Any info out there on the “elites” standa alone speed. I.E. Peter Reids marathon time or 1500m swim time?
It would be interesting to see what these guys/gals could do for a stand alone race.
~Matt
I am terrible with the swim stuff, but I am guessing that a world class IM triathlete likley has to have the following standalone cycling and running specs:
run: 10K - 32ish
Marathon - 2:25 - 2:30ish
Bike: 40K ITT - 55ish or better
Fleck
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After Lessing’s run on Saturday I’d say he would be a sub 30 minute 10K guy.
You don’t see too many open marathon times for elite pros because the costs/risks of running 26.2 on the road outweigh the benefits for someone trying to make a living in multisport. Nevertheless, I recall Ryan Bolton going 2:25-ish at either Valley of the Sun or Tucson a few years ago. Peter Reid actually ran Boston in 2:54 a few years ago right before he went into the tank and into “retirement.” Joanna Zeiger has gone sub-2:50 a few times and had a respectable showing at the insanely hot 2000 Womens Olympic marathon trials (mid 2:40s).
Many of the USA resident team raced an open 10k and the Carlsbad 5000 while at their San Diego training camp. Most ran 31-33 for the 10k, and 15-ish for the 5k. Most of these guys would be considered your rank-and-file of the ITU circuit, so I would expect similar times for most elites. Interestingly, Jurgen Zack went 15:49 this year at C-bad and went 15:37 in 2001, which shows that Ironman guys can hold their own over the shorter distances.
That really depends on what “holding your own” means. Mid 15s won’t get you in the top 10 of any of the local competitive races around San Francisco. …mid 14s are what the top local guys typically run.
I would interpret “hold you own” to mean against the short course ITU guys.
Historians, correct me: Didn’t Mark Allen try to concentrate on marathoning for a while? Did he ever run a 2:20 or something?
Historians, correct me: Didn’t Mark Allen try to concentrate on marathoning for a while? Did he ever run a 2:20 or something?
I think it was 1994 when he unsuccessfully ran Berlin to go for the Olympic Trials time (DNF instead).
Agreed - as a former Olympic distance World Champion, he would have that sort of speed. You need to be able to run that well to win on the ITU circut. The orginal poster I think was asking about IM racers.
Stand alone times:
Mark Allen’s pb 10k (to the the best of my knowledge) was 29:59, out dipping Jeff Devlin who ran 30:02. Can’t remember the race but it was about 1990.
Christian Bustos ran a 2:16 marathon.
Greg Welch ran a certified 1/2 Mar in 1:04 (San Diego half which he won), ran a mid 2:20s mar before getting into tris, and had rununder low 29 min 10k’s several times. I think his 5k pb was about 14:20 as a triathlete.
Chris Mccormack has run about 29:20-29:30 in legit 10k races. Both Macca and Welch made reserve for the Aust XC run team prior to their tri careers. Welch was running against the likes of Steve Moneghetti.
Simon Lessing has also run well under 30 min, not sure if under 29 though.
To turn it around, Craig Mottram (Athens olympic finalist 5000m, sub 13 5000 last year) was on the Aust jnr tri team in the late 90s. Switching to running because he didn’t have time for three sports while studying, he made the Sydney Olympics for 10000 (after tripping over at the end of the 1500 qualifier while in the lead and favorite). He returned to race at Noosa after the Athens olympics and was the fastest AGer running an easy 32 min for the 10k. He said he had done a 28:55 10k ‘tempo’ run a few days before. Overall his time was in the low 1:50s for 1.5/40/10.
What is hard to call is the bike speed of the top IM racers.
Karen Smyers won Hawaii with a 3:05 run split. That’s pretty quick but not as fast as the 2:42 she ran at the 1988 Olympic Marathon Trials in Pittsburgh. There was a duathlete back in the early '90’s from Mexico named Benjamin Paredes. Either he or Kenny Souza was typically in the lead after the first run when Desert Princess ruled the domestic du scene back in the day. Paredes also ran a 2:11 at the NYC Marathon ('92 maybe).
Miguel in the 'No…El Tribato
I think that was the Berlin Marathon a few years ago and he was HOPING for 2:20 but either blew out big time or DNF’d.
Don’t quote me tho’
Bevan Docherty 14:2x 5km
He and Carter both swim pool 1500 around about 17 flat. Although Keiran Doe doing 1500m backstroke has beaten Carter over a freestyle 1500!
Paul Amey 1:03 half Marathon!
peter kropko 2h20 marathon.
Gerrit Schellens though (who ran 3 times under 2h40 in IM, being 2u37’ best) only ran a 2h34 stand alone
I know that Alec Rukoseuv ran a fast Disney Marathon in the 90’s. Maybe even sub 2:20. I think 2:18 but could not find anything in a google search.
Mark Allan I recall took an off year in the early 90’s from full-on triathlon training. I believe one of his goals for the year was to run the qualfying time for the US Olympic Marathon Trials - a time typically in the low 2:20’s. I am not sure what exactly happened to Allan, but he did not get the low 2:20 time. I did hear him say afterwards that running the straight marathon was very hard - much tougher than he thought it would be.
Fleck
1994 (the year he sat out Kona) he ran Berlin trying to go 2:20 to qualify for the Olympic Trials. He ended up crashing and burning. I do not know his time or if he even finished but he didn’t go 2:20. I remember reading in Triathlete magazine (I still have it at home somewhere, I should look for it tonight) that in 94 he was hinting about making a sub 8 hour attempt in Roth.
Fleck, you would know better than I, but I am guessing that many pros like Peter Reid are only about 10 minutes faster in a stand-lone marathon. They are just very aerobically efficient and are able to get very close to their PB in a triathlon. (I believe this is the same as in Oly races too).
I would be curious what Peter Reid’s 10k PB is. Seems many pro’s hold such stats in secrecy.
I admire Gordo’s approach to sharing knowledge on his performances. I don’t think anyone is going to beat him because they know his stats. People either have the desire to race fast or they don’t. it still comes down to how the athlete can package up all the 3 sports into a solid time.
Mark was sick on that marathon attempt, and did not finish. He was capable of about a 2:18 that day. He did go under 30:00 for 10k, and he and Kenny Souza went about 14:30 at Carlsbad 5k one year. I believe Christian Bustos went a 2:18 marathon and Molina went about a 2:22 in his younger days. You can pretty much figure that most of the guys who have gone under 2:45 in hawaii, could go 2:20 or better. That’s a very small group though if you check the results. Erin Baker went 2:36, and I don’t believe Paula ever focused on a straight marathon. I don’t believe any woman has ever gone as fast a Erin did. Mark Sisson went a 2:17 in the old days, but never came close in a triathlon. For the record, I did a 2:36 in Vegas in '93 and beat Erin by 20 seconds or so. I cherish my fastest women time as one of my all time best performances…
Mark was sick on that marathon attempt, and did not finish. He was capable of about a 2:18 that day. He did go under 30:00 for 10k, and he and Kenny Souza went about 14:30 at Carlsbad 5k one year. I believe Christian Bustos went a 2:18 marathon and Molina went about a 2:22 in his younger days. You can pretty much figure that most of the guys who have gone under 2:45 in hawaii, could go 2:20 or better. That’s a very small group though if you check the results. Erin Baker went 2:36, and I don’t believe Paula ever focused on a straight marathon. I don’t believe any woman has ever gone as fast a Erin did. Mark Sisson went a 2:17 in the old days, but never came close in a triathlon. For the record, I did a 2:36 in Vegas in '93 and beat Erin by 20 seconds or so. I cherish my fastest women time as one of my all time best performances…
Can’t say I agree with you Monty.
Look at Gordo. He ran a 2’46’ at IMC last year. I bet he is no faster than 32’30’ for the 10k and that would place him in the neighbourhood of a 2’34’ marathon. The guys that have run sub 2’45’ have simply trained very well for running after a long bike ride. Plain and simple.
A person that can run sub 2’20’ in the marathon would be capable of a stand-alone 10k of about 29’30’. Absolutely no way Peter Reid can run that fast!