Can a human sprint a mile?

[soane]

[ApexSpeed]

Considering the record for one mile is 3:43 and change, I would say, YES.

[soane]

All it is is that a guy I worked with reckoned you could sprint a mile, not a 1500m sprint but the effort Usain Bolt puts into his 100m achievements.

[pro4nut]

Originally Posted by ApexSpeed

Considering the record for one mile is 3:43 and change, I would say, YES.

The mile on track is roughly 1500m a good sprinter clears 100m in 10 seconds

that would mean that the 1500 would be run in 1 minute 50 seconds

3 minutes 43 for 1500 metres equates to a 15 second 100m time

when i was 15 i could do the 100m in 13 seconds so no a human can't sprint a mile although they can run it very very fast!

[sosidge]

World records pace for the mile is an average of 13.8s per 100m. Mr Bolt has done the same distance in 9.58.

13.8 would no doubt be an impressive sprint for me, but not a sprint for an athlete.

[soane]

That's what I said, but would be something to see!!

[pro4nut]

You only have to look at the build os a sprinter versus a 1500m runner.
Human muscle fibres develope according to training and you get thick fibres which act fast but build lactic quickly and slow fibres which build lactic slowly.

put simply if a sprinter tried to carry that pace even over 400m he would be in agony the muscle just wouldn't work that well for that long.

When i trained i trained as a 400m runner which is classed as the longest sprint, we varied pace through the distance unlike 100m who go flat out, even the 200m runners don't take the first 100m at full pace.

the talking at the moment is whether bolt will run the 400m as many believe he could destroy the world record but the lack of prestige in the event will make it likely he will never do it which is a shame.

[Colinevan]

Chuck Norris could

[pro4nut]

Originally Posted by Colinevan

Chuck Norris could

But he would do it as a warm up before sprinting a marathon

[ApexSpeed]

Consider that mile runners ARE sprinting to their capacity, not to the capacity of a sprinter. They are sprinting for the purpose of running a mile, not 100m.

You build the engine to run a particular race, not all races.

[SlowOne]

Originally Posted by ApexSpeed

Consider that mile runners ARE sprinting to their capacity, not to the capacity of a sprinter. They are sprinting for the purpose of running a mile, not 100m.

You build the engine to run a particular race, not all races.

+1. Any running event at any distance requires the athlete to finish with nothing left in the tank, otherwise they will probably lose. At 100m, they need fast muscle that consumes fuel fast, and at 26 miles they need slow muscle that ekes the fuel out.

You mate is saying "could you win a GP at the speed of a Top Fuel dragster? No. Each athlete is 'built' a different way, and each, in that different way, is sprinting.

If you mean could a human run 1500m in 1' 50", my view is no. Then again, it was said that man couldn't run a 4-minute mile as the load on the body would cause a heart attack... until 1954 when Roger Bannister ran 3' 59". Since then we have taken 17 seconds off that record, so never say never!

[tellor]

2 points really;

a mile is 1600m

and what is the definition of a sprint?

[sosidge]

Originally Posted by ApexSpeed

Consider that mile runners ARE sprinting to their capacity, not to the capacity of a sprinter. They are sprinting for the purpose of running a mile, not 100m.

You build the engine to run a particular race, not all races.

There is a different between a sprint and a run. I'd say it is the difference between anaerobic and aeroboic energy. Most middle distance runners use a sprint finish, that's not to say that they have the ability to sprint at will at any point in the race.

[bodgit]

can a human sprint a mile? depends whats chasing him

[Chequered Flag Racing]

Originally Posted by SlowOne

until 1954 when Roger Bannister ran 3' 59". Since then we have taken 17 seconds off that record, so never say never!

I can just manage a mile in 3m 45s, and that's cycling on the flat. I'm no athlete though