There is the International System of Units. Established long ago. There are no miles, yards, feet there. If folks in the UK and US prefer to use some middle age units in their countries, it is up to them. But the French do not use lieu (lieue), by the way.
That's funny.
I look at the IAAF (the I is for International) list of official world records and I see the mile, not the 1600m.
Sub 4 was fast in the 1950s. Now it's literally a JV time. Can we stop pretending sub 4 is something special to make slow white American guys feel good?
To be fair only approximately 1700 people have broken the sub 4 minute mile since Bannister. That's only 0.00002125% of the worlds population. It's still a phenomenal achievement.
Race distances are arbitrary. You could also argue 26.2 is silly for a race distance. It's not the actual distance the first marathon was run, by Pheidippides. It's already been changed once so a Queen could get a better view.
25 miles, 40K or 50K might be more pleasing numbers to those who worry about these things.
To be fair only approximately 1700 people have broken the sub 4 minute mile since Bannister. That's only 0.00002125% of the worlds population. It's still a phenomenal achievement.
If you calculate it that way, its 1,700 out of 8 billion people who are alive now. But if you go back to Bannister's time, many more than 8 billion people have lived. So, the percentage is even smaller. It's an even more phenomenal achievement if you look at it that way.
The 1500m AND Mile should be replaced by the 2000m. Breaking 5 minutes for the 2km is harder (obviously) than breaking 4 minutes for the mile. There is no controversy of 1500 vs 1600m vs mile. So 5 minutes becomes the new standard. It is 5 laps of 60 seconds, not 4. The world record is held by the same guy who has the mile and 1500m records anyway.
Maybe yes. But I do agree that having a 1500, 1600 and mile is stupid. I ask my new runners what their mile best is and we go into this dance of was it 1600 or 1500 or actual mile? If they are under HS age it was probably 1500 (AAU) but they dont know that... jeesh.
If we’re being honest, most of the world doesn’t care about track and field at all outside of the Olympics. Among those who follow the sport, the mile still holds significance. That’s why Jakob went for the European record at last year’s Dream Mile in Oslo. Look at his comment after the race:
“Last year I was sick and couldn't race here, so it was even more special here tonight, as being the first Norwegian to win the Dream Mile.”
Sub 4 was fast in the 1950s. Now it's literally a JV time. Can we stop pretending sub 4 is something special to make slow white American guys feel good?
To be fair only approximately 1700 people have broken the sub 4 minute mile since Bannister. That's only 0.00002125% of the worlds population. It's still a phenomenal achievement.
Is it really that small an amount? That really puts it in perspective. If that's correct, a huge amount had to come in the last three years.
T&F just needs to get rid of the 1500. We already have an objectively better distance in the mile. The 1500 is 3.75 laps. That makes no sense for a spectator. The splits are so weird because they go through 300 and that's the start of the lap, but also there's 100m to go before they've run a lap. If they go through 700m in 1:47 I have no clue what they're on pace for, and neither does anyone in the crowd, nor does anyone watching on TV, nor does anyone on a livestream. Heck, I've heard announcers say what mile pace they're running way more often than I've heard them say what 1500 pace they're on.
Then go over to the king of the distance events: The Mile. Everyone everywhere knows a 4:00 mile is fast, and the mental math is so easy. They went through 1 lap in 1 minute? They're on 4 minute pace. 2 laps in 2 minutes? 4 minute pace. Plus if someone runs sub 3:50 in the mile, you know they're world class. With just those 2 numbers you can tell how good someone is. They have to run that extra 9 meters, but no spectator is even gonna notice that. It's got way more history behind it than the 1500, they're already run all over the world, and it's easier to follow for both spectators and athletes.
All in all, if you want to eliminate any race besides the 1500m, you're probably racist.
???
in that case, T&F just needs to get rid of the 3000steeple. There is no objective reason to keep a long-distance event with the added requirement of barriers. But im sure you've found it entertaining to sit by the waterpit!
also to your point, why the need for a mile when the track is clearly a metric 400m? no spectator is going to "notice the last 9 meters"? you know how many MAJOR middie finals have been decided in the final 9 meters? funny to read that as you claim the mile would make the math easier
lastly, your last statement is obviously pointless and incendiary, but also expected based on your first 2 sentences coming in. the 1500 is one of the few races that is able to bring together (around the world) all different parts of T&F; 5k-10k's racing down, 800m's doubling up, heck even decathletes run it -the best of them probably faster than you-.
the 1500m really is an event of convergence. sad your preferred tv announcers never get that opportunity to showcase that
It is a bummer that when the French were inventing the metric system, they didn't just align 500m with 1/4 mile. That would have been better. Then we could race the so-called 2km at international events and the mile in the Commonwealth and America. After all, "meters" are just a made up distance anyway. It is the same with 500g and a 1/4 lbs. -- why in God's name didn't they just line that up? It is, like the whole metric system, slightly "off" of the existing system at that time.
p.s. I know that there is a "backstory" for all these measurements, so they probably had their reasons. I am just bummed out that they didn't align.
When I'm dictator, I'm eliminating: all hurdles including steeple all relays
Relays are literally the best part of most track meets, both for the runners and for the fans.
If you are worried about how long track meets are, I think you could put on a short meet that had the following events and make all the fans really happy:
pre-meet 5000m that nobody needs to watch (people can show up late if they want)
4x100 relay
400m
800m
400 hurdles
Mile (or 1500m)
100m
4x400 relay
That meet would go pretty fast, be spectator friendly, and hits all the disciplines (sprints, hurdles, mid-distance, distance, relays).
This post was edited 29 seconds after it was posted.
Nothing is going to change - 1500 will remain the prestige distance and the mile will remain irrelevant outside the burgerland. This thread is completely pointless.
Every 1500 I’ve ever run in my life I have no idea what I’m on pace for until 400 to go. I agree with all the posters saying the splits are confusing af
