Using Seahawk 5K Performances To Predict 3200 Season Bests

Photo by Craig Amoss

Most outdoor track meets in Maryland offer the same array of running events, many of which include the 3200. This weekend's slate of meets included the only one with a unique event, however: the 5000. The Seahawk Invitational gives distance runners a chance to run a race usually reserved for the fall months. Over the years this event has not only served as an early-season baseline for fitness, but a predictor for season-best 3200 times as well. Using the top 12 times in each race dating back to 2013, these two graphs indicate a strong relationship between Seahawk 5000 performance and end-of-season 3200 performance. The tables are rough approximations based on the graphs.

Approximate 5K Time	Estimated 3200 Time
15:30	9:25
16:00	9:45
16:30	10:00
17:00	10:15
17:30	10:30

Approximated 5K Time	Estimated 3200 Time
17:30	10:40
18:00	11:00
18:30	11:15
19:00	11:30
19:30	11:45
20:00	12:00
20:30	12:15
21:00	12:30

Top 5K Performances At Seahawk Invitational Since 2012