You guys have to be kidding me... right... its the age old question of technology vs old school... get it through your heads, today's athletes are just better, just like in any other sport.
Look at the progression of early 50's basketball to today, do you honestly think George Mikan could stand a chance to Shaq, no way. And playing the "well, he's got so much talent, i mean, Jim Ryan ran uphill everyday to school in 3 feet of snow..." So what, his PR is still 8 seconds from El G.
If you honestly think EL G wasn't the greatest miler to ever live, then your messed up.
mile
http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=O/ageGroup=N/season=0/gender=M/discipline=MILE/legal=A/index.html
1500
http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=O/ageGroup=N/season=0/gender=M/discipline=1500/legal=A/index.html
Thats all-time... and you think ryun was even close to that dominant...no way... el G takes up half the page!!!!
A better list would be.
El G
Morcelli
Cram
Ngeny
Walker
Scott
Ryun
Its bogus, the hole cinder this, cinder that, didn't really have that much affect on people... I mean, Coe's 1000 record stood for 20 years and he ran it on cinder, maybe its really worth 2:08...c'mon... grow some brains people...
No one is saying that the older guys weren't amazing, but the athletes evolve, and to say one is better if they "had this or had that" is totally out of whack. Thats the glory of our sport, the time holds for ever.
If you want to get into the hole equipment speal, then maybe we should be talking about guys who ran 4:20 back in the 1910's, or talk about cycling.