For those of you visual learners, the graph below (note the break point used is 9:05.0 which is different than my stats on the next page) that was created and shared by Jesuit coach, Walt Lange, clearly illustrates the rise and fall and rise of the 3200m/2 mile distance.
The high mileage/marathon era during the 60s certainly contributed to the resurgence of times and to a high point in the mid-70s. The trend shifted a bit in the 80s to lesser mileage and the result was less impressive times. Eventually, the times trended up and as we mentioned in our coaching legend article about Kye Courtney, coaches and athletes started to travel across the country to face top-notch competition.
Another factor that has to be mentioned is that meets like the Arcadia Invite and the Texas Distance Festival that now attract top athletes and design races to create super fast times. Postseason meets like Brooks PR and New Balance National Outdoors continue to pit many of the top runners against each other giving them additional opportunities to run very fast.
Additionally, in California, there is certainly an incentive for the top distance runners to choose to run the 3200m. With no trials in the race, any qualifiers from any section automatically advance to the final without having to go through Friday's trials. For the top runners who are undecided, I believe that the prospect of no trials will certainly have them leaning toward the 8-lap distance. That is certainly confirmed with the amount of sub 9 efforts that have taken place at the California State Track and Field meet.
One of the premier high school track and field announcers, Tim O'Rourke, was also a very successful coach. His 1987 Arroyo cross country team won the first CA state championship in Division I, scoring 41 points. He believes the 3200m has reemerged for the following reasons.
"My quick thoughts on the increase in depth in 3200 is that the majority of high school coaches saw the 2 mile up through the 90s as a "distance" event and coached it as they did their 3-mile cross country runners.
This Saturday, over 30 distance runners will toe the starting line at 8:55 pm with the hopes of adding their name to the growing lists of high school sub-9 minute 3200m runners. The next fastest 3200m race has also produced sub-9 minute efforts just like last year when two runners also broke that barrier.
In the next page, you will see the amount of sub 9 3200m/2mile runs since 2000 along with the amount from each Arcadia Invite and for good measure, the winning time of each Arcadia meet from 2000-2017. All the numbers that you will see have been confirmed by stats guru, Jack Shepard.
If you have other thoughts on what you have just read, please feel free to comment below or you can reach out to us on twitter @MilesplitCA.
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