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Niwot’s track sits at 5,167 feet. At that elevation, lower barometric pressure makes distance running harder, so times are generally slower than they would be at sea level. These conversions estimate what each athlete might run at sea level.
Every number on this page is intentionally conservative. These are floor estimates, not best-case projections. In many cases, athletes could likely run faster at sea level than what we show here.
Methodology
The Conversion Chain
We use the NCAA-standard altitude adjustment tool (TFRRS Mark Converter) at a comparable altitude venue — Colorado State University’s outdoor track (~5,000 ft) — to convert the 800m, 1500m, and 3000m. Because high school races are the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m, we then apply Riegel’s formula (T₂ = T₁ × (D₂/D₁)^1.06), a widely used distance-conversion equation since 1977, to convert the 1500m results to 1600m and the 3000m results to 3200m.
Because Niwot (5,167 ft) is higher than CSU (~5,000 ft), using CSU’s conversion makes our numbers even more conservative — the real altitude benefit at Niwot is slightly larger than what CSU’s conversion produces.
The 800m is the same event in both metric and high school, so no distance conversion is needed there.
Adjustments
Picking a Conservative Flat Adjustment
Because slower runners spend longer racing at altitude, their sea-level adjustment is typically slightly larger. But we use a single flat number per event, pegged below the smallest benefit in our data range. That means the adjustment is conservative for every athlete in the field, including the fastest.
Here’s what the TFRRS data shows for specific performance levels, and the conservative adjustment we use. The “On the Table” column shows how much additional benefit mid-pack athletes would likely see at sea level beyond what we claim.
Boys 800m — conservative adjustment: 0.6 seconds
| Athlete | Estimated Benefit | Conservative Adjustment | On the Table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boy running 1:51 | 0.64s | 0.6s | 0.04s |
| Boy running 2:04 | 0.75s | 0.6s | 0.15s |
Girls 800m — conservative adjustment: 0.7 seconds
| Athlete | Estimated Benefit | Conservative Adjustment | On the Table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girl running 2:14 | 0.76s | 0.7s | 0.06s |
| Girl running 2:24 | 0.84s | 0.7s | 0.14s |
Boys 1600m — conservative adjustment: 5.0 seconds
| Athlete | Estimated Benefit | Conservative Adjustment | On the Table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boy running 4:10 | 5.6s | 5.0s | 0.6s |
| Boy running 4:30 | 6.1s | 5.0s | 1.1s |
Girls 1600m — conservative adjustment: 6.0 seconds
| Athlete | Estimated Benefit | Conservative Adjustment | On the Table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girl running 4:50 | 6.6s | 6.0s | 0.6s |
| Girl running 5:20 | 7.2s | 6.0s | 1.2s |
Boys 3200m — conservative adjustment: 13.0 seconds
| Athlete | Estimated Benefit | Conservative Adjustment | On the Table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boy running 8:56 | 13.7s | 13.0s | 0.7s |
| Boy running 9:20 | 14.3s | 13.0s | 1.3s |
Girls 3200m — conservative adjustment: 15.5 seconds
| Athlete | Estimated Benefit | Conservative Adjustment | On the Table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girl running 10:40 | 16.4s | 15.5s | 0.9s |
| Girl running 11:20 | 17.4s | 15.5s | 1.9s |
Summary
The Adjustments We Use
800m
Boys
-0.6s
Girls
-0.7s
1600m
Boys
-5.0s
Girls
-6.0s
3200m
Boys
-13.0s
Girls
-15.5s
Every number is pegged below the smallest estimated benefit in the data range.
Sources
References
- TFRRS Mark Converter (tfrrs.org/conversion) — NCAA-standard altitude conversion tool, Colorado State University outdoor venue
- Peter Riegel, “Athletic Records and Human Endurance,” American Scientist (1977) — distance-conversion formula
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