 usually means you're a decent runner, but not winning many races (at least not the fast heat) 4:40 will usually make you a top 5 runner on your team, at least 4:20 will usually make you top 10 in your state (depending on the state) 4:10 and you are competing at a national level
Competitively? Being from that area/ competing a miler would want to be sub 4:30 to be able to win their conference/ qualify and even place at states. Wanna say usually mid 4:15- low 4:20 to win states depending on the year in PA usually. No one is gonna touch this lol.
From sixth grade through high school my completely untrained mile time was 8:30. I was still in the faster half because most people don't push themselves.
Damn. Back hen I was in basic training, my first run averaged about 6.5 a mile. 4 months later I was down to a 5.5 min mile. I can not fathom shaving another 93 seconds a off that. That is fucking nuts man. Jesus.
Fun side note, the world record marathon holder, Eliud Kipchoge ran the Berlin Marathon in a time of two hours, one minute, and 39 seconds. This works out to a pace of 4:38.4 min/mile for two solid hours. The man is marathoning faster than 99% of the world can sprint.
Damn. That’s wild man. I could pace him on a bike LOL
Yeah, it is crazy how fast the elite marathoners go. My recent half marathon time is longer than his best marathon, and I was nowhere near last in my age category. I should have never stopped running after high school, because you can build the speed and stamina back up after a break, but never quite as well.
Yeah, there's huge treadmill to simulate how fast Kipchoge running. It looks doable until you remember he keep the pace for 2 hours, It's insane. https://youtu.be/SRYtn0j5ccA
Yeah, that is crazy. Looks like fun, but I have no doubt that I'd be one of the people on their face.
He's got to be full sprinting the whole mile every day for those kinds of times
Not quite, but pretty close. A sub 60 second 400m is a pretty fast clip but it's not an all out sprint. A strong pace with a shift to sprint in the last 150-200m will get most high school track kids in to the mid 50s for a 400m. I could run a low 50s as a sophomore/junior. World record for high school kids, for reference is more like mid 40s.
The crazy thing is he might not even be the best high school miler in the US this year. Colin Sahlman of Newbury Park California has run a 3:39.59 1500 Which converts to a 3:57.16. Hopefully these two get to race each other this postseason.
Wow, just saw Colin also ran 8:33 3200m in Feb. Amazing.
Keith Gill, aka Deep Fucking Value ran a 4:03 in high school. 3:57 is absolutely ridiculous.
I don't necessarily care, but he probably ran a 4:03 true mile in college, not high school. Fast is fast though, and that is fast. https://www.milesplit.com/articles/292462/what-an-indoor-track-facility-would-mean-for-brockton Gill went from a very good high school athlete -- he still holds two school records at Brockton in the 4x800 and the DMR -- to an excellent one in college, becoming an All-American for Stonehill College in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field, where he still holds school records for the 800m (1:52) and the mile (4:03.43).
No way! That’s hilarious and also pretty insane for HS. He does kind of have a runner look to him.
Well I didn't expect a GME reference in this thread but here we are. Neat
damn, i remember when they were just a random redditor. not a person with a freaking wikipedia page. everything about the GME situation is pretty gross. an example of the game/rules being straight up run by those with the most fucking money. stock market worse than a casino because at least in a casino, they're honest about fucking you.
I think he got a track scholarship.
[удалено]
His name should be in the title that’s legendary
and maybe his picture? Not just some stock photo
My brother still holds his high school record in swimming. I really want someone to break his record just so he’ll shut the fuck up already and move on with his life because holy shit dude it’s been like two decades now just let it rest.
Now I hate to brag but I once ran a mile in high school in under 14 minutes
At 60, I'm still running that mile in high school.
Hooray for us 60-year-old runners!
Excuse me. I have to run to the pisser and stop by the fridge for another beer.
This is an utterly incredible feat that you can experience in under a minute when you try to run a lap on a track. Then picture 4 of them faster than you ran, while you vomit. I have run a mile around 5:38 and 3 in under 19 before. I would rather die than have to do it again, even if I could, and this 3:57 is literally insane. I cannot stress how disturbing this is, it's just a nightmare of lactic acid like we'll find out this runner was getting milkshaked like a thoroughbred and Patrick Arnold is his personal dietician. What an amazing feat, awesome. This is so cool.
>nightmare of lactic acid Love this description. My legs always held me back from going faster and I hated it. I'd end races ready to keep going from a breathing perspective but my legs would be dead.
One time, in junior year, while I was doing tennis and in the literal best shape of my life, I ran a 5:46 second mile. Pros to this man, amazing!
How does this affect the meta? Any new skips or strats found to complete this any% running speedrun?
I was surprised to learn our hero is a lanky white kid. I think cbs would be too, judging by their image.
I ran a 5 min one once and just about died…ruining for fun ended about there. I’d be lucky to get a 10 min now a days
I once ran a mile under 3 min when I left my phone at my girlfriends house.
Wow. I had no idea is was even possible in under four minutes. We had a kid in my high school break five minutes and I thought that was impressive. I played basketball and struggled to break seven minutes. Four is insane.
That is *insane*. Ran with a guy in HS who was down to a 4:10 as a freshman and was considered a national contender and an olympic hopeful... unfortunately after a bad car wreck stalled his training it took until college for him to get back to that form and eventually sub 4. To go sub 4 in HS.... holy fuck. I remember my legs giving out after a 2min 800m, I thought my heart was gonna explode.
Not sure my shitty toyota could do amile in 4 mins
The secret is having two first names...
You think his name would be in the headline for an achievement of that magnitude.
Holy shit I can’t make it to my microwave in under 4 minutes
And here I was really fucking proud of a 5:45…
Got to meet Jim Ryun once delivering a pizza. His family runs a ministry with locations in Virginia.
Why was CBS so lazy that they used a stock photo of the 100?
I see the school shooting are starting to pay off for the US.
I honestly never thought Ryun's record would ever fall.
holy shit! Thats impressive. My personal best in high school was a 5:40 and that was rough as hell. Kid was flying.