NCAA · Training

Louisville's Elsingi Kipruto cut his 10-mile tempo by 1:41 in four weeks

2 h ago

Why it matters: He is a real NCAA cross country title contender, and his training shows fitness rising before Nov. 21.

• He ran 10 miles (16.1 km) in 49:59 on Sept. 25, then 48:18 in late October.
• Easy runs sit at 8:00 to 9:35 per mile (4:58 to 5:57 per km), about twice as slow as his 10,000m race pace.
• He went from 58th to 3rd at Nuttycombe, finishing one second behind the winner in 22:31.1.

The science: Fitness is built in recovery, and slow running trains oxygen use with little added strain.