Run-Down Forums

[Guest]

at a glance at the iaaf websites - top 2000 junior times, it is freakish to see two guys brekaing 13mins for 5k at aged 18 and a 16 year old with a 10k pb of 28 50 on the track! all from african regions

is it that they trainn simnply too hard, i know genetics and altitude play a big part, but is the peaking age for 5 k - 10k track lowering?

[Dan]

It is scary, but it's not really all that new. 16 is pretty young, but it's normal to see "18-19" year old East Africans atop the distance lists. I put that in quotes, because there numerous accounts of the lack of accurate birth records and how easy it is to obtain whatever birth certificate you want for a few bucks.

Basically, the ages are mostly useless; it's the times that I look at as significant.

Dan