Comparing Running Performance Over Multiple Distances
The following charts can be used by runners as an aid to achieve efficient training. These charts
can be used to help the athlete determine what aspect of his or her training needs improvement.
In otherwords, it is useful in determining the runners "weak points" and "strong points". Many
different versions of these charts have been developed by various organizations, popular authors
as well as by individual athletes. Although every chart differs a little in terms of the times which
are listed, they are all fairly similar and are useful irrespective of whos charts you wish to use.
The following are two charts. The first chart I believe was published by the IAAF and has been
distributed on the Internet and published in some books. The second chart was developed by
myself and is what I personally use for training. The difference between the two is fairly minimal.
The chart which I developed has a higher degree of linearity and are based upon the current
world records. Personally, I feel my charts are more accurate when you compare them with the
times of most diverse athletes. Regardless, most charts are within a few percent tolerance
of each other.
Using the charts as a guideline is simple. Read directly across the row and observe the times which
correspond with each distance. In reality it is not likely that most people will be able to have a straight
line across the chart. Some people will find they are faster at shorter distances, some may observe they have faster
middle distance times and yet others may have better distance times. One of your goals should be to identify your
weaknesses (i.e. short, middle, long distance) and employ whatever training technique necessary to strengthen your
weakness with the goal of making the line as straight as possible.
IAAF COMPARISON CHART
(Slightly outdated.)
100metre ---------- 200metre ---------- 400metre ---------- 800metre ---------- 1500metre ---------- 3000metre
11.0 ------------------ 22.7 ------------------ 50.6 ------------------ 1.58 ------------------ 4.04 ------------------ 8.52
11.1 ------------------ 22.9 ------------------ 51.2 ------------------ 2.00 ------------------ 4.08 ------------------ 9.00
11.2 ------------------ 23.1 ------------------ 51.8 ------------------ 2.02 ------------------ 4.12 ------------------ 9.08
11.3 ------------------ 23.3 ------------------ 52.6 ------------------ 2.04 ------------------ 4.16 ------------------ 9.16
11.4 ------------------ 23.5 ------------------ 53.4 ------------------ 2.06 ------------------ 4.20 ------------------ 9.24
11.5 ------------------ 23.7 ------------------ 54.2 ------------------ 2.08 ------------------ 4.24 ------------------ 9.32
11.6 ------------------ 23.9 ------------------ 55.0 ------------------ 2.10 ------------------ 4.28 ------------------ 9.40
11.7 ------------------ 24.3 ------------------ 56.0 ------------------ 2.12 ------------------ 4.32 ------------------ 9.48
11.8 ------------------ 24.7 ------------------ 57.0 ------------------ 2.14 ------------------ 4.36 ------------------ 9.56
11.9 ------------------ 24.9 ------------------ 57.5 ------------------ 2.15 ------------------ 4.38 ------------------10.00
12.0 ------------------ 25.1 ------------------ 58.0 ------------------ 2.16 ------------------ 4.40 ------------------10.05
12.2 ------------------ 25.5 ------------------ 59.0 ------------------ 2.18 ------------------ 4.45 ------------------10.15
12.4 ------------------ 25.9 ------------------ 60.0 ------------------ 2.20 ------------------ 4.51 ------------------10.25
12.6 ------------------ 26.5 ------------------ 61.0 ------------------ 2.22 ------------------ 4.57 ------------------10.35
12.8 ------------------ 27.1 ------------------ 62.0 ------------------ 2.24 ------------------ 5.03 ------------------10.45
13.0 ------------------ 27.7 ------------------ 63.0 ------------------ 2.26 ------------------ 5.09 ------------------10.55
13.2 ------------------ 28.3 ------------------ 64.0 ------------------ 2.28 ------------------ 5.15 ------------------11.05
13.4 ------------------ 28.9 ------------------ 65.0 ------------------ 2.30 ------------------ 5.21 ------------------11.15
13.6 ------------------ 29.5 ------------------ 66.0 ------------------ 2.34 ------------------ 5.27 ------------------11.25
13.8 ------------------ 30.1 ------------------ 67.0 ------------------ 2.37 ------------------ 5.33 ------------------11.35
14.0 ------------------ 30.7 ------------------ 68.0 ------------------ 2.40 ------------------ 5.39 ------------------11.45
14.2 ------------------ 31.3 ------------------ 69.0 ------------------ 2.45 ------------------ 5.42 ------------------11.55
14.4 ------------------ 31.9 ------------------ 70.0 ------------------ 2.46 ------------------ 5.51 ------------------12.10
14.5 ------------------ 32.2 ------------------ 70.5 ------------------ 2.48 ------------------ 5.54 ------------------12.20
HOFFMANS' PERFORMANCE EQUIVELANCY CHART
200metre ----- 400metre ----- 800metre ----- 1000metre ----- 1mile ----- 2mile ----- 5000metre ----- 10000metre ----- Marathon
19.3 ------------ 43.2 ------------ 1:41 ------------ 2:12 ------------ 3:44 --------- 7:58 ----------- 12:39 --------- 26:22 ---------- 2h06min
20.0 ------------ 44.8 ------------ 1:44 ------------ 2:17 ------------ 3:52 --------- 8:15 ----------- 13:05 --------- 27:16 ---------- 2h11min
20.5 ------------ 45.9 ------------ 1:47 ------------ 2:20 ------------ 3:58 --------- 8:27 ----------- 13:25 --------- 27:57 ---------- 2h14min
21.0 ------------ 47.0 ------------ 1:50 ------------ 2:23 ------------ 4:04 --------- 8:40 ----------- 13:45 --------- 28:39 ---------- 2h17min
21.5 ------------ 48.2 ------------ 1:52 ------------ 2:27 ------------ 4:09 --------- 8:52 ----------- 14:05 --------- 29:20 ---------- 2h21min
22.0 ------------ 49.3 ------------ 1:55 ------------ 2:30 ------------ 4:15 --------- 9:04 ----------- 14:24 --------- 30:00 ---------- 2h24min
22.5 ------------ 50.4 ------------ 1:58 ------------ 2:33 ------------ 4:21 --------- 9:17 ----------- 14:44 --------- 30:41 ---------- 2h27min
23.0 ------------ 51.5 ------------ 2:00 ------------ 2:37 ------------ 4:26 --------- 9:29 ----------- 15:03 --------- 31:22 ---------- 2h30min
23.5 ------------ 52.6 ------------ 2:03 ------------ 2:41 ------------ 4:33 --------- 9:42 ----------- 15:23 --------- 32:04 ---------- 2h34min
24.0 ------------ 53.7 ------------ 2:05 ------------ 2:44 ------------ 4:38 --------- 9:54 ----------- 15:43 --------- 32:45 ---------- 2h37min
24.5 ------------ 54.9 ------------ 2:08 ------------ 2:47 ------------ 4:44 -------- 10:06 ----------- 16:03 --------- 33:26 ---------- 2h40min
25.0 ------------ 56.0 ------------ 2:11 ------------ 2:51 ------------ 4:50 -------- 10:19 ----------- 16:22 --------- 34:06 ---------- 2h44min
26.0 ------------ 58.2 ------------ 2:16 ------------ 2:58 ------------ 5:02 -------- 10:44 ----------- 17:01 --------- 35:27 ---------- 2h50min
27.0 ------------ 1:00 ------------ 2:21 ------------ 3:04 ------------ 5:13 -------- 11:08 ----------- 17:41 --------- 36:50 ---------- 2h57min
28.0 ------------ 1:02 ------------ 2:26 ------------ 3:11 ------------ 5:25 -------- 11:32 ----------- 18:19 --------- 38:10 ---------- 3h03min
29.0 ------------ 1:04 ------------ 2:32 ------------ 3:18 ------------ 5:37 -------- 11:58 ----------- 19:00 --------- 39:35 ---------- 3h10min
30.0 ------------ 1:07 ------------ 2:37 ------------ 3:25 ------------ 5:48 -------- 12:22 ----------- 19:38 --------- 40:54 ---------- 3h16min
31.0 ------------ 1:09 ------------ 2:42 ------------ 3:32 ------------ 6:00 -------- 12:47 ----------- 20:18 --------- 42:18 ---------- 3h23min
32.0 ------------ 1:11 ------------ 2:47 ------------ 3:39 ------------ 6:11 -------- 13:12 ----------- 20:57 --------- 43:40 ---------- 3h30min
33.0 ------------ 1:13 ------------ 2:52 ------------ 3:45 ------------ 6:23 -------- 13:37 ----------- 21:37 --------- 45:02 ---------- 3h37min
34.0 ------------ 1:16 ------------ 2:58 ------------ 3:52 ------------ 6:35 -------- 14:02 ----------- 22:16 --------- 46:24 ---------- 3h43min
35.0 ------------ 1:18 ------------ 3:03 ------------ 3:59 ------------ 6:45 -------- 14:24 ----------- 22:52 --------- 47:39 ---------- 3h49min
36.0 ------------ 1:20 ------------ 3:08 ------------ 4:06 ------------ 6:57 -------- 14:51 ----------- 23:33 --------- 49:05 ---------- 3h56min
37.0 ------------ 1:22 ------------ 3:13 ------------ 4:13 ------------ 7:09 -------- 15:16 ----------- 14:14 --------- 50:30 ---------- 4h02min
38.0 ------------ 1:25 ------------ 3:19 ------------ 4:20 ------------ 7:21 -------- 15:40 ----------- 24:53 --------- 51:51 ---------- 4h09min
39.0 ------------ 1:27 ------------ 3:24 ------------ 4:27 ------------ 7:33 -------- 16:06 ----------- 25:33 --------- 53:14 ---------- 4h16min
40.0 ------------ 1:29 ------------ 3:29 ------------ 4:33 ------------ 7:44 -------- 16:30 ----------- 26:12 --------- 54:35 ---------- 4h22min
41.0 ------------ 1:31 ------------ 3:34 ------------ 4:40 ------------ 7:56 -------- 16:55 ----------- 26:51 --------- 55:56 ---------- 4h29min
42.0 ------------ 1:34 ------------ 3:40 ------------ 4:47 ------------ 8:07 -------- 17:20 ----------- 27:31 --------- 57:20 ---------- 4h35min
43.0 ------------ 1:36 ------------ 3:45 ------------ 4:54 ------------ 8:19 -------- 17:45 ----------- 28:11 --------- 58:42 ---------- 4h42min
44.0 ------------ 1:38 ------------ 3:50 ------------ 5:00 ------------ 8:31 -------- 18:09 ----------- 28:50 --------- 1h00m ---------- 4h49min
45.0 ------------ 1:40 ------------ 3:55 ------------ 5:07 ------------ 8:33 -------- 18:33 ----------- 29:27 --------- 1h01m ---------- 4h55min
These charts are not complete. Many of the times listed in the IAAF table lean toward the
fast side. In the near future I shall expand these charts so that they have a higher degree
of granularity, and so that they are more applicable to persons who run slower than a
6 minute mile (3:43.6 minutes/kilometre).
Warning: "Hoffmans' Tables" were designed for men and are
not specifically applicable
to women. If a female athlete wishes to utilize these tables they may find
it to be ever so
slightly inaccurate over the range of distances because women runners may by
nature
posess a more efficient aerobic pathway capacity than anaerobic capacity.
If your average man plots his performance on my table he may find that
his line slopes
quite a bit in either direction, as most men will either
be predominantely better at either
shorter or longer distances.. If your
average women plots her best times she may likely
find that the line
slopes downwards from right to left, indicating that women in general
are probably just a tad better at longer distances than they are at shorter
distance which
requires a higher anaerobic capacity.
Ii is important to understand that the figures listed in this chart are merely "relative",
and not absolute. In otherwords, they are to be used as a training guideline to help you
achieve a well balanced level of fitness. If you cannot achieve a perfectly straight line
when plotted on the chart it is NOT a major problem. As long as you are "fairly close" to the
times listed (within perhaps 1-5percent) then you are well within a normal range.