Top 10 American Marathon Runners

Only thing I would do is move Rodgers to first.

kjl wrote:

1. Frank Shorter - Olympic Gold and Silver, 2 x US Trials Champion, 3 x World #1, 5 x US #1, 4 x Fukuoka Marathon Winner

2. Meb Keflezighi - Olympic Silver, US Trials Champion, Boston and NYC Marathon Champion, 6 x US #1

3. Galen Rupp - Olympic Bronze, US Trials Champion, Chicago and Prague Marathon Champion, 3 x US #1

4. Steve Spence - World Championship Bronze, US Trials Champion, 2 x US #1

5. Bill Rodgers - 4 x Boston and 4 x NYC Marathon Winner, 1 x World #1, 4 x US #1

6. Alberto Salazar - 3 x NYC Marathon and 1 x Boston Marathon Champion, 1 x World #1, 4 x US #1, WR Holder

7. Buddy Edelen - US Trials Champion, WR Holder, 4 x US #1

8. Khalid Khannouchi - 2 x Chicago and 1 x London Marathon Winner, AR Holder, 3 x US #1, WR Holder

9. Ryan Hall - US Trials Champion, 4 x US #1

10. Bob Kepmainen - US Trials Champion, 4 x US #1, 2nd at NYC and LA Marathons

Those all seem like defensible top-ten selections, but did you really mean to suggest that you would rank Steve Spence as fourth on the list?

I would find room for John J Kelley - Boston champ and five time runnerup, 2 time Olympian, Pan Am champ, 8 consecutive national titles

Lydiard Cerutty wrote:

Only thing I would do is move Rodgers to first.

Why?

hvargas wrote:

I would find room for John J Kelley - Boston champ and five time runnerup, 2 time Olympian, Pan Am champ, 8 consecutive national titles

Historically speaking, John J. Kelley was a fantastic runner back in his day.

Boston Billy wrote:

Lydiard Cerutty wrote:

Only thing I would do is move Rodgers to first.

Why?

Overall he had the best career.

kjl wrote:

1. Frank Shorter - Olympic Gold and Silver, 2 x US Trials Champion, 3 x World #1, 5 x US #1, 4 x Fukuoka Marathon Winner

2. Meb Keflezighi - Olympic Silver, US Trials Champion, Boston and NYC Marathon Champion, 6 x US #1

3. Galen Rupp - Olympic Bronze, US Trials Champion, Chicago and Prague Marathon Champion, 3 x US #1

4. Steve Spence - World Championship Bronze, US Trials Champion, 2 x US #1

5. Bill Rodgers - 4 x Boston and 4 x NYC Marathon Winner, 1 x World #1, 4 x US #1

6. Alberto Salazar - 3 x NYC Marathon and 1 x Boston Marathon Champion, 1 x World #1, 4 x US #1, WR Holder

7. Buddy Edelen - US Trials Champion, WR Holder, 4 x US #1

8. Khalid Khannouchi - 2 x Chicago and 1 x London Marathon Winner, AR Holder, 3 x US #1, WR Holder

9. Ryan Hall - US Trials Champion, 4 x US #1

10. Bob Kepmainen - US Trials Champion, 4 x US #1, 2nd at NYC and LA Marathons

Wow. Not even close. Meb ahead of Rupp, Rodgers, Salazar, Edelen and Khannouchi (and arguably and arguably Hall)?

Spence #4 (WTF?) -- I don't think he ever broke 2:12.

Rupp is already #1 in US due to the current "era of the marathon" world wide and how big the gap is in the US between him and the other American marathon runners.

Ackley wrote:

Spence #4 (WTF?) -- I don't think he ever broke 2:12.

No, he didn't. Of course, times aren't everything, and three of his four noteworthy marathon performances -- Tokyo 1991 (WC, third), Columbus 1992 (Oly trials, first), and Barcelona 1992 (Oly Games, twelfth) -- were in brutal conditions. (He also won the 1990 national marathon championship in Columbus.) But I don't really see how those performances would put him as high as fourth all-time, and I honestly don't think that I'd put him in my top ten. (His bronze in the 1991 world championship was terrific, but if world championships and Olympic medals were dispositive, then it's hard to ignore Mark Plaatjes, who actually won the 1993 world championship just weeks after becoming a U.S. citizen.)

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Tony Sandoval, who was very highly regarded and lost his best chance at an Olympic medal as a result of the U.S.-led boycott in 1980. One runner who rarely seems to get mentioned in these discussions is Kenny Moore, two-time Olympian (fourth in the 1972 Games) and U.S. marathon record holder. If Frank Shorter hadn't come on the scene, Moore 's place in American marathoning might be very different. (As it is, I think that he has made very important contributions to the sport apart from his own running, particularly as a writer.)

Oh Please wrote:

Rupp is already #1 in US due to the current "era of the marathon" world wide and how big the gap is in the US between him and the other American marathon runners.

Rupp #1 all-time? No way, not even based on your chosen criteria, which would probably put Khalid Khannouchi at the top by a comfortable margin. (I also think that Rupp is still far behind Meb in his competitive record in this so-called "era of the marathon," although Rupp obviously has great potential as a marathon time-trialist and could possibly still surpass Meb's accomplishments in major competition.)

so a world champion does not get a mention?

Ply Kiss wrote:

so a world champion does not get a mention?

I mentioned him, but I don't think that he would make my top-ten list. Almost all of his strong marathon performances -- at least, that I'm aware of -- were from before he became a U.S. citizen, and his victory in the world championships was against a rather weak field, with the biggest names far past their peak. If he had gotten his U.S. citizenship before the 1992 Olympic trials -- which, for a while, seemed a decent possibililty -- things might have been very different.

A few others who haven't yet been mentioned: Eyestone, Abdi, Ritz.

I agree with Rodgers not being higher because he never one an Olympic Trials and his best finish in the Olympics was 40th. So, for such a long and successful career, he only made one Olympic team and performed poorly. I believe Ritz and Hall both finished in the Top 10, as did Jared Ward, in a more competitive era.

In regards to Plaatjes, he literally did become a citizen right before the World Champs, which was great, but then never did anything of significance in another marathon, like the '96 Trials, etc.

Lydiard Cerutty wrote:

Only thing I would do is move Rodgers to first.

It's tough with Rodgers- he was injured in 76 (a foot injury) and the boycott stole his real shot at Olympic Gold.

B y 1984 he had run way too many marathons and shorter road races, too.

If there was no boycott we may be judging him differently.

Rupp is number 1.

Not only are only ~3 people on this list within 200m of Rupp, he’s only lost to a handful of Americans ever — since his first 10k.

Olympic silver.

8 US titles in a row.

AR

Sorry, thought this was the 10,000m thread

Lydiard Cerutty wrote:

Only thing I would do is move Rodgers to first.

This

Salad bar’s WR didn’t stick because of course measurement problems, right?

Stelly wrote:

Salad bar’s WR didn’t stick because of course measurement problems, right?

Ye.