is Meb now the greatest American marathoner ever

Don't forget a 4th place at the Olympics too.

5th foreign born American to win Boston.

He is so much the American Dream. Hopefully he inspires a lot of American kids to take this running thing seriously.

More important, we need American parents to let their kids play and forget about all those travel and youth leagues.

not even close wrote:

no one really cares about that African negro to be honest.

Why do you need to say this? We get it. It is cute to troll. Good luck keeping a wife or a job.

Anyway, Meb's last mile made me think that he is by far the toughest and the luckiest marathoner the US has ever had. Lucky as in he knows how to pick his races. Tough as in, he is so consistent that when people choke he is always there to capitalize.

No doubt about it.

His resume is better than Shorter, Rodgers etc..

There is an argument for Frank Shorter or Bill Rodgers but I think I would agree that with this win Meb is now #1

Actually, a lot of people cared about Meb today. He was what the race and the city needed, and if anyone doubted he had the heart of a lion, guess again.

Thank you for the help with those who have a short memory or weren't there....

While Meb is one of the better American marathoners in recent history, Shorter & Rogers are still ahead in terms of Olympic Medals and big time marathon wins.

Exactly...... wrote:

Thank you for the help with those who have a short memory or weren't there....

While Meb is one of the better American marathoners in recent history, Shorter & Rogers are still ahead in terms of Olympic Medals and big time marathon wins.

It's of course difficult to compare across eras. Bill Rogers is/was great, but has no significant Olympic achievements, a 40th in Montreal (a shame he couldn't compete in 1980 for sure). It's hard to include him in the conversation.

In a subjective discussion of who's the best, I give Meb the nod both for his longevity and for the significance of his wins. Even ignoring the storybook nature of the Boston win as an immigrant success story the year after the bombings (which you can't, of course), it's remarkable that Meb broke 58 (= 27+31) years of American futility (i.e. not winning) in New York and Boston.

Exactly...... wrote:

Thank you for the help with those who have a short memory or weren't there....

While Meb is one of the better American marathoners in recent history, Shorter & Rogers are still ahead in terms of Olympic Medals and big time marathon wins.

But the marathon is more competitive than it was then. That's why I said in the original post about consider the era. If Rodgers had to race sub 204 and sub 205 he wouldn't have won Boston.

NotAustin18 wrote:

Considering the current era with all the sub 204 and sub 205 East Africans, with what Meb has done, is Meb the greatest American marathoner of all time?

He gets my vote. When he won New York it was a weak field, but the Olympic Silver and today's Boston win are legit.

I thought you could make a case fo Meb even before this race, but now I think he clearly is. Not taking anything from Shorter and Rogers, but the depth and talent level at the top is way superior to 30 years. You can also make a case for KK who also ran in an era with a lot of great athletes.

1. Shorter - Gold and should be Gold, the best in the world for a number of years, and even today his times would be among the best Americans. He did it all.

2. Meb - yes this is a deeper era, and his W today edges Rodgers, who didn't run much slower on the same course.

3. Rodgers - almost did it all, at least in America.

Honorable Mention

Saladbar - Just about if not the greatest for a couple of years.

Khalid K. - Fast times

Hall - Also fast times in a tough era, but no major wins

Fox trusts no one wrote:

1. Shorter - Gold and should be Gold, the best in the world for a number of years, and even today his times would be among the best Americans. He did it all.

2. Meb - yes this is a deeper era, and his W today edges Rodgers, who didn't run much slower on the same course.

3. Rodgers - almost did it all, at least in America.

Honorable Mention

Saladbar - Just about if not the greatest for a couple of years.

Khalid K. - Fast times

Hall - Also fast times in a tough era, but no major wins

I'll go with this order. I might quuibble slightly with swapping 2 and 3 on the list but those are certainly the top 3. I'm proud of Meb and what he's accomplished. Thanks Meb!

1. Meb

2. Shorter

The rest.

Flatty wrote:

Fox trusts no one wrote:

1. Shorter - Gold and should be Gold, the best in the world for a number of years, and even today his times would be among the best Americans. He did it all.

2. Meb - yes this is a deeper era, and his W today edges Rodgers, who didn't run much slower on the same course.

3. Rodgers - almost did it all, at least in America.

Honorable Mention

Saladbar - Just about if not the greatest for a couple of years.

Khalid K. - Fast times

Hall - Also fast times in a tough era, but no major wins

I'll go with this order. I might quuibble slightly with swapping 2 and 3 on the list but those are certainly the top 3. I'm proud of Meb and what he's accomplished. Thanks Meb!

I also like this list, maybe swapping Salazar and Rodgers. One thing that makes this interesting is that (in their prime) Shorter, Rodgers, Salazar and Khalid K. were always among the realistic favorites to win when they lined up -- at least once they were established. Every time Meb wins, it is a huge deal because he is considered such a long shot.

Put it this way, if Meb and all the others in the running were at peak fitness, same era, same age and no injuries and they all lined up for a marathon I'd put my money on Meb to win.

If Rodgers had to race sub 204 and sub 205 he wouldn't have won Boston.

Neither would Meb.

Rodgers and Shorter were closer to the [then] WR than Meb is now.

meb is 5 minutes slower than his east african contemporaries

rodgers would whup most white guys today

no way is meb a goat