does height matter? (Page 2)
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Pro ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by austhokie Originally posted by mike761 zombie thread Originally posted by JorgeM ^^^ Agree I have a neighbor who was a distance runner in the 96 Olympics she is 5'-2", her husband was a professional runner for 4-5 years after college and is only 5"-6". Their twin daughters are in high school right now and tear up the track at a whopping 5'-0"!!! I'm reading this and lots are saying that the best pro men are 6' to 6'-3"; yet on the Kona thread people are saying Andy Potts is too tall to win(he's 6'-2"). Then there's Mirinda Carfrae at 5'-3", nobody is calling her slowPam - I am going to the say no, it doesnt matter in particular for females. The current Olympic Gold Medalist Emma Snowsill is 5' 3" (per the ITU website) Just have fun, train and do the work. The performance will follow ![]() ![]() When I saw it was a zombie thread with the topic of height, my first thought was that someone resurrected it to talk about Rinny's win on Saturday.
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I think it matters because weight matters and the smaller you are the less of you there (probably) is. Watching the pro women at Kona you’d be forgiven for thinking there was an elite midget category. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() In long distance/marathon running. There is an advantage to being smaller. You generate less heat and dissipate it more efficiently. If you look at the elite marathoners, most of them have a very similar build. |
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New user![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by tcovert There was a thread here sometime this year discussing some analysis of "ideal" body types for endurance sports that had found its way into the NY Times...too lazy to find the thread, but this was the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/27/health/nutrition/27Best.html?_r=1... Good article but the picture of the two guys was kind of comical. The tall guy was obviously very fit and lean and the short guy didn't even look like an athlete, at least not an elite athlete. Anyway, my input is that it depends on your sport, but for running I agree that the advantage goes to smaller and lighter runners. It isn't enough though just to be shorter, you have to be as light as you can possibly be and still be healthy to take advantage of less mass and torso to pick up and move forward. You only need to look as elite marathoners to get that message. I am fairly short and light female (5'4" and 109) with longer legs compared to torso size, so really ideal for running. Luckily that is the sport I chose to concentrate more on. Not ever going to win a swim portion of the TRI, but I am alright with that. |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I remember this being discussed in slowtwitch and the point made was that it being a bit taller helps a ton in cycling. Taller people have longer muscles and naturally larger aerobic engines (it takes more work to move a larger body). However, in cycling you can still get in a low enough position to where your power/CdA is higher than someone of shorter stature. It was an interesting discussion. Yes there will be shorter people that can beat taller people, but we're talking most cases and not exceptions to the rule. |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() My wife always laugh when I am on the top podium and the person in second place is still taller than me. I may not have a long stride but I do have a quick turnover. |
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Pro ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Of course height matters....the same way it does in every sport. At either end of the spectrum are the sports where a lack of height or an abundance of height makes a difference.......but in between, where the majority of sports are, being in that 6' to 6'4" range seems to work out really well. Triathlon, at least whe3re men are concerned, seems to fit the mold. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() In distance running (since the thread seems to be going back and forth between triathlon and distance running) I would say not at all. Haile Gebrselassie, who is arguably the greatest distance runner in recent history is 5'-5". I don't know of any elite marathoners over 6'. When it comes to triathlon though, I would say some extra height can help in the swim, but honestly, you're better off just having long arms, big hands, big feet and short legs (see Michael Phelps). I can't tell you about biking though. |
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Pro ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Newly crowned world champion, Rinny Carfrae, is quite short. Didn't stop her from Running a 2:50 marathon at Kona! |
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Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by Left Brain Of course height matters....the same way it does in every sport. At either end of the spectrum are the sports where a lack of height or an abundance of height makes a difference.......but in between, where the majority of sports are, being in that 6' to 6'4" range seems to work out really well. Triathlon, at least whe3re men are concerned, seems to fit the mold. Craig Alexander 5'-10" Alister Brownlee 6'-1" Jonathan Brownlee 5'-10" Matt Reed 6'-5" Greg Bennett 5'-11" Javier Gomez 5'-10" Simon Whitfield 5'-10" Chris McCormack 5'-11" Simon Lessing 6'-3 1/2" Dave Scott 6'-0" Mark Allen 6'-0" Andy Potts 6'-3" Hunter Kemper 6'-3" Quick search gave some numbers of coarse there are a lot more athletes to look at.( Don't shoot me if any are wrong I sourced it from internet searches) Looking at this list would suggest the sweet spot in height for men in triathlon 5'-11" to 6'-0" if its really a factor at all. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Height is not an advantage or disadvantage, although you'll often hear short people complaining that they are disadvantaged. What matters most is how much weight you carry on your frame. Most elite marathoners are small, but some are taller. |
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New user ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() That a 5.3 woman is the current leader doesn't mean that shorter is better. It just means that that are a LOT of factors that determine the outcome. When you have a question like this try to make it bigger. Will a 11 feet guy beat a 3 feet guy when they are both walking (and of course have identical stamina) |
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Sensei ![]() | ![]() It's been 6 years since I posted in this thread and I can tell you, that being 6'7" still hasn't proven out to be an advantage in tri! I think there is a point where the weight that comes with being tall starts to trump longer "levers" and such. |
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Veteran![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by Martine1975 That a 5.3 woman is the current leader doesn't mean that shorter is better. It just means that that are a LOT of factors that determine the outcome. When you have a question like this try to make it bigger. Will a 11 feet guy beat a 3 feet guy when they are both walking (and of course have identical stamina) The world's tallest man is 8'3" Edited by TriJedi 2014-10-14 2:59 PM |
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Pro ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by mike761 Originally posted by Left Brain Craig Alexander 5'-10" Alister Brownlee 6'-1" Jonathan Brownlee 5'-10" Matt Reed 6'-5" Greg Bennett 5'-11" Javier Gomez 5'-10" Simon Whitfield 5'-10" Chris McCormack 5'-11" Simon Lessing 6'-3 1/2" Dave Scott 6'-0" Mark Allen 6'-0" Andy Potts 6'-3" Hunter Kemper 6'-3" Quick search gave some numbers of coarse there are a lot more athletes to look at.( Don't shoot me if any are wrong I sourced it from internet searches) Looking at this list would suggest the sweet spot in height for men in triathlon 5'-11" to 6'-0" if its really a factor at all. Of course height matters....the same way it does in every sport. At either end of the spectrum are the sports where a lack of height or an abundance of height makes a difference.......but in between, where the majority of sports are, being in that 6' to 6'4" range seems to work out really well. Triathlon, at least whe3re men are concerned, seems to fit the mold. 7 out of 12 are 6' or taller.....9 of 12 if you go down to 5'11.......I'm good with 6-6'4" for most athletic endeavors, including tri. |
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Pro ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() If your shoe size is proportional to your height, then I am going to say that height does matter in swimming. My SOs feet are the same size as my swim fins and man, I swim faster with those fins. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by audiojan Newly crowned world champion, Rinny Carfrae, is quite short. Didn't stop her from Running a 2:50 marathon at Kona! I'm reluctant to add on.... But Seb Kienle is only 5' 9" and he did ok on Saturday as well. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() The lighter I get, the less pain I experience and the more I can push while training. Also, the heavier I get, the longer pain stays. I would believe that being smaller allows you to train harder and recuperate faster. As to whether you will be faster than taller ones, everybody has fun in triathlon and everybody improves over time. I am part of the slowest which means I am also part of the ones receiving the largest amount of encouragement ![]() |
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![]() ![]() | ![]() I'm beginning to learn that I have a bonus in this sport. I'm 6'3", but only weigh 165lbs. Been called everything from cardboard to Skelletor... Of course my goal is to get up to 180lbs, while maintaining my current body composition... I want to gain the strength to truly generate lots of power. Leg strength and lats... |
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Pro ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() For marathon running- you're right in there with the elites. Marathon runners are fairly petite.
My guess is that you seem to be working harder than your son because: 1. he's a guy. (sorry, it's just not fair) 2. He's younger than you. (yup, not fair again)
anyway- I found this. It's a few years old, but since then, the average marathoner is only been getting shorter and smaller.
Top 10 Women for 2005
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I HATE ZOMBIE THREADS!!! |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Andy is not too tall... Frodo is taller and was 3rd at his first go at Kona. |
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Member ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I just saw a runnersworld article about something related to this. They were talking about the first 2 hour flat marathon to be and mentioned the hypothetical runner (projected for ~2025 interestingly) would be 5'6" so a lot shorter than me at 6'1" hehe Just wanted to add this. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Glad this zobbie thread popped up. I finally figured out why I'm not even close to the 24mph bike avg I could do 28 yrs ago. It's not because I'm older, its because I'm barely 5'10" and back then I was just about 5' 11" ! It's that missing inch that makes me so much slower! |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I'm 6`2" with a 6`4" wing span - may have helped get me in the national squad for swimming as a kid (granted I wasn't 6`2 then, but always had a long reach). That also helped when I was a pole vaulter as I could hold slightly higher. But I'm 85kg with 10% body fat. I don't have the typical body type for endurance, that's why I've always stuck to sprint based sports - up to 200m swimming, pole vault I had a 40m run up. I think body type may be a bigger factor that height. |
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