How Fast Can Football & Baseball Players & Sprinters Run a Mile? How Fast Should They Be Able to Run it?

How fast players in various sports can run or are required to run gives you an idea of fitness levels of those play fiven sports at a high level--even if such fitness levels are not required to play these sports fairly well, even if excellence in the race (mile) used to measure the fitness level does not correlate well with excellence in the given sport, and even if putting time and energy into improving performance in the race (mile) used to measure the fitness level is not a smart move when it comes to improving in a given sport.

In football, the mile run speeds vary considerably depending on the position the player plays, and the individual characteristics of the player. Football coaches and players like wind-sprints with rest intervals much more as a way of measuring and promoting football fitness.

Yet I would guess that if you could run a mile in 7 minutes you would be running the mile as fast as your average football player at the college or better level can. I would guess taht if you ran the mile in 6:30 you would be in tems of runnning the mile, in the kind of shape (mile-wise) college-or-above level track sprinters and football players in the running positions such as running back need to be in and/or are in. My guess is that with regards to baseball, is that if you can run the mile in 7.5 minutes you are running the mile at the speed college-or-above baseball pitchers can run it in, and if you can run the mile in 7 minutes you can run at the speed baseball players who are not pitchers at the colleve-or-above level can run it in.

If you want to get in shape for ping pong, you had better be able to run the mile in 10 minutes, according to an internet source.

Some statements re mile speeds in various sports found on the internet:

Sprinters said to run mile in 5-6 minutes
9:48 said a "good time" in Cowboys pro football "Landry Mile" (1.5 miles), which I estimate equates to 6:20 mile
Many pro football players said to be poor milers
Football star Earl Campbell failed 6 minute mile run test repeatedly with Houston Oilers
Baseball star Julio Franco runs 7 minute mile
Pro baseball pitchers required to run 7.5 minute mile
College football hb anecdote 5:05 mile
college football fb anecdote 6:30 mile said to be good for fullback
sprinters said to be as fit as endurance athletes
Track coach recommends 6:30 as mile pace for HS boy sprinters
2 mile run in 16-20 minutes advised for HS football players this equates to 7:30 mile
table tennis mile, 10 minute mile

My rookie year with the Cowboys in 1982 had us start camp with the infamous Landry mile. A dreaded 1 1/2 mile run for time around the track at Cal-Lutheran College in Thousand Oaks, California. One hundred and twenty-two rookies trying to make their cutoff time -- I (Brian Baldinger) finished second to our No. 2 draft pick, Jeff Rohrer, in a good time of 9:48.

I was disgusted to see most of the pro football players could barely even press no more than 250 lbs.....one NFL guy dropped out after barely being able to press 200! also considering that in years past guys such as REGGIE WHITE were able to get up 360 lbs before dropping out (a juicer?) anyway...
and during the swimming events, half of the guys could barely even finish the swim..!?! the running event a few of the guys could barely finish the 1/2 mile run (notice I said 1/2 mile, not 1 mile)....I was very disappointed in these guys, I thought these guys would be in ALOT better shape and instead I witnessed a thoroughly disgusting display of athletic ability on the part of these pro )football) athletes

Strangely enough, it was publicized about how Earl Campbell always failed the conditioning test when he reported to camp each year. At that time, the Oilers conditioning test was a 1 mile run. The media was always baffled at how such a great running back was in such poor “condition”. Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. The exact reason why Earl Campbell failed the mile run was also the exact reason why he was a Hall of Fame running back. In other words, the energy systems that are required to be a great football player are the exact opposite of what’s required to run a mile! ...I’d rather be in the Hall of Fame than run a 6-minute mile!

. “Basketball conditioning is harder than football conditioning because you have to run full time without a break. In football you do the play and then you get a breather,” says Ryan, who plays on both the basketball and football teams.

Football conditioning test is tomorrow. I have to run 8 gasers each under 40 seconds which is like the equivalent of a 5:20 mile.

Hi Stuart,
My opinion is the 8 minute mile standard for under 170 is not fair. If every athlete on your team can run a 10 minute mile you will have the most highly conditioned football team I every heard of. A few years ago I had Don, a 12 year boy on my track team who could not run a mile in 10 minutes but was my best 12 year old 50 & 100 meter runner. He made the varsity high school football team as a freshman and is currently a top player in his Junior year. You know he still can't run a 10 minute mile. He is about 230lbs of fast twitch muscle fibers on a strong muscular body he built from working out in the weight room. Quick, powerful, can take a hit, and can give a better hit. Would it be fair to apply even the 10 minute mile standard to this kid? Putting arbitrary athletic standards on young athletes may cause a real gem to slip through the cracks.
-- http://www.kidsrunning.com/ask/edfootball041104.html

As it turns out, the cost crossover point in humans for walking and running occurs at about 2m per second (13:24 per mile). In other words, if you range above 2m per second, running is far more efficient than walking, while walking is more economical at slower speeds (3).

What is 'vigorous' activity?
However, vigorous activity was defined fairly loosely, at least by the standards which would be set by most of PP's readers. For the Harvard researchers, vigorous exercise was anything which was greater in intensity than about six 'METS' (e.g., greater than six times resting metabolic rate). Most PP subscribers could exceed six METS simply by jogging at faster than 11-minute per mile pace. This means that the Harvard study tells us only that really slow exertions don't seem to lower mortality risk by much (if at all). We still don't know whether seven-minute per mile running is better than 10-minute pace, or - to put it another way - whether higher exercise heart rates are superior to more moderate ones.

Every college athlete that hires me as their strength coach brings me their schools workout to look at before we get started. Some of the things I see in those programs are absolutely unfathomable. One such example of the insanity is the baseball player I train whose school conditioning program includes running three miles through the city of Philadelphia ala Rocky Balboa every morning at 6am before lifting. Long distance running is useless for nearly every sport, especially baseball. Baseball players will normally run no more than 90 feet at any one particular time. That 90 foot sprint usually comes only once every half hour or so and only if the player gets a hit. So how, I ask, does running three miles each morning improve your ability to play the game of baseball?

Another one of my athletes is a Division 1 field hockey player whose conditioning test on the first day of camp consists of running from New York to Los Angeles and back in under an hour. I am, of course, exaggerating but not by much. The test involves more running in one morning than the girls will run in a seasons worth of games. Field hockey players must be highly conditioned, no doubt, but the best way to achieve that high level of conditioning is not through an outdated approach of long distance running. Coaches who implement this kind of training are preparing their athletes for a marathon, not a stop and go sport such as field hockey. While the athlete's may be able to run a faster time in the mile, the question is, how does that equate to better performance on the field? The answer is obvious, it doesn’t. There is no sport that consists of running miles at a time. Most sports involve a combination of sprinting, jogging and even walking. Field hockey is no different and as such, these athletes would be best served to do a mix of interval sprint training and longer 200-400 meter sprints. A colleague of mine who works with several NHL players, arguably the most highly conditioned of all athletes, has found that 400 meter sprints performed three times weekly works wonders for conditioning while avoiding muscle and strength losses.

For example, in training an offensive lineman, why would you ever have him run miles at a time or sprint more than ten to twenty yards in practice when you know that he will never run that distance in a game? Unless I am missing something, the point of practice is to get ready for what you will do in a game

What hasn't changed is his dedication to fitness. Franco hired a personal trainer in his fourth year in the majors and still adheres to a strict conditioning routine, concentrating on one body part a day in the offseason.

"I work on my legs, back, biceps, triceps and shoulders in the morning Monday through Friday, and then in the afternoon I run a mile under seven minutes," he says. "Twice a week I swim. That's in November and December. Then in January I do plyometrics (exercises where the muscle is stretched before it is contracted to improve power), running the field, hitting and taking ground balls. During the season I just maintain what I've been doing."

used to run cross country to prepare for basketball season. 5k (3.1 miles) all covering hilly rough terrain. To even try out for the Basketball team we had to run a mile under 6 min. and the track had fences restricting you to use the inside lane on the corners. That was hard but I got lucky in my first attempt

An athlete who wants to run a mile in five minutes has a goal that is both specific and measurable. If you can currently run the mile in five and a half minutes, then shaving 30 seconds off that time is realistic. You also have to consider the amount of time this athlete has to complete the goal. Four months, rather than four weeks, is an appropriate time frame

Published reports had (Pittsburgh Pirates) Manager Lloyd McClendon pleased when all of his pitchers managed to run a mile in 7 minutes, 30 seconds at minicamp. If the time had been 6:30, McClendon would have been more on base. Most pitchers, who depend heavily on their legs, should, in fact, been able to dash off a six-minute mile. President Bush recently noted than he regularly runs three miles in 21 minutes, a more significant accomplishment than running one mile in 7:30.

WALKING PACE CHART

LEVEL 1: VERY INACTIVE: 80-100 steps per minute = 2 mph (30 minute mile)

LEVEL 2: LIGHTLY ACTIVE: 120 steps per minute = 3 mph (20 minute mile)

LEVEL 3: MODERATELY ACTIVE: 130 steps per minute = 3.5 mph (17-18 minute mile)

LEVEL 4: ACTIVE: 140 steps per minute = 4 mph (15 minute mile)

LEVEL 5: VERY ACTIVE: 150 steps per minute = 4.3 mph (14 minute mile)

LEVEL 6: EXCEPTIONALLY ACTIVE: 160 steps per minute = 4.6 mph (13 minute mile)

LEVEL 7: ATHLETE: 170 steps per minute = 5 mph (12 minute mile)

LEVEL 8: ATHLETE: 180 steps per minute = 5.5 mph (11 minute mile)

LEVEL 9: ATHLETE: 190 steps per minute = 6.0 mph (9-10 minute mile)

RUNNING PACE CHART (RECREATIONAL TO ATHLETE)

LEVEL 5: VERY ACTIVE: 150 steps per minute = 6.0 mph (10-11 minute mile)

LEVEL 6: EXCEPTIONALLY ACTIVE: 160 steps per minute = 6.7 mph (9 minute mile)

LEVEL 7: ATHLETE: 170 steps per minute = 7.5 mph (8 minute mile)

LEVEL 8: ATHLETE: 180 steps per minute = 8.8 mph (7 minute mile)

LEVEL 9: ATHLETE: 190 steps per minute = 10-12 mph (5-6 minute mile)

-- http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/sundquist.html

was finishing a workout at the university track about nine years ago when two running backs from the college football team showed up. As I was stretching near the start line, I overheard one of the guys say that he was going to run the mile in about five minutes. The other guy said that he didn't think he could run it that fast. The funny thing was that neither of them wore a watch, and both weighed in the 210-220 range. I needed some entertainment value and decided to do some extra stretching. When they took off, I was timing them....The funny thing was that neither of them wore a watch, and both weighed in the 210-220 range. I needed some entertainment value and decided to do some extra stretching. When they took off, I was timing them....The slower guy finished in around 6:30, a respectable time for a fullback. The faster guy ran 1600 meters in 5:05 and had remarkably even splits and pacing throughout, even though he had no clue what his time was. When I left, they were starting to do wind sprints and cutting drills. The mile had been their warmup!

just so you know, i consider the sprinters at our high school non-runners. you would not believe how poorly conditioned they are.

How long should I walk before I start a running program?
Here again, it depends on your age, weight, conditioning level when starting, and your training goals. If you are planning an individual training session, I suggest you walk a mile before you go into a walk/jog. If you are a beginning runner and are starting from scratch, walk for about two weeks. If you find you are not ready to start running after two weeks, try power walking until you are comfortable, and then try a slow jog. Be patient…It’ll come

Faya Sprinters don't need the distance to prepare for their events. You want a general level of conditioning. The longest run a sprinter will ever go on is two miles or twenty minutes. You want a chance to recover from the repeats that you've done. You're doing two hundred repeats you want to be able to cover before you do the next repeat.

If you are using mostly the phosphagen system in your sport, spend most of your strength and conditioning time on brief, near-maximal exertions. In other words, train as you compete. It would be largely a waste of time?and probably detrimental to their performance?for sprinters and interior linemen to train by running repeat miles and lifting light weights for 50 repetitions. Rather, most of the conditioning time should be devoted to repeated maximal-intensity sprints, e.g., 10-100 yards with sufficient recovery time between sprints to allow high-quality repetitions, and heavy lifts, e.g., 3-5 sets of 1-6 repetitions with the maximal load that can be lifted correctly for each repetition and at least 3 minutes separating each set.

Most football 40s don't go on a starter's pistol but on an athlete's motion. The average reaction time among elite sprinters (from the gun to the moment they exert pressure on the starting block's electronic pads) is about .15 seconds; for a football player with little track experience it probably would be closer to .2. Add that in, and you have 4.84.

Now say it's a breezy day and you're running with a tailwind. Say it's 10 mph. Accepted track tables say that would provide a .07-second advantage over 40 yards. Add it in, and your 4.35 is suddenly a 4.91.

There's no shame in running a 4.9-second 40, of course. World-class sprinters get a bad start or get a cold day, and they go through 40 yards in the high 4s, too.

http://bears.hosttown.com/lofiversion/index.php/t48941.html

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
conditioning program for table tennis, we have to look at what all levels ... run at least at a 10-minute mile (6 MPH) pace, to do somewhat a full stride. ...
www.usatt.org/news1/Champion_Physical_Training.pdf - Similar pages

The Northwestern coach, Walker, has even said his conditioning sprints were routine. They led to Wheeler's death and the collapse of maybe a dozen other players. Yet they were "routine."

They were 10 100-yard sprints to be run in less than 15 seconds each, eight 80-yard sprints in 13 seconds each, six 60-yard sprints in 10 seconds each, four 40-yard sprints in six seconds each.

That adds up 1.2 miles to be run in just under six minutes with rest stops after each sprint adding up to just under another six minutes.

However, there's more to a professional pitchers running program than eight-10 poles in the outfield or a 3-mile run around the stadium. In fact, although professional pitchers DO perform this type of running, it's limited to just one day a week. The rest of the time, pitchers' running programs are like those of sprinters.

You see, pitching is an anaerobic activity, which means it's an explosive activity. Therefore, pitchers should be training their anaerobic systems with short, medium and long-sprints. Distance running should be kept to a minimum.

Here's a sample baseball pitchers running program modeled after numerous pro pitching running programs I've followed during my own career in college and pro ball:

Here's some insight from Coach on the intent of CrossFit:
"CrossFit is in large part derived from several simple observations garnered through hanging out with athletes for thirty years and willingness, if not eagerness, to experiment coupled with a total disregard for conventional wisdom. Let me share some of the more formative of these observations:
1. Gymnasts learn new sports faster than other athletes.
2. Olympic lifters can apply more useful power to more activities than other athletes.
3. Powerlifters are stronger than other athletes.
4. Sprinters can match the cardiovascular performance of endurance athletes – even at extended efforts.
5. Endurance athletes are woefully lacking in total physical capacity.
6. With high carb diets you either get fat or weak.
7. Bodybuilders can’t punch, jump, run, or throw like athletes can.
8. Segmenting training efforts delivers a segmented capacity.
9. Optimizing physical capacity requires training at unsustainable intensities.
10. The world’s most successful athletes and coaches rely on exercise science the way deer hunters rely on the accordion."

am not actually agreeing or disagreeing with you muffy. 2 miles is barely even aerobic, it is a distance were aerobic fitness can be tested, but 2 mile hard runs are something 800m and 400m usually do. I'd prefer to know my short sprinters could complete a mile at a reasonble pace say 6:30 or better for HS boys and 7:30 or better for HS girls in a TT before the in season starts, than having them dog a 2 mile run. So i do believe that aerobic fitness is good and even an occasional long run is nice, but I also believe that power and local muscular endurance of leg muscles are as more important heading into the competitive season.

Super Bowl Athletic Trainers Share
Tips For High School Football Players

They may work on opposing sides of the field during games, but 1993 and 1994 Super Bowl athletic trainers Kevin O'Neill, ATC (Athletic Trainer Certified), of the Dallas Cowboys and Ed Abramoski, ATC, of the Buffalo Bills agree that high school football players can lower their risk of injury. With high school football practice starting throughout the country in August, each of the athletic trainers shared ideas from their teams' training camps this week.

"Aerobic endurance training, such as a two-mile run at an eight- to ten-minute pace will set a base for future training demands while increasing the athlete's general fitness level," he explains. "Anaerobic training -- high-intensity interval workouts like 20, 30 or 40 yard dashes with 15-second rests -- should be performed each morning and evening to continue building endurance and fitness.

1500 m             3:26.00        Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR)        14 Jul 1998 Rome
1 mile             3:43.13        Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR)         7 Jul 1999 Rome
2000 m             4:44.79        Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR)         7 Sep 1999 Berlin
3000 m             7:20.67        Daniel Komen (KEN)               1 Sep 1996 Rieti
2 miles            7:58.61      # Daniel Komen (KEN)              19 Jul 1997 Hechtel

1500 m             3:31.18        Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR)         2 Feb 1997 Stuttgart
1 mile             3:48.45        Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR)        12 Feb 1997 Ghent
2000 m             4:52.86      # Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)        16 Feb 1998 Birmingham
3000 m             7:24.90        Daniel Komen (KEN)               6 Feb 1998 Budapest
2 miles            8:04.69      # Haile Gebrselassie (ETH)        21 Feb 2003 Birmingham

From the data shown above, we see that the 1 mile record is 223 seconds and the 2 mile 479 seconds (239 seconds per mile) outdoors; and, indoors the 1 mile is 228 seconds and the 2 mile 485 (242 seconds per mile) seconds. The average ratio of the per mile time in the 2 mile compared to the 1 mile is 1.065. Thus we would expect that someone who can run 2 miles in 12 minutes can run 1 mile in 5:38; and we would expect that someone who can run two miles in 16 minutes can run one mile in 7:31.

Super Bowl Athletic Trainers ShareTips For High School Football Players

Super Bowl Athletic Trainers Share
Tips For High School Football Players