Six high schoolers to attempt to break the 4:00 mile live on May 23, 2020

Lancermania

Lancermania

Lancers lead the way!
Othes to do it outdoors.

Jim Ryun 3:58.3 May 22, 1965 KSHSAA Track and Field Championships Wichita, Kansas

Tim Danielson 3:59.4 June 11, 1966 San Diego Invitational San Diego, California

Marty Liquori 3:59.8 June 23, 1967 AAU Track and Field Championships Bakersfield, CA

Alan Webb 3:53.43 May 27, 2001 Prefontaine Classic Eugene, Oregon

Lukas Verzbicas 3:59.71 June 11, 2011 Adidas Grand Prix New York City

Matthew Maton 3:59.38 May 8, 2015 Oregon Twilight Meet Eugene, Oregon

Grant Fisher 3:59.38 June 4, 2015 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri

Michael Slagowski 3:59.53 April 29, 2016 Jesuit Twilight Invitational Portland, OR

Reed Brown 3:59.30 June 1, 2017 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri
 
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madman

Active member
That is crazy that we went ~34 years without anyone breaking 4:00 in high school after 3 did it in the span of ~2 years, and it took another 10 years for someone else to do it. Then we had 4 do it within 2 years.

I think the idea that these guys shouldn't bother with this time trial/race and instead should focus on getting ready for college is complete bunk. Racing should be the purpose for your training. Racing should motivate your training. Racing should be fun.

The idea that they should essentially just train for 9 months without racing in the prime of their lives just makes me shake my head.
 
JAVMAN83

JAVMAN83

Active member
Lancermania said:
Othes to do it outdoors.

Jim Ryun 3:58.3 May 22, 1965 KSHSAA Track and Field Championships Wichita, Kansas

Tim Danielson 3:59.4 June 11, 1966 San Diego Invitational San Diego, California

Marty Liquori 3:59.8 June 23, 1967 AAU Track and Field Championships Bakersfield, CA

Alan Webb 3:53.43 May 27, 2001 Prefontaine Classic Eugene, Oregon

Lukas Verzbicas 3:59.71 June 11, 2011 Adidas Grand Prix New York City

Matthew Maton 3:59.38 May 8, 2015 Oregon Twilight Meet Eugene, Oregon

Grant Fisher 3:59.38 June 4, 2015 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri

Michael Slagowski 3:59.53 April 29, 2016 Jesuit Twilight Invitational Portland, OR

Reed Brown 3:59.30 June 1, 2017 Festival of Miles St. Louis, Missouri
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You missed Ryun's faster times of 3:55.3, 3:56.8, & 3:58.1 from his senior year!!!
 
JAVMAN83

JAVMAN83

Active member
Lancermania said:
I knew about Ryun's other times just wanted to list that time from his high school state meet.
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I thought that might be the case. It may have been his best performance as it was a solo effort for the most part & took place in Kansas' legendary winds of 20mph gusts.
 
JAVMAN83

JAVMAN83

Active member
CC Track Fan said:
Leo Dashbach 3:59.54. Amazing kick went 58.81 last quarter mile. Cole Sprout 4:02.42 for second.
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I think you meant 56.81 sec for his last lap. I watched the race and rarely have seen a HSler kick like that on a mile.
 
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CC Track Fan

Active member
JAVMAN83 said:
I think you meant 56.81 sec for his last lap. I watched the race and rarely have seen a HSler kick like that on a mile.
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You are right his last 400 was 56.81. I put that wrong as of course they added the entire extra 9 meters to the first split. The kick was insane his last 800 was a 1:56.52.
 
JAVMAN83

JAVMAN83

Active member
CC Track Fan said:
You are right his last 400 was 56.81. I put that wrong as of course they added the entire extra 9 meters to the first split. The kick was insane his last 800 was a 1:56.52.
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Agreed...I was fairly impressed & it backed-up his reported 1:49 & 4:03 time trials.
 
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madman

Active member
I like the Tour de France. It has time trials, team persuits, intermediate sprints, best climber awards, etc. Each person might have their favorite attribute of the sport, but that doesn't mean you can't appreciate the other attributes, too.

Track cycling involving sprints isn't my cup of tea, which pretty much mirrors the men's Big Ten indoor mile championship most years. It's a race, but I'm not sure why they call it a mile. It seems like they extend their warm-up for ~800-1000 meters. Might as well count their entire warm-up and cool-down and call it a 10k
 
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psycho_dad

Well-known member
We all have out pet peeves. I have had pole vaulters that wanted to put the bar 1/4" above a record and I wouldn't let them. My explanation is that I was there when the other kid got the record and he did not have the luxury of putting the bar at a record height. You can go an inch higher, but I think it's garbage to go 1/4" higher or even a half inch. Every bar in competition is always set at a full inch not fractions. Never once heard the bar will now be set at 13'-6 1/4" with 3 vaulters remaining. My brother has our schools high jump record and it's something like 6'-7 3/4" I think it was set at 6-8" but when measured it was slightly short. That sort of leaves his record exposed to be beaten by 1/4" but that's just how it goes.

As far as jogging around for 800 in a mile and then kicking, There are other guys in that race and if they want to blow that strategy up, they can. The person that wins that race is genius, everyone else are fools. It only bothers me in the sense that only a few people are actually racing with a valid strategy. Everyone else is just running around.
 
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nooks

Well-known member
Read Ryun's book in HS. Did you know that he had 11.3 100 meter speed? A 57 second quarter for him was merely a fast cruise. Amazing athlete...
 
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BlackHawk

Well-known member
madman said:
That is crazy that we went ~34 years without anyone breaking 4:00 in high school after 3 did it in the span of ~2 years, and it took another 10 years for someone else to do it. Then we had 4 do it within 2 years.
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Is the 34 year gap due to the mile race being replaced by the 1500 meter race in high school? In other words, during that 34 year period, the elite high school "milers" were competing in 1500 meter races and not mile races, since the mile race was all but obsolete and rarely run? Just asking. I know very little about track, and have rarely, if ever, posted in this forum.
 
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madman

Active member
I think there are only a few states that run 1500m (OR, MA, CT, RI). The 1600 has replaced the mile as an official distance in most state competitions; however, the mile is still the event at nationals and major post-season meets. I think there are other forces at work here.
 
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