As an ethiopian teen runner, the fact that you guys think that just because we are good we must be doping is so funny to me.

She's obviously claiming to be an Ethiopian-American, hence the white friends.

So then you're not an Ethiopian runner as you claimed in your OP. You are an Ethiopian-American runner, correct?

Kid…you and your brother literally hit the genetic lottery. It’s not surprising at all that he can run sub-16 off of little training, and that you are running close to 17 flat as a junior. Hate to break it to you, but you have benefitted greatly from your natural talent.

I competed in the Mckirdy Micro and I can speak for myself in saying that while I was certainly trying to run the fastest time possible to OTQ and PR, I was also there to compete. Every time I felt there was an opening I slowly moved up and broke away from the pack. I was seeded in the 50’s and came away with a top 20 finish. I suspect I wasn’t the only one treating this like a real race especially considering I was kicking hard to break away from some other runners the last mile and they were trying to do the same. In my opinion the best way to run just about any race is to go for the fastest time possible on the given day and that’s what we all did.

It’s nice to finish a race knowing you gave it your all as opposed to jogging around for 20 miles waiting to make a move…

I competed in the Mckirdy Micro and I can speak for myself in saying that while I was certainly trying to run the fastest time possible to OTQ and PR, I was also there to compete. Every time I felt there was an opening I slowly moved up and broke away from the pack. I was seeded in the 50’s and came away with a top 20 finish. I suspect I wasn’t the only one treating this like a real race especially considering I was kicking hard to break away from some other runners the last mile and they were trying to do the same. In my opinion the best way to run just about any race is to go for the fastest time possible on the given day and that’s what we all did.
It’s nice to finish a race knowing you gave it your all as opposed to jogging around for 20 miles waiting to make a move…

Sorry was experiencing some sort of issue and mistakenly posted in the wrong thread

This looks like the style and form of language expression of an above-average, native born American High School jr or sr.

based on my experience, people typically don't accuse high school athletes of using drugs unless if you look like brock lesnar or something.

Hard work will get you a long way in high school and beyond. The question is whether that is all that is going on with performances like 14 flat for a woman, etc. History tells us that it is very likely that doping is involved in some of those top performances. For instance, over 150 Kenyans have been banned for doping or missed tests in the past decade plus. Does that mean they didn't work hard? No, they worked hard and doping may have let them work even harder.

I don't think all east Africans are doping. It's a common suspicion because there are so many successful runners from this part of the world.

Many are skeptical of Ethiopians/Kenyans training in those countries because they are more corrupt, have easier access to drugs, have less testing infrastructure, and have more financial incentive to dope. If someone is raised in USA (but is Ethiopian in ancestry), especially a high schooler, I wouldn't suspect them to be doping. Doping is a problem here too, but its trickier because the drugs are harder to obtain and there is less culture around it. Its less about corruption and more about greyarea doping (see NOP) and skirting positive thresholds by microdosing (not unique to US).

Not sure if you've seen the state meets in India where the bathrooms are loaded with EPO syringes and steroid packaging, and 75% of the fields dropped after learning there would be drug tests after. Its a bigger problem than you think. That 4x4 team from India at worlds is looking a bit sketch now.

Kenya has cracked down on drug testing the past few years and we've seen some names popped that you would think were untouchable/too big to fall. I don't get the feeling Ethiopia has had the same crackdown as Kenya.

My gut tells me Shericka Jackson, Shacarri Richardson, Faith Kipyegon, Tsegay, and Assefa are doping of the world class women. Feels easier to speculate on women since, imo, PEDs have a more noticeable physical impact on their body, and a bigger performance boost from not doping. Kipyegon and Shacarri look noticeably more toned in an unnatural way at worlds this year than they looked last year. Shacarri reminds me of what I thought about Coleman before he got banned (I speculated he was doping then), unnaturally toned. Coleman looks noticeably more normal now, probably learned his lesson. Tsegay and Assefa I am less familiar with, but their performances also raise flags.

And lastly, many Americans work very hard. I know tons of Americans running over 110 miles per week in college. Genetics, growing up at altitude, etc. make a difference.

You said "most girls" you knew in HS struggled to break 8 mins in the mile. You did not mention whether or not that was on their first ever try. Your lack of clarity and poor comparisons are laughable in of themselves, but even moreso that you pinned it as an intellectual fault of mine. Regardless, at my high school we would routinely have several freshman girls come out and run 6:30 or faster in a summer time trial or first meet of the season off of soccer training.

Twice

Actually, she would just be classified as an American but that isn't divisive enough for her.

Actually this is the way it happens. I've seen countless examples here and on other forums: A young track and field fan identifies his favorites. He follows their career along with the greats of that generation. He learns about prior legends. He's gripped by the sport.

And those standards become his reference point. He's convinced this is the peak and will always be the peak, or certainly nearby.

Fast forward two or three decades. Now he's steadily demoralized and in denial. His heroes have not only been bettered, they have been trounced. He seldom hears their names anymore, and when it does happen it's afterthought mode.

That's where doping comes to the rescue. The great deflection and soothe. He rationalizes that his prized era was indeed the ultimate. Everything subsequent was counterfeit. That's why you'll often see references to certain times as legitimate and everything beyond that phony. The cutoff is conveniently at his prized era.

It's every bit as pathetic as laughable. The reason it unfolds this way is that other sports offer welcome comparison and debate. A football fan can trumpet someone like Johnny Unitas or Gale Sayers as greatest ever and receive fair hearing. There will be attention and respect. Track and field basically shuts the door on that type of thing with the laser focus on time, distance and height.

Well said girl. You are a natural born runner. Unlike your classmates, you have no neanderthal dna to slow you down. Ignore the jealous trolls here.

So you routinely have several girls run 6:30 or faster on their first try which implies most of them did not, correct?

Sorry I didn't write a treatise for you. It should be obvious what my point was. That this person is going on about their "hard work" and complaining about others "laziness" while running a time most girls would struggle to hit off of couch. (she doesn't suggest she even ever played soccer or any other sport).

OP: I'm only fast because I work harder. Also my brother plays soccer and runs sub-16 on a whim.

You have a gift most runners only dream of. Keep training hard and make the most of it! Maybe your bro should take up running seriously, too.