I honestly have no idea how this popped into my head while swimming yesterday, but the title is the question.
If you swim one mile (or 1600 meters is close enough) hard, then run hard for an equal amount of time, how many miles to the nearest quarter mile do you think you could cover?
Being a much stronger runner I could go 4.5 miles.
I’m guessing that strong swimmers would be 2.x?
Interesting mark to consider. I’d put myself right around 4 miles. I wish it was 3…
I swim 1:06 and run 3:12 in IM. Could run 4.8 in my mile swim time.
Just short of 4 I guess? Best times are ~21:30 for the swim vs 22:15 4 mile. Both of those are a bit slower now but I’d have to disregard one or the other pretty heavily to ever deviate from that ~4 mile range
About 24:50 for the mile swim. Could run about 4.3 miles in that time.
I’m guessing that strong swimmers would be 2.x?
Maybe 2 at a dead “sprint”? Most likely less than that…
Based on a recent olympic race, nominally 0.9 mile swim and 10k run, I’m almost at 5! Swim in 25:5x and run in 36:0x. (No huge surprise here as I’m coming from a run background and only swam about one day a week training)
Medalists from the last two Olympics are sitting at around 3.6-3.8.
I’m guessing that strong swimmers would be 2.x?
Maybe 2 at a dead “sprint”? Most likely less than that…
I was thinking of some of my students, collegiate swimmers, who are beasts in the pool but tell me they are terrible runners by comparison. If you can swim 16:00 for a mile or something like that (I’m spitballing) but your run is weaker, 2.x seemed like a decent guess. Probably a high .x, I suppose.
I honestly have no idea how this popped into my head while swimming yesterday, but the title is the question.
If you swim one mile (or 1600 meters is close enough) hard, then run hard for an equal amount of time, how many miles to the nearest quarter mile do you think you could cover?
Being a much stronger runner I could go 4.5 miles.
I’m guessing that strong swimmers would be 2.x?
For a “balanced†measure, or rough guess/staring point for a well rounded AG:
Swim: 400m tt long course=6minutes
Run: rested mile on the track=6minutes
Bike: add a zero for 40km all out TT ie in this guess 60 minutes.
So if you have someone who can run six and bike 60 for 40 km but swims 8 minutes…then best ROI might be in the swim.
Maurice
A few clarifications.
Is the run is after the swim? Are we talking a swim like a meet with no afterthought or planning to run?Wetsuit or no?Solo or drafting? (I draft a lot in IM swims with the fast kids)Open water or do I get flip turns with walls?
I’m from a swim background (obviously).
So if I put 2-3 months of effort into the swim training with ideal (wetsuit in short course pool meet conditions) I think I could get back to the 18min range. They optimist wants to say I’d close on Y-Nationals cut with the wetsuit which should be a little under 17, but I’m old, so let’s say 18:30
I’m a slow landbeast with a 19:59 5k so I’d be in the upper 2.8x fresh. Back to back probably 2 because a swim meet mile kills me
Close to 5 miles.
I have a “slight” imbalance between swimming and running.
Run: rested mile on the track=6minutes
Bike: add a zero for 40km all out TT ie in this guess 60 minutes.
Not the topic, but is this a commonly accepted conversion…?
Run: rested mile on the track=6minutes
Bike: add a zero for 40km all out TT ie in this guess 60 minutes.
Not the topic, but is this a commonly accepted conversion…?
Not really, the 60 minutes assumes someone with reasonable knowledge and dedication to equipment choices and position on the bike.
For example bad tires throws the whole thing out the window.
Maurice
It seems reasonable to me for a well-rounded front of the middle of the pack age grouper. (Whatever that means… Maybe the top 15% of AG of a non-championship Ironman or 70.3 race?)
I’m guessing that strong swimmers would be 2.x?
Maybe 2 at a dead “sprint”? Most likely less than that…
I was thinking of some of my students, collegiate swimmers, who are beasts in the pool but tell me they are terrible runners by comparison. If you can swim 16:00 for a mile or something like that (I’m spitballing) but your run is weaker, 2.x seemed like a decent guess. Probably a high .x, I suppose.
Sorry - I should have clarified - that’s my guess for what I could do, haha. I am (was?) the beast in the pool/terrible on land prototype.
I have always thought x4 suggests a balanced athlete.
Looking at ITU men, 18mins for 1500m swim then 31 mins for 10km run:
(10000/31) / (1500/18) = 3.87
However if they ran the shorter distance of 4 miles at a faster pace, say 30 minute 10km pace, and held the same swim pace of 72 seconds per 100m for a mile, then the number is bang on x4.0
I’m a mere mortal, and 46 years old, and kinda lazy at times, and beer drinker… Being all those things, I can only dream of times like that. But at least can match the ratio… 1500m swim in 23 mins, 10km run in 38 mins… x4.0
I was a distance swimmer in college and an “adult onset runner”
If I swam a 1500m long course in a meet today it would probably be almost exactly what my 5k PR is (18:00)
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I’m MOP 40 yo woman.
I FEEL like right now I’m a much stronger runner than swimmer… My mile swim is 28min, and I could run a little over 3.5mi in the same time.
Similar ratio to some of the elite triathletes, just…slower 
Close to 5 miles.
I have a “slight” imbalance between swimming and running.
HA! Welcome to my world!
Mine is probably slightly north of 5 miles - which speaks more to my turrible swim speed, than any kind of superior run speed.
A few clarifications.
Is the run is after the swim? Are we talking a swim like a meet with no afterthought or planning to run?Wetsuit or no?Solo or drafting? (I draft a lot in IM swims with the fast kids)Open water or do I get flip turns with walls?
I’m from a swim background (obviously).
Good questions.
Pool swim, short course, turn however you want, wear whatever is fast. Swim it solo.
On a completely separate day, well rested, run as far as you can in the same time. On a track or flat, straight road if you prefer.