Preferred Recruit · Track StandardsHow to get recruited for track and field in high school
Find the colleges where your marks already fit, then email those coaches yourself with your marks, results link and grades, and follow up after every PR. At a typical NCAA D1 program the roster mark in the 400m is about 48.85 for men and 57.00 for women, and it drops at D2, D3 and NAIA.
Updated 2026-10-21 · Preferred Recruit · built from 1,143 college programs' standards
Step by step
- Know your fit. Enter your event and best mark on the standards finder to see every college where it is a Target, Recruit or Walk-On level.
- Build a simple profile. Put your marks, meet links, graduation year, GPA and a short video in one place. See how to build a recruiting profile.
- Register where required. Athletes aiming for NCAA D1 or D2 register with the NCAA Eligibility Center, and NAIA athletes register at PlayNAIA.
- Email the coaches. Write to the event coach and the head coach at each school on your list. Use the email templates.
- Fill out questionnaires. Most programs have a recruiting questionnaire on their track page. See questionnaires by conference.
- Follow up after every PR. Send a short update with the new mark and the meet results link, so each coach sees you improving.
- Visit and compare offers. Visit the schools that reply, ask about roster spots and aid, and compare the full cost, not only the athletic money.
How fast do you need to be?
These are the typical marks that put an athlete on a college roster (the Walk-On level), from every program's official chart or its conference results. Scholarship interest starts higher, so check each school's page for its Target and Recruit marks.
| Event | NCAA D1 | NCAA D2 | NCAA D3 | NAIA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's 100m | 10.75 | 10.87 | 11.25 | 11.18 |
| Men's 200m | 21.65 | 22.03 | 22.87 | 22.64 |
| Men's 400m | 48.85 | 49.93 | 52.19 | 51.48 |
| Men's 800m | 1:53.48 | 1:56.71 | 2:00.60 | 2:00.60 |
| Men's 1500m | 3:52.78 | 4:02.69 | 4:09.96 | 4:13.83 |
| Men's 110m Hurdles | 15.88 | 16.23 | 17.98 | 18.63 |
| Men's Long Jump | 22'0" (6.71m) | 21'0" (6.40m) | 19'9.5" (6.03m) | 18'6.75" (5.66m) |
| Men's Shot Put | 40'3" (12.27m) | 38'9.25" (11.82m) | 35'11" (10.95m) | 35'7.25" (10.85m) |
| Event | NCAA D1 | NCAA D2 | NCAA D3 | NAIA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women's 100m | 12.08 | 12.50 | 13.20 | 13.17 |
| Women's 200m | 24.64 | 25.63 | 27.07 | 27.10 |
| Women's 400m | 57.00 | 59.98 | 1:03.61 | 1:04.86 |
| Women's 800m | 2:14.60 | 2:22.81 | 2:30.11 | 2:31.79 |
| Women's 1500m | 4:34.97 | 4:52.09 | 5:06.51 | 5:20.62 |
| Women's 100m Hurdles | 14.83 | 16.30 | 17.92 | 19.40 |
| Women's Long Jump | 18'1.75" (5.53m) | 16'7.25" (5.06m) | 15'3.5" (4.66m) | 14'8.5" (4.48m) |
| Women's Shot Put | 37'4" (11.38m) | 33'6" (10.21m) | 30'6.25" (9.30m) | 32'1.75" (9.80m) |
When should you start? A timeline by grade
- 9th grade: train, race legal (FAT) meets and keep your results correct on your state's results site.
- 10th grade: build your college list and profile and fill out questionnaires. In the summer after 10th grade, NCAA D1 and D2 coaches can usually start contacting you (confirm the dates in the NCAA's current guide).
- 11th grade: the busiest year. Email every program on your list, send an update after every PR and take visits.
- 12th grade: decide between offers. Seniors still get recruited in the fall and after strong indoor marks, so keep emailing.
Why you can't wait for a chart
Only about 1 in 5 NCAA D1 programs publishes a current official standards chart (76 of 354 in our October 2026 count). For every other school, this site works out the levels from that conference's current results, so you can still see where you fit before you email.
Common questions
How many colleges publish track recruiting standards?
About 1 in 5 NCAA D1 programs publishes a current official chart (76 of 354 in our October 2026 count). This site estimates the rest from each conference's current results.
Do college coaches find athletes on their own?
Some do, through results databases and big meets, but many athletes who get recruited reached out first.
Do I need a recruiting service?
No. You can do every step yourself. A service saves time and gets your marks in front of more coaches faster.
Which marks count for recruiting?
Fully automatic (FAT) times and legal-wind marks from sanctioned meets. See understanding PRs.