I like your post and since I've heard a rumour that TFN is going to ranking Centro very low, and I'll be ripping that decision, I want to explain why I think it's a bit different for the marathon. The Olympics aren't the end all and be all event in the marathon like it is in the 1500. Yes it's by far the biggest race of the year. But there aren't scores of people in the 1500 who are capable of winning the event that are prevented from running it like there are in the Olympic marathon. On the track, the fact that the 5th best Kenyan doesn't make it to Rio isn't all that significant. Yes, maybe they would have medalled but he's not likely a potential winner. The marathon is much more random than that. Every year, there are 6-10 big marathons and generally a runner is ranked on how they do in two of those races.
In my mind, winning the London marathon is way more difficult than the Olympics. Maybe I'm wrong, butI think the average Kenyan would rather win that than get third in the Olympics unless they get some lifelong pension from the military/govt etc.
We never said Rupp shouldn't be ranked. We just thought if you've got one marathon of note on the year and it's a 2:10 in the heat of the Olympics, it's hard to say your #4.
In 2012, Abel Kirui won the silver (rupp won bronze) and was 5th in London in 2:07 and he was #4 for TFN.
You say rupp beat several 2:04 guys and MANY 2:05 guys. That's not true. He beat 5 guys with a pb of 2:03-2:04 and zero 2:05 guys.
Here are the 204 guys (snd 203) Rupp beat in London.
Eliud Kipchoge — Kenya, 31 years old, 2:03:05 pb (2016 London), 59:25 half
Stanley Biwott, Kenya, 30 years old, 2:03:51 pb (2016 London), 58:56 half
Lemi Berhanu, Ethiopia, 21 years old, 2:04:33 pb (2016 Dubai), 61:37 half
Tesfaye Abera, Ethiopia, 24 years old, 2:04:24 pb (2016 Dubai),
Feyisa Lilesa, Ethiopia, 26 years old, 2:04:52 pb
That's a nice list.
But in terms of the 2:05 guys that he beat, which you say there are MANY, there in fact were zero 2:05 guys in the field. Everyone else in the race had a pb in the 2:06s or higher.
We think Rupp should be ranked. We put him at #6. 4 is too high.