In High School, I Was Faster Than Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers*

* And probably you were too! (My 4:20.8 and 9:21.11 compare favorably with both.)

There are many great runners out there who got a late start on things, or were just plain slow when they were in high school.  The list is pretty long and quite interesting.  It even includes our very own Olympian Greg Fredericks, who didn't really start running much even into his Senior year in high school.  The transformation was quite phenomenal in just one year for Dr. Lucas's recruit who Coach Groves called "too slow" to be recruited.  But then again, everyone is entitled to one mistake!

These are from:

Slow Milers - that is Great Runners who were slow in High School

                         Olympic Champions
     Frank Shorter      9:39.3  4:30+      2:10:30
     Dave Wottle        4:20.2             1:45.86,3:53.3
                            Past World Record Holders
     Buddy Edelen       4:28               2:14 WR 
     Dick Buerkle       4:28               3:54.93i WR
                             Current American Record Holders
     Bob Kempainen      4:21+ (1600)       2:08:30 AR
     Mark Nenow         4:20/9:17          27:20 AR
     
                            Past American Record Holders
     Bill Rodgers       4:28.8/9:36.1       2:09:27 
     Greg Fredericks    4:20                28:08 10k
                          1995 National Champions
     Paul Mcmullen      4:19.9(1600)        3:34.45
     Mark Croghan       9:20.5 (2 mile)      8:09.76 Steeple 
                         4:10 1600m
     Brandon Rock       1:56 800            1:44.97
                             Formerly World Ranked
     Tom Byers          4:21                3:50.84 
     Niall O'Shaughnessy 4:39               3:55.4
                               
                               Olympians
     Jeff Galloway        4:28/9:48      13:41 28:29
     Ken Martin           1:58/4:19      8:23 steeple, 2:09:38
     Benji Durden         4:36.8/10:00   2:09:57
     Mark Coogan          4:20           13:23/28.23/2:13.24
     
                             US Ranked
     Mike Roche          4:23               8:30 steeple 
     Amby Burfoot        9:39(? mile)       2:14:29 PR 
     Erik Nedeau         4:12(1500)         3:38.24
     
                            More Studs-Past and Present
     Bill Donakowski       4:19.3            13:39/28:25 at U Michigan 
     Dan Mayer             9:42  4:26         28:19 13:53
     Gary Giffen-UConn     4:25 9:25         indoor 5000 NCAA Qualifier 
     Jack Dwyer-Dartmouth  4:25  9:33        All American indoor 5000 
     Craig Longhurst       4:22 9:41          29:45.54 10k
     Eric Mack-Air Force   4:18.94(1600)       3rd 1995 NCAA X-C
     Bob Evans-Weber      >4:20              29:22 10,000 8:47 Steeple 
     Mike Skinner-Arkansas 4:20.3           29:48 10k,2:19:38(Marathon)
     Craig Lawson-BYU       ???             29:15 10k