Becoming World Class

Hello, I am an 18 year old male runner who has a dream or becoming a world class runner. I have been physically active my whole life and have only just taken an interest in running. I don't currently have a proper pair of running shoes as I have just started out. I am running with trainers which other people have said to me that they are noticable heavy. I currently run 8 miles in 1 hour (with a good ammount of energy left...) This was on road and most of journey was flat. I am training for the 2014 London Marathon where I will be aiming to gain a little respect by finishing in the top 1000 and hopefully be given a starting place which is in the top 500 at the 2015 London Marathon. Do you think I have the potential to make it as world class runner...eventually or do you think that I should be running further then 8 miles at my stage in my life if I am going to make it at high level.  

Well Samir, you are probably going to have to do a little bit of work.

With 8 miles in 1 hour you are probably towards the lower end of athletes in your age group, to get top the top 1000 in VLM you need to improve to well about sub hour for 10 miles, an improvement of about 25% of your current standard.

If you enjoy running join a club, get a coach, and can I suggest at your age don't get hung up by London Marathon.

You have a long way to go before even becoming national standard. 

As Piers said join a club, I recently joined one and I have picked up some quite useful tips.

Good Luck. 

Thanks Mike how's the thing with Brazil going? I'm getting a pair of good running trainers for christmas so i'm hoping my milage goes from 8 miles in 1 hour to 9 miles in 1 hour as the pair I have now might aswell have ankle weights attached to them. Millsy with God's grace.

No-one can 'decide' to be a world class 'anything' until they are already 99% of the way there. 

New shoes for Christmas and you'll be away.....nailed on!

Samir Haddad wrote (see)

Thanks Mike how's the thing with Brazil going? I'm getting a pair of good running trainers for christmas so i'm hoping my milage goes from 8 miles in 1 hour to 9 miles in 1 hour as the pair I have now might aswell have ankle weights attached to them. Millsy with God's grace.

 

Road to Rio was kind of a spur of the moment thing, 2020 is achievable though.

By the way 9 miles in an hour is around 6:40mm pace, once you can do them all in sub 5 minute mile pace then your in the elite range. To get a feel of how fast this is, do 70-75secs every 400m of the track. 

I think it makes more sense to wait until after christmas and see what Santa brings. You might end up being a world-class cyclist or world-class XBox 360 player.

Maybe Sanata will bring you a new bridge ... and the 3 Billy Goats Gruff can debate whether to walk over it.

Can I have some of those trainers from Santa too?

Sorry, I've ordered the last pair.

See them in the above piccy.

Do you think i could beat Bradley Wiggins in the next Tour De France ? 

I can cycle round the block pretty quick !!

mike rushton wrote (see)

Road to Rio was kind of a spur of the moment thing, 2020 is achievable though.

Love it Mike

Samir, weren't you on a thread saying how you were having a football trial, and how you weightlift? What's changed in a couple of months for this dream to emerge?