A little revision in my eye...
1. Bill Rodgers
let the flak begin. But lets face the facts "top" isn't just about the times. Nobody has ever come close to matching what this guy has done within and for the sport. He ran 29 marathons under 2:15, a feat that has never been approached, and lasted about 3 or 4 times as long as most elite marathoners in terms of marathons ran. Yeah, yeah, his 4 Boston and 4 New York wins were in the 'easy' days before cash prizes were involved, but isn't it ironic that in 1986, the year that a prize purse was introduced, a 38 year old, beat up Bill Rodgers managed a 4th place in 2:13 in his FORTY FIRST marathon, for a cut of the prize money? Oh yeah, and he also came out on top in a duel with Aurtuo Barrios, the 20k world record holder at the time, during the latter stages of the race. So a 2:09 guy in a time when only 2 others had even broken 2:10, putting up credentials in longevity and consistency that transcend any era and claiming 9 major marathon titles (more than anyone in that list), is pretty tough company to match in my book.
Also, add Steve Jones to that list. His tenacity in Marathoning broke all the rules, and to take a race out in 61:43 clear back in 1985 and hold on for the win at 2:07:13 , one second off the world record, certainly warrants recognition among the best ever.