Sprint faster?

Question

Does sprinting fast rely on just practice, or do you have to be born with potential/gift to run fast?

for example: A person that doesn't stay in shape and can barely jog a mile can sprint about as fast as a person who is in fit and can jog 3 miles.

Could you be an good sprinter but just be really bad at long distance? ( i can barely jog a mile) Or does it just take practice to do long distance?

If to be a fast sprinter, all you need is practice. Doesn't that mean anyone could be the fastest sprinter if they practiced? Or do you have to be born with some sorta talent?

Answer 1

I believe that genetics plays a major role in both sprinting and long distance running. Sprinting ability in particular is a talent/gift. Elementary school kids recognize that some of their classmates have fast leg speed. It just comes natural. Just like some kids learn to play musical instruments easier than others. As they get older they can channel this talent into football, basketball, or on the track.
If they decide to be a sprinter, improvements in time can be made by getting faster starts, or build some endurance to go that extra few meters in a 100, 200 or 400M race. Then there's the fortunate few who are blessed with both speed and endurance. These are the all-county high school cross country
runners who also excell in the 100 & 200M sprints in the Spring time. And then there's everybody else, with various degrees of
inherited talent, who through experimentation and determination
try to maximize their potential. And every now and then an athlete with lesser inherent talent prevails, because they chose
to train just a little harder for those final few meters, or had a little more "heart."
With proper training,I believe that there's a lot more room for improvement in the longer distances than in a short sprint.
Experiment with various distances; find your niche. Do the best that YOU can.

Answer 2

uh...i know it takes practice for long disntance because im on the cross country team in my high school and when i first started i couldnt run a mile and now i can run three miles in like less than 20 min. but sprinting i think needs practice too because you can improve each time you try or practice or whatever.

Answer 3

Thats a good question. I'd like to know. I try to believe anyone can have unlimited potential and that its all about how hard u work an practice.