ARTICLE: What level of runner are you?

Marty Liquori's 'Guide for the Elite Runner' from 1980

During yesterday's club session, doing the old-fashioned hill circuits pioneered by New Zealand coaching legend Arthur Lydiard, one of our members asked 'what's a solid level'. This was in response to a discussion around when it would be prudent to move from road running to track running.

What's a solid 10 km time?

The gentleman asking the question was on solid footing - having run 10 km races between 30 minutes and 35 minutes in the past - times that today most male runners do not achieve. My initial answer was 'not as fast as they used to be'. Sometimes when I make this comment it seems like I am attempting to be a party-pooper in the running boom. Rest assured: that is not the intention. But standards of average times were better in the so-called 'Western world' (Europe, Oceania and America) from the 1930ies to early to mid 1980ies and has since declined. A time of 35 minutes for 10 km would have been unimpressive in the 1980ies and before whereas today it is considered very solid*.

* The elite times have gotten better during the same period, although for fewer athletes in 'the West', with most of the improvement coming from Africa (i.e. Kenenisa Bekele ran the 10 km world record in 26:17.53 - a staggering 2:38 minutes per kilometre or 6.2 consecutive 4:14 minute miles). 

Do not let any of this discourage you. Whether you are destined to break 30 minutes, return to the 'solid' 35 minutes or are still trying to get under the 1 hour for the 10 km distance (or another barrier for another distance), you should never be discouraged by where you are but rather dreaming about what you could be. Barry Magee, the bronze medallist in the Olympic marathon, could famously not run 200m any faster than 28 seconds yet he recorded the world's fastest 10,000m in 1961.  'Ancient marathoner' Jack Foster took up running at 33 years of age and famously ran 2:11 for the marathon at age 41! Most goals are possible for most people most of the time - given time and consistency.

Where you stand

Below I have replicated a suggested division of runners into four groups suggested by elite American runner Marty Liquori. These times, at the top-end, are 34 years out of date (!) but will suffice for our purposes:

* Female runners should add 30 seconds to the mile times, 5 min to the 10k times and 22 minutes to the marathon times

The above categories are not rigid (i.e. you can be category C and very lean, for instance). What it helps you decide is what level of competition is ideal for you and what sort of training runners of your level do on average.

As we move our training to the GAA pitches, we will naturally begin to form you into groups of similar ability - related to the categories above. So a 40 minute and a 38 minute 10k runner can have a reasonable good session together. A 50 minute and a 35 minute 10k runner cannot have a good session together (the 35 minute runner may have a great session but the 50 minute runner a nightmare!).

Charlesland track in Greystones

When do you go on track/cross-country etc.

A question asked yesterday was 'when is it worthwhile going into a track race to develop speed'. The answer is relative to the event you prefer to run in. For an ultra-runner doing a cross-country race, a short hill race or a 10 km road race will help keep you faster (along with keeping some short strides and sprints in your weekly training) and it is not necessary to contemplate running on track over short distances. In fact, it might be detrimental to your race performance.

If you are trying to get a faster 5 km time on the roads then trying out the 1500m, mile and 3000m events on track (and road) would be worthwhile to provide the 'extra gears' for those races. To enter a track race you really just need to be Category C or faster as this will suffice to compete in what is called 'Grade D' (track races are graded by expected finishing times from A to D). 

There are exceptions such as the Wicklow Fit4Life 1 mile race on the Charlesland track - it tends to take place early and late in the year. This race attracts runners with mile times from 12 minutes to below 4 minutes and 30 seconds. So here you can try out the experience without worrying about falling several laps behind.