So threshold pace is 5 min/miles. Am I right in interpreting that he could run about a 1:06 half in perfect conditions then, maybe more like 1:08 with a couple hills, corners and wind in the real world?? Pretty fast but still a good chunk of ground to make up if he wants to enter the long distance world clas…Just curious on the implications of this metric really.
Letsrun.com will have something on Jakob tomorrow.
In June as 15 (turned 16 in September) he ran 1,500 - 3.42, 3,000 - 8.22 and 800 - 1.51 over three days. Last two without a lot of competition.
He trains very little speed, 5x6 minutes is a typical interval session. 2x(10x200m uphill) is another.
He is not afraid of running shorter races also. This fall he first ran 300mh in 40.7 (he is not a sprinter 
and then right after ran the 1,500m steeple in 4.10.
Here you have the u20 crossX race https://www.youtube.com/...ASHGTCPQ&t=1359s
And this doesn’t answer my question. I don’t see how the threshold pace is really that relevant to his 1500m prowess actually? I know plenty of pro cyclists that can cain it up a 3 minute climb but can’t do a 40km TT anywhere close to that level…and vice versa.
Endurance is the most important factor, just look at Mo Farah. He is one fantastic 1,500m runner. Back in the days Ovett and Cram ran long distance races off season.
Many 1,500m runner are also good 5,000m runners.
Another point, I found it interesting that it is bad when runners are fast as 16, but totally OK if they are swimmers.
Few sports train as hard from a young age as swimmers, but that is ok. But runners cannot do the same?
It’s simple. Show the evidence that the fastest runners at 16 make it to the top level as seniors. Same with swimming.
Being fast isn’t the issue. The type of training that they do to get fast is the issue. Does ramping up training at a very early age limit what you can do later in life? His oldest brother didn’t follow a great path. He is already getting slower and did worse in 2016 vs 2012. Peaking too early in a career is a problem. There is enough historical times to compare and if someone runs that fast as a junior it is unlikely there are that much of an outlier that they will drop the world records as seniors.
OK, that is not hard.
From Letsrun.com article today.
In the boys’ U-20 race, there was a very interesting development. It’s very unusual to see a 16-year-old winner but that’s exactly what happened as Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, the younger brother of Olympians Filip (3:33.43 pb, European champ this year at 23) and Henrik (3:31.46 pb, 5th at Olympics at age 21 in 2012) won by eight seconds. Jakob may have just turned 16 on September 19, but he’s already run really fast. He’s the world record holder for 1500 at both age 14 (3:48.37) and 15 (3:42.44).
Now some might say that setting age-group records at age 14 and 15 on the boys’ side isn’t all that significant as it might just be a test of who hits puberty the earliest, but we certainly don’t agree with that argument in the case of Jakob Ingebrigtsen given what his brothers have accomplished and given that he just beat everyone in Europe under the age of 20. He’s not just a great 16-year-old athlete — he’s a great junior athlete, period. Running a 4:00 mile equivalent at any point in high school is great; to do so at age 15 is remarkable.
And if you start looking at who some of the names are that hold the 1500/mile records for ages 16, 17 and 18, you see some very famous names.
According to age-records.125mb.com, the age-16 1500 record of 3:42.43 belongs to Spain’s Reyes Estévez. Estévez would go on to run 3:30 for 1500 and win European gold in the 1500 (1998) as well as two World Championship bronzes (1997/1999). And we imagine you’ve definitely heard of the age-17 and age-18 mile record holders in Steve Cram (3:57.43 at age 17, eventual world record holder, world champion and Olympic silver medallist) and Alan Webb (3:53.43 mile at 18, eventual 3:46 miler).
https://www.letsrun.com/news/2016/12/wtw-europes-teen-phenoms-appear-real-deal-miruts-yifter-not-dead-buzunesh-deba-breaks-boston-marathon-course-record/