Iowa Is Slow

Iowa's high school men's track records have stood for 30 years, and this article is questioning where the state's speedsters went. My guess is they just breed football linemen.

5/21/09 - Council Bluffs, IA

"The heyday of distance running in Iowa seems, well, distant.

It’s been 30 years since Todd Peverill and Wally Duffy set Iowa state track meet records in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters, respectively, and those marks still stand today.

In western Iowa, the relative decline of boys prep distance running seems even more evident. A look at western Iowa’s all-time boys track leaders reveals that the top 10 times in both the 1,600 and the 3,200 are dominated by the Baby Boom Generation.

Duffy, who owns the state meet record of 9:07.06 in the 3,200, also set western Iowa’s overall mark (9:04.06) at Shenandoah in 1979. Only three western Iowa runners in the last 10 years have cracked the top 10..."

Not Willing to Go the Distance