How many tennis players can run one mile in under 5 minutes 30 seconds?

Daniel Andrade

Hall of Fame
Time to revive this thread.

1. I got to 7:50, impressive for me, my personal record. Very slow for most people here.
2. Yesterday I did something like 8:52. I wish I could push my body to run faster, but I get shin splits, so I can't train my cardio that often.
3. I want to get myself to 7:30. To me that's insane. That's not 7 minutes of jogging, but 7 minutes of running, not full pace, but running indeed. Crazy.
4. What's a good time for a mile for a REC player so one wouldn't have problems with cardio on court?
 

Demented

Semi-Pro
I thought my court cardio was pretty good after 10 years of playing singles 3-4 times per week. I started playing soccer again and was like wtf. I timed my first mile@8:50. Skip forward 6 months of 2 a week soccer games and I'm now at 7:30 in 85-100 degree southern Louisiana 60% humidity weather. I expect that I'll crack the 6's once we get a reasonable 70 degree day in 2 months. I'm not a jogger, I only play singles or soccer matches then time myself once a month or so to check my progress.
 

Daniel Andrade

Hall of Fame
I thought my court cardio was pretty good after 10 years of playing singles 3-4 times per week. I started playing soccer again and was like wtf. I timed my first mile@8:50. Skip forward 6 months of 2 a week soccer games and I'm now at 7:30 in 85-100 degree southern Louisiana 60% humidity weather. I expect that I'll crack the 6's once we get a reasonable 70 degree day in 2 months. I'm not a jogger, I only play singles or soccer matches then time myself once a month or so to check my progress.
Is 7:30 enough to be fit for, ahem, soccer?
 

Demented

Semi-Pro
You have to understand the weather conditions, right now the low is 81@100% humidity and the high is 100@55% humidity. There's no way I'm not running a sub 7 with better weather. 7:30 is fit enough for over 40, I'd have to switch from Midfield to Center back if I was playing 18+.
 

Ronaldo

Bionic Poster
You have to understand the weather conditions, right now the low is 81@100% humidity and the high is 100@55% humidity. There's no way I'm not running a sub 7 with better weather. 7:30 is fit enough for over 40, I'd have to switch from Midfield to Center back if I was playing 18+.
Strangest weather, highs in the 70s the past week and remain at these temps for another 10 days. No air conditioning needed. Ran a 6 minute mile nearly 50 yrs ago. Walking on a soft surface is all I do now.
 

nyta2

Hall of Fame
Time to revive this thread.

1. I got to 7:50, impressive for me, my personal record. Very slow for most people here.
2. Yesterday I did something like 8:52. I wish I could push my body to run faster, but I get shin splits, so I can't train my cardio that often.
3. I want to get myself to 7:30. To me that's insane. That's not 7 minutes of jogging, but 7 minutes of running, not full pace, but running indeed. Crazy.
4. What's a good time for a mile for a REC player so one wouldn't have problems with cardio on court?
so many factors... age, opponent level, your skill level, conditions, playing style (you & opponent), surface, altitude, etc...
in my 40's i ran a 5 min 25 sec mile... (at the nyc 5th avenue mile)... in that same race, i also got beat by a 55y who ran close to 5 min.
whiel i have beaten players i had no business beating (ex-d1, much better skilled), but virtue of being in better shape... alternatively, i've played a fat (by his own standards), ex atp guy that double bagelled me because he put the ball where he wanted, and never let me dictate (eg. run him around))
 

Chas Tennis

G.O.A.T.
Time to revive this thread.

1. I got to 7:50, impressive for me, my personal record. Very slow for most people here.
2. Yesterday I did something like 8:52. I wish I could push my body to run faster, but I get shin splits, so I can't train my cardio that often.
3. I want to get myself to 7:30. To me that's insane. That's not 7 minutes of jogging, but 7 minutes of running, not full pace, but running indeed. Crazy.
4. What's a good time for a mile for a REC player so one wouldn't have problems with cardio on court?
Have you found a reference that says doing many minutes of running is good for tennis. Tennis has some high effort times of seconds that end with each point. Then brief rest till next serve. Then 90 second rest at changeovers.

Maybe look into high intensity type cardio with timing based on tennis.

What do references say other than the basic guideline to train with the timing and strength of the sport. Recently I am hearing a new view that heavy strength training may have some drawbacks. See Gavin MacMillan's views related to the Spinal Engine Theory. His views on tennis technique and training are available in interview Youtubes especially on Sabalenka's serve.

I used to jog or run 50 yards then then walk 50 when coming back after an injury. My lungs and healed knee injury with Dr's approval improved together. Tossing medicine balls for trunk speed exercises seems to be recommended simulate some trunk stroke motions.

BOOK - Complete Training??......for Tennis. Rotert , Ellenbecker is a good reference. Available from Tennis Warehouse.

Make up a high intensity type program with timing similar to tennis. Throwing a medicine ball works better with a partner or wall. Elastic bands allow speed and safety.

OR find reference saying mile runs are useful for tennis.
 
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Daniel Andrade

Hall of Fame
Have you found a reference that says doing many minutes of running is good for tennis. Tennis has some high effort times of seconds that end with each point. Then brief rest til next serve. Then 90 second rest at changeovers.

Maybe look into high intensity type cardio with timing based on tennis.

What do references say other than the basic guideline to train with the timing and strength of the sport. Recently I am hearing a new view that heavy strength training may have some drawback. See Gavin MacMillan's views related to the Spinal Engine Theory. His views on tennis are available in interview Youtubes especially on Sabalenka's serve.

I used to jog or run 50 yards then then walk 50 when coming back after an injury. My lungs and healed knee injury with Dr's approval improved together. Tossing medicine balls for trunk speed exercises seems to be recommended simulate some trunk stroke motions.

BOOK - Complete Training??......for Tennis. Rotert , Ellenbecker is a good reference. Available from Tennis Warehouse.

Make up a high intensity type program with timing similar to tennis. Throwing a medicine ball works better with a partner or wall. Elastic bands allow speed and safety.

OR find reference saying mile runs are useful for tennis.
General cardio isn't good for endurance while playing tennis???

Anyway I can't do hiit yet, my legs can't sustain the effort yet
 

WildVolley

Legend
General cardio isn't good for endurance while playing tennis???

Anyway I can't do hiit yet, my legs can't sustain the effort yet
Yes, it's good for general endurance. I think Chas Tennis is suggesting it isn't an optimal way to train for tennis. Since we aren't professional athletes, we can do things in a non-optimal way. Or sometimes athletes will do base work prior to a season, though tennis players have a very short off season.

You could probably do hiit on a bicycle/exercise bicycle, or a stair climber, or in a pool if you aren't in condition to do it by say running lines. Remember that you should scale exercises in any case. If you are out of shape then you don't go as hard as when you are in shape. Train progressively and realize that recovery is as important as exercise.
 

atatu

Legend
It's true. Aren't we all Average Joe types
An average Joe isn't running a 5 minute mile even with training. A Division 1 Men's tennis player would have to work hard to run a 5 minute mile. See post #50
Chuck Kriese used to make his guys at Clemson run 5:15, here is an excerpt from his book:

"The players meet every morning at 6am for the first two weeks of their college careers. Many who attempt the regiment quit soon after the running begins. Those who stick it out get to finally hit tennis balls during the third week. But more importantly, they gain a special sense of pride that they continue to build on throughout their careers and lives....The challenge that the athlete faces through basic physical training is important on more than a physical level. The experience tears away the props that are often used to hide any of those initial insecurities encountered by young athletes....I sincerely believe that a tough program of running and physical conditioning is an essential component of excellence for any and all athletic teams."
 

Bambooman

Legend
I am an average Joe and ran way faster than 5 minutes. It took me three years of training to break it and another fifteen to run my fastest. For talented people they can break five with no training.
A couple of weeks of bootcamp for tennis is not really hard training. Hard training is day in and day out for years or even decades.

Today people seem baffled that my ten year old kid didn't just start running fast races right off the bat just because I'm fast today. The reason of course is because he's an average Joe. He can put the work in and give the illusion of talent though.
 
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Daniel Andrade

Hall of Fame
I am an average Joe and ran way faster than 5 minutes. It took me three years of training to break it and another fifteen to run my fastest. For talented people they can break five with no training.
A couple of weeks of bootcamp for tennis is not really hard training. Hard training is day in and day out for years or even decades.

Today people seem baffled that my ten year old kid didn't just start running fast races right off the bat just because I'm fast today. The reason of course is because he's an average Joe. He can put the work in and give the illusion of talent though.
you are not an average Joe.
But I found the story cool and interesting.

I'm never attempting a 5 minute mile, but I will see if after a year I can get to a 6 minute mile.
 

atatu

Legend
I am an average Joe and ran way faster than 5 minutes. It took me three years of training to break it and another fifteen to run my fastest. For talented people they can break five with no training.
A couple of weeks of bootcamp for tennis is not really hard training. Hard training is day in and day out for years or even decades.

Today people seem baffled that my ten year old kid didn't just start running fast races right off the bat just because I'm fast today. The reason of course is because he's an average Joe. He can put the work in and give the illusion of talent though.
Ok here are the times from a Masters Track meet this year in the 45-49 age group. These guys are not "average Joe's" they are guys who train for Track and Field and travel to meets around the country. This is for 1500m, not a mile, so add maybe 20 seconds for a mile time. If you can run "way faster" than a 5 minute mile as an average Joe then you'd do really well at these Masters Track meets.


Neville Davey
West Valley Track Club
4:18.89​
1​
8​
2​
Unattached.png
Joe H
Unattached
4:19.82​
1​
6​
3​
Unattached.png
Sanjay R
Unattached
4:25.12​
1​
4​
4​
Unattached.png
Lee K
Unattached
4:26.84​
1​
3​
5​
Trent B
Cal Coast Track Club
4:29.57​
1​
2​
6​
Michael D
Bermuda
4:32.34​
1​
EXH​
7​
Unattached.png
Orlando V
Unattached
4:32.78​
1​
1​
8​
Brian P
East Valley Track Club
4:34.00​
1​
9​
Christopher J
Las Vegas Heat
4:42.87​
1​
10​
Ryan R
Reno Tahoe Athletics
4:57.49​
1​
 

Bambooman

Legend
Ok here are the times from a Masters Track meet this year in the 45-49 age group. These guys are not "average Joe's" they are guys who train for Track and Field and travel to meets around the country. This is for 1500m, not a mile, so add maybe 20 seconds for a mile time. If you can run "way faster" than a 5 minute mile as an average Joe then you'd do really well at these Masters Track meets.


Neville Davey
West Valley Track Club
4:18.89​
1​
8​
2​
Unattached.png
Joe H
Unattached
4:19.82​
1​
6​
3​
Unattached.png
Sanjay R
Unattached
4:25.12​
1​
4​
4​
Unattached.png
Lee K
Unattached
4:26.84​
1​
3​
5​
Trent B
Cal Coast Track Club
4:29.57​
1​
2​
6​
Michael D
Bermuda
4:32.34​
1​
EXH​
7​
Unattached.png
Orlando V
Unattached
4:32.78​
1​
1​
8​
Brian P
East Valley Track Club
4:34.00​
1​
9​
Christopher J
Las Vegas Heat
4:42.87​
1​
10​
Ryan R
Reno Tahoe Athletics
4:57.49​
1​
Ok here are the times from a Masters Track meet this year in the 45-49 age group. These guys are not "average Joe's" they are guys who train for Track and Field and travel to meets around the country. This is for 1500m, not a mile, so add maybe 20 seconds for a mile time. If you can run "way faster" than a 5 minute mile as an average Joe then you'd do really well at these Masters Track meets.


Neville Davey
West Valley Track Club
4:18.89​
1​
8​
2​
Unattached.png
Joe H
Unattached
4:19.82​
1​
6​
3​
Unattached.png
Sanjay R
Unattached
4:25.12​
1​
4​
4​
Unattached.png
Lee K
Unattached
4:26.84​
1​
3​
5​
Trent B
Cal Coast Track Club
4:29.57​
1​
2​
6​
Michael D
Bermuda
4:32.34​
1​
EXH​
7​
Unattached.png
Orlando V
Unattached
4:32.78​
1​
1​
8​
Brian P
East Valley Track Club
4:34.00​
1​
9​
Christopher J
Las Vegas Heat
4:42.87​
1​
10​
Ryan R
Reno Tahoe Athletics
4:57.49​
1​
I did run in that age group and did well. Ran the equivalent of five. That’s average joe longevity, from training. I had mostly switched to longer races then. 1:21 half even then.
 

jmnk

Hall of Fame
I am an average Joe and ran way faster than 5 minutes. It took me three years of training to break it and another fifteen to run my fastest. For talented people they can break five with no training.
A couple of weeks of bootcamp for tennis is not really hard training. Hard training is day in and day out for years or even decades.

Today people seem baffled that my ten year old kid didn't just start running fast races right off the bat just because I'm fast today. The reason of course is because he's an average Joe. He can put the work in and give the illusion of talent though.

Ok here are the times from a Masters Track meet this year in the 45-49 age group. These guys are not "average Joe's" they are guys who train for Track and Field and travel to meets around the country. This is for 1500m, not a mile, so add maybe 20 seconds for a mile time. If you can run "way faster" than a 5 minute mile as an average Joe then you'd do really well at these Masters Track meets.


Neville Davey
West Valley Track Club
4:18.89​
1​
8​
2​
Unattached.png
Joe H
Unattached
4:19.82​
1​
6​
3​
Unattached.png
Sanjay R
Unattached
4:25.12​
1​
4​
4​
Unattached.png
Lee K
Unattached
4:26.84​
1​
3​
5​
Trent B
Cal Coast Track Club
4:29.57​
1​
2​
6​
Michael D
Bermuda
4:32.34​
1​
EXH​
7​
Unattached.png
Orlando V
Unattached
4:32.78​
1​
1​
8​
Brian P
East Valley Track Club
4:34.00​
1​
9​
Christopher J
Las Vegas Heat
4:42.87​
1​
10​
Ryan R
Reno Tahoe Athletics
4:57.49​
1​
@atatu - and your point is?? When faced with hard data/facts vs someone's anonymous claim on the internet forum I go with anonymous claim _every time_. Don't you? :)
 

Bambooman

Legend
@atatu - and your point is?? When faced with hard data/facts vs someone's anonymous claim on the internet forum I go with anonymous claim _every time_. Don't you? :)
You may also want to establish what you consider to be an average Joe in regards to age. Masters track is not where the data would come from.
 

atatu

Legend
You may also want to establish what you consider to be an average Joe in regards to age. Masters track is not where the data would come from.
Fair enough, I'm going to guess that the average age of the people on this tennis forum is around 40-45 though.
 

Bambooman

Legend
Fair enough, I'm going to guess that the average age of the people on this tennis forum is around 40-45 though.
Perhaps. You could use age graded results if you want to narrow the field to a certain age. The equivalent of a five minute mile by age is considerably slower.
 

LuckyR

Legend
Who cares? Tennis matchplay is nothing like running a mile. You're famiar with the size of a court, right?

Might as well ask about their 100m butterfly time...
 

Bambooman

Legend
Who cares? Tennis matchplay is nothing like running a mile. You're famiar with the size of a court, right?

Might as well ask about their 100m butterfly time...
If you are trained to run a fast mile it gives you a great advantage on court. It's also easy to modify that fitness to be even more tennis specific. You will be fast with great endurance.
 

austintennis2005

Professional
Who cares? Tennis matchplay is nothing like running a mile. You're famiar with the size of a court, right?

Might as well ask about their 100m butterfly time...
In training you don’t necessarily replicate match conditions.
Many sprinters run long distances in training
 

kevin qmto

Hall of Fame
In high school my best was 6:30. I haven’t tried since then so idk but I feel like I’m actually in better shape now so maybe I could beat it.
 

WildVolley

Legend
In training you don’t necessarily replicate match conditions.
Many sprinters run long distances in training
This isn't correct anymore. Most professional sprinters aren't running anything that would be considered distance. In the off season they may do some jogs, and depending on the length they sprint, they may do lactic workouts: for example, Usain Bolt would do timed 300 meter repeats when he was getting in shape to run the 200 meters.

Charlie Francis has been fairly influential and he had his sprinters working short to long rather than the other way around as they trained. You are correct that the old-school method of training sprinters usually started with distance runs and then reduced the distance the closer to competition the sprinter was. Doing a lot of distance runs does little for the anaerobic systems that are used in sprinting. I've heard that it is more common to have sprinters do pool work now for aerobic training.
 

Bambooman

Legend
Charlie Francis doped the hell out of his athletes too. His day was 35 years ago.

Today sprinters are much more capable of running longer sprints up to 400. That takes more volume.
 

WildVolley

Legend
Charlie Francis doped the hell out of his athletes too. His day was 35 years ago.

Today sprinters are much more capable of running longer sprints up to 400. That takes more volume.
Do you think that doping has gone away? I'd argue that Charlie Francis has been very influential on the overall way that sprinters are training despite Johnson getting busted. A lot more coaches are doing short to long, especially with younger athletes these days.

400 runners have almost always done more sprint endurance work than shorter distance sprinters. Most of the shorter distance runners aren't doing the longer interval training that 400m runners do. The bronze medalist in the 100, Fred Kerley, was a 400m sprinter who has switched to the shorter sprints. I'd bet he isn't doing many 400s in training anymore. I hear he is doing swimming for cardio now.

Randy Huntington, a famous track coach (Mike Powell, Su Bingtian, etc) has his 100m sprinters do 200m intervals to develop cardio, sort of the Tom Tellez/Carl Lewis method. I don't know of any professional sprinter who does mile runs in season.
 

SystemicAnomaly

Bionic Poster
Have you found a reference that says doing many minutes of running is good for tennis. Tennis has some high effort times of seconds that end with each point. Then brief rest till next serve. Then 90 second rest at changeovers.

Maybe look into high intensity type cardio with timing based on tennis.

What do references say other than the basic guideline to train with the timing and strength of the sport. Recently I am hearing a new view that heavy strength training may have some drawbacks. See Gavin MacMillan's views related to the Spinal Engine Theory. His views on tennis technique and training are available in interview Youtubes especially on Sabalenka's serve.

I used to jog or run 50 yards then then walk 50 when coming back after an injury. My lungs and healed knee injury with Dr's approval improved together. Tossing medicine balls for trunk speed exercises seems to be recommended simulate some trunk stroke motions.

BOOK - Complete Training??......for Tennis. Rotert , Ellenbecker is a good reference. Available from Tennis Warehouse.

Make up a high intensity type program with timing similar to tennis. Throwing a medicine ball works better with a partner or wall. Elastic bands allow speed and safety.

OR find reference saying mile runs are useful for tennis.
@LuckyR

It has been well established that stamina for competitive tennis players requires both aerobic and anaerobic endurance. I posted links on this a number of times in the past decade. Something like 40% to 60% of energy needs for tennis singles players are derived from aerobic respiration.

A small % of the population, very high responders, can develop both aerobic fitness and anaerobic fitness needs from HIIT alone. But most ppl will drive only (primarily) anaerobic benefit from HIIT or other interval training. Cardio training that develops the aerobic system is also need by many/most competitive tennis players

The following is not one of the links I posted previously but it does contain a lot of the same info & conclusions:

 

LuckyR

Legend
If you are trained to run a fast mile it gives you a great advantage on court. It's also easy to modify that fitness to be even more tennis specific. You will be fast with great endurance.
I'm not an expert in track, but in conversation with those that are, if your goal is to run fast for < 20 meters, working on explosiveness, anticipation and sprinting will benefit you more than working on running (relatively) slower for a long time period. I'm not saying that there would be no benefit, but it would be a smaller benefit, thus this vs that mile time isn't going to show up in the tennis matchplay W L stat.
 

Bambooman

Legend
People who are reluctant to put in aerobic work are even less likely to do explosive work because that is even harder when you are aerobically weak.
 

WildVolley

Legend
Never because he was terrible at 300. Modern day guy run great 400s. Noah Lyles was likely to run a leg of the 4x4 if he hadn’t been sick.
OK. I was wondering if you knew something or were just saying random things for fun. Now I know.

Carl Lewis wouldn't have been terrible at either the 300 or the 400. He didn't run the 400 not because he was slow, but because he hated racing the 400 and refused to do it. If you've run a 400m race, you'd understand. Winning four gold medals in one Olympics showed he knew what he was doing.

One of Carl Lewis's standard workouts was a 400m, followed by a 300, followed by 200, and then finishing with a 100. After that, he'd do some long jump practice. I'm sure he ran enough 400s in practice to scratch any itch he had running that distance. It used to be almost impossible for someone to compete in both the short sprints and the 400 at many track meets. Michael Johnson is the first guy I recall specifically training to do both. I've seen interviews in which he states he was able to get big meets to change schedules when he was running great times in both the 400 and 200.

Most of the 100 meter guys don't also run the 400. Lyles was itching to do it because he wanted to get 4 golds like Carl. Fred Kerley is an experienced 400 runner who has now dropped to the shorter distances and doesn't seem excited about running the 400 in the relay. Letsile Tebogo (200m gold) seems to be the best example of a current guy who is running the shorter sprints and also jumping into the 4x400 relay.
 

Bambooman

Legend
No to most of your comments. Lewis raced a 300 and got smoked by a guy who he beat over 200
Modern guys run 400 well even if they don’t like the pain
Past guys did not.
 

MisterP

Hall of Fame
I’d be shocked if any of the regulars I hit with (30s, 40s and 50s) could run one quarter mile lap in 1:20 let alone string four of those laps together.
 

onehandbh

G.O.A.T.
I’d be shocked if any of the regulars I hit with (30s, 40s and 50s) could run one quarter mile lap in 1:20 let alone string four of those laps together.
Seeing how most people I've seen move around the court, I'd agree.

When is the last time anyone times their 400 meter run?
I'm guessing few on TTW can go under a minute.
 

MisterP

Hall of Fame
Seeing how most people I've seen move around the court, I'd agree.

When is the last time anyone times their 400 meter run?
I'm guessing few on TTW can go under a minute.
Even when I was running a lot my best 2 mile was in the mid 12s. I could maybe have broken 6 mins if I trained for it. But I never enjoyed running that much. 5:30 is another level.
 

onehandbh

G.O.A.T.
Even when I was running a lot my best 2 mile was in the mid 12s. I could maybe have broken 6 mins if I trained for it. But I never enjoyed running that much. 5:30 is another level.
I would almost wager that if we took the 100 meter or even 40 yard sprint time of the average middle-aged USTA 4.0, and extrapolate it to 1 mile, they'd still be over 5:30.
 
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