What's so great about Alan Webb

nostalgia. plus Webb seems like a much more likable guy than Centro in my opinion

rupp is better wrote:

Guys like Nick Symmonds,Galen Rupp,Matthew Centrowitz, Jr.

all have an Olympic or WC medal. Alan Webb has none.So what's

so Great about Alan Webb? How come Matthew Centrowitz, Jr. doesn't

get the Respect like Alan Webb does and he's way more successful

than Alan Webb.

Those guys would get lapped by him in the MILE. They'll never come close to 3:46. And don't forget Webb took Rupp on a 5k fun run through the streets of Carlsbad.

I would not bet Rupp will run 3:46, but it could happen.

Webb has not earned to honors that the runners you mentioned have, but I think he deserves to be recognized for his part in bringing track along. The build up to him going sub4 was something that had not occurred in middle distance running in the US for a while. He brought attention. His run was featured on ESPN Sportscenter (how many other times in the past 20 years has that happened?).

He came along as the internet really exploded. I bet a lot of HSers were inspired by him. Here was a runner getting recognition and a big contract. Sports need heroes to bring the next generation along. Webb served that function just as many of the folks listed do so now.

I think Centro has a cockiness that turns off some people. I must admit that some of his finish line antics bug me too.

Let us know when Centro has broken 3.50. You're seemingly very young. There was once a top international by the name of said aouita. They said he had the greatest range ever from 809-10k. Now, Google him. Next, compare his pb's to Webb's. Get it now?

No more care for history wrote:

Let us know when Centro has broken 3.50. You're seemingly very young. There was once a top international by the name of said aouita. They said he had the greatest range ever from 809-10k. Now, Google him. Next, compare his pb's to Webb's. Get it now?

No doubt Webb had incredible range, but unlike Aouita, no Olympic or World medals and no WRs!

Their pbs are similar but Aouita was competing 20 years earlier. One is an all-time great the other a talent who failed to achieve on the biggest stage.

Anyone else get goosebumps right around 3:38???

Webb's great, but... I think Jim Ryun would have had him in high school had they run at the same time.

3:55.3 on a dirt track is arguably worth 3:51-3:52 on today's tracks and in today's spikes.

Simple. Webb ran 3:53 in high school. He was an incredible talent. He was also inconsistent and impatient. He was always messing around with his training. This made his career dramatic. Everyone knew the talent was there, and we were always wondering when it might show itself.

For what it's worth, though, Centro ran 3:31, which is only a hair slower (converted) than Webb's mile record.

Finishing Kick wrote:

No more care for history wrote:

Let us know when Centro has broken 3.50. You're seemingly very young. There was once a top international by the name of said aouita. They said he had the greatest range ever from 809-10k. Now, Google him. Next, compare his pb's to Webb's. Get it now?

No doubt Webb had incredible range, but unlike Aouita, no Olympic or World medals and no WRs!

Their pbs are similar but Aouita was competing 20 years earlier. One is an all-time great the other a talent who failed to achieve on the biggest stage.

Aouita is also a self-outed drug pusher.

Likely the first of what would become a long line of doped Moroccan distance runners.

Finishing Kick wrote:

No doubt Webb had incredible range, but unlike Aouita, no Olympic or World medals and no WRs!

Nobody who cares about quality performances gives a damn about medals. Even the rare medals won by quality performances are still just a once-in-four-years snapshot. They determine who was best 1/1459th of the time.

When you win a diamond league title or set a world lead, you're best for an entire year, not one day. And if you set a record, you're better than everyone who runs slower than that for as long as it lasts. Every time an American runs a mile slower than Webb, bam! Webb wins again. He's got an 8-year winning streak going.

Two things pro-Webb:

1) For a long time, no one thought a US HS runner would break 4 minutes in the mile again after 3 did it in the 60's (including Ryan). There were lots of theories such as less-active lifestyles, other popular after school activities like soccer and video games and everything in between, the "softer" work ethic and/or coaching and training plans, etc. Statistically if it would have happened in the 30+ years, it would have happened.

2) Steve Scott's AR record lasted 25 years, and he was "no slouch".

Take your pick for the con-Webb arguments.

Even if you don't put much stock on medals, and you'd be in a minority with that view of the sport, Webb still won far fewer races and had fewer world leads than Aouita had. And Webb may have Set a time in the mile not beaten for 8 years, but it was still only a U.S. record. He set no world records. Aouita set 5+

Ultimately you are remembered in track and field for medals and world records and not for what you could have done.

3:53 in HS, 3:46 as a pro, 13:10 when that was a very solid time for US 5k runner, 27:34 debut over Ritz.

Excatly.

Greatest miler in a long time. The mile is the premiere distance.

Nice guy. Gave everything he had to get the AR. There you go.

How can you not think he is great?

reader of the forums wrote:

Aouita is also a self-outed drug pusher.

Likely the first of what would become a long line of doped Moroccan distance runners.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=trackandfield&id=2336602

And Webb was clean? Bwahahahaha

Irony wrote:

reader of the forums wrote:

Aouita is also a self-outed drug pusher.

Likely the first of what would become a long line of doped Moroccan distance runners.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=trackandfield&id=2336602

And Webb was clean? Bwahahahaha

That which is asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

5 guyz fries wrote:

Those guys would get lapped by him in the MILE. They'll never come close to 3:46. And don't forget Webb took Rupp on a 5k fun run through the streets of Carlsbad.

Centro's 3:31.09 1500m (which is .55 slower than Webb's PB) converts to 3:47.9 for 1609m. I doubt he'll run a full mile under 3:50, but then again Alan only did one other time (Oslo, 2005: 3:48).

fastest mile since some point in 2001! and in addition to 3:46 and 3:48, he ran 3:50 twice, 3:51 in April, and 3:52. He also ran 1:43.8/8:11/13:10/27:34.

All-time men's best mile race

1 3:43.13 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Roma 07.07.1999

2 3:43.40 Noah Ngeny KEN 02.11.78 2 Roma 07.07.1999

3 3:44.39 Noureddine Morceli ALG 28.02.70 1 Rieti 05.09.1993

4 3:44.60 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Nice 16.07.1998

5 3:44.90 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Oslo 04.07.1997

6 3:44.95 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Roma 29.06.2001

7 3:45.19 Noureddine Morceli ALG 28.02.70 1 Zürich 16.08.1995

8 3:45.64 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Berlin 26.08.1997

9 3:45.96 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 London 05.08.2000

10 3:46.24 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Oslo 28.07.2000

11 3:46.32 Steve Cram GBR 14.10.60 1 Oslo 27.07.1985

12 3:46.38 Daniel Komen KEN 17.05.76 2 Berlin 26.08.1997

13 3:46.70 Vénuste Niyongabo BDI 09.12.73 3 Berlin 26.08.1997

14 3:46.76 Saïd Aouita MAR 02.11.59 1 Helsinki 02.07.1987

15 3:46.78 Noureddine Morceli ALG 28.02.70 1 Berlin 27.08.1993

16 3:46.91 Alan Webb USA 13.01.83 1 Brasschaat 21.07.2007

17 3:46.92 Saïd Aouita MAR 02.11.59 1 Zürich 21.08.1985

18 3:47.10 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 London 07.08.1999

19 3:47.28 Bernard Lagat KEN 12.12.74 2 Roma 29.06.2001