Ok, I've merged two threads into one.
Yes, you nailed it. Ryan Hall has had an INCREDIBLE career. That's what I wanted people to appreciate.
I didn't do this in the article but I think you could equate them. No, in the public's mind you can't equate as Olympic gold is a lot better than "fastest white dude ever" but but maybe in a scientist's you could. I'd like to see a Sports Gene chapter on this.
The fact of the matter is Joanie had it A LOT easier in 1985 than Hall has it nowadays.
Here's a stat for you that I just figured out.
Guess when the first Ethiopian woman broke 2:30 for the marathon?
Guess when the first Kenyan woman broke 2:30 for the marathon?
Fatuma Roba was the first Ethiopian woman to break 2:30 in the marathon. She did it in Rome (2:29:05) in March of 1996.
Angelina Kanana was the first Kenyan woman to break 2:30 in the marathon. That happened at Hamburg in April of 1994 (she ran 2:29:59).
So basically Joanie was competing against ZERO african competition zero.
Heck, I'll go a step further.
Guess when the first Japanese woman broke 2:30 for the marathon?
Misako Miyahara ran 2:29:37 in Osaka in 1988.
So she was one of the fastest North American/European woman of her era. Hall clearly is the fastest North American/European man of his era.
No non-African has come close to Hall's 2:04:58. The next best time from a non-African born runner is 2:06:05 for Ronaldo da Costa of Brazil. If you want to ignore that as Brazil certainly didn't have good women's marathoners when Joanie was competing, the next best time is 2:06:16 for Toshinari Takaoka which is 1-second better than Hall's non-winded aided best (2:06:17).