Who Is Your Favorite Current Runner?

Dude, why you got to hate on dripping-in-gold Sydney? And Mu did her job and then some by 20. Her heart is elsewhere for now. Leave her alone and let her finish growing up. Thumbs up to Lagat. He’s easily a retired favorite. Silky smooth and oh so fast.

Darya Klishina: Overall hottest woman to grace the track.

Ivet Lalova: Best ***, flirty personality.

Collen Quigley: Kinda stuck-up, but for some reason I find her "mean girl" personality kinda hot.

Femke Bol: Naturally cute, charming.

Hassan! I love her audacity.

Also, Fisher—just seems like a good guy.

Bol as well. Races a lot, team player.

Grant Fisher.

From his high school athletic beginnings, through college and as a professional, he has been and is an inspiration to young and old.

He conducts himself well in victory or defeat.

He is a consistently high achieving athlete. Every race he is in he is in it at the highest global level.

His winning two bronze medals at the Paris Olympics made people cry for joy.

Letesenbet Gidey. Beautiful running form, tremendous grit and determination. Modest and respectful and runs in support of her fellow athletes with the the best interests of her country at heart. Lately she has been doing charitable work for displaced people in her home province of Tigray. Definitely an athlete and a woman to admire…

Why on Earth would someone downvote this?

Yared Nuguse: seems like a nice guy, competitive but chill

Femke Bol: hardworking, beautiful stride, great attitude

Laura Muir: full of grit and determination, a gamer

Athing Mu: one in a billion talent, sad to see her not be able to compete in Paris

Sifan Hassan: off-beat, funny sense of humor, unbelievable pain tolerance and talent

Yaseen Abdalla: kind of an everyman runner, hyperactive Zoomer kid, funny

* Kipyegon, because I've been convinced since 2016 that she was the best female track athlete in the world. I was flabbergasted that until a year or two ago she was always 5th to 10th on most lists of that type.

Kipyegon and Hassan had one sprint finish after another beginning about a decade ago. I'm glad I always understood what I was looking at.

* Bol, because I happened to begin following Dutch athletics closely when she was a high socks junior and was showing up on those Hortas Sotra videos on You Tube. I never thought she would become more than a fringe member of the relay squad. It's been startling to follow the progression

* Jakob, because the sport needs someone like that on top

* Welteji, because I saw her win the world U20 800 title several years ago and thought she looked like a future champion. Very intriguing almond eyes with a hint of shyness. IMO, she has the best eyes in track and field. Hailu was in that final also and backed off instead of pressing the front like an Ethiopian. It's the reason I've never cared for Hailu

One is not like the others

Jingy - He always shows up, gives hilarious/honest quotes, and makes each race more interesting. After watching the Norwegian show about his family and seeing his personality more and his progression to Olympic gold medalist, it's difficult to root against him. He's always wanted to be the best and there's nothing wrong with that.

Kejelcha - He's been at the top for a while but hardly has the medals to show for it, it almost makes him seem like an underdog in championships. But in most races throughout the season you can count on him to go for it. I don't know, he also just has that swag. I hope we get to see him and Jingy race a DL 5k/3k.

ESP - On the women's side, ESP is a favorite. I watch on the world feed, so I don't feel oversaturated by Peacock hyping up her mom/dairy farmer status. I get the impression that she, like Jakob, hates losing. She's fierce, competitive, and always puts herself in the race. And I find that bad@ss.

A few honorable mentions - the guys from CCP, Hobbs Kessler, Alicia Monson, and the not-quite-relevant anymore Justyn Knight :(

Male: Jakob

Female: Bol

Jingy Bols Jingy Bols Jingy all the way

Parker Valby, and not just because of her looks. I love it when she front-runs all-out and just gets farther and farther ahead of her competitors, and it also looks like she's learning the pro ropes well. Plus there's just no telling which direction her interviews might go. She's completely unscripted and not afraid to say random funny things, especially in response to dumb repetitive questions.

I honestly can't understand how Hassan wouldn't be at the top of every list.

So humble, so real, so friendly, so honest ... and to top it all off such a GOAT.

As much as I like the drama of Lyles, Jakob, and keer, ... Hassan is proof that you can have a total rockstar persona without being a bit of a jerk.

Yomif Kejelcha, the best 5/10 guy in the world, just gets back luck in championships. Amazing form and build.

On the women's side, Chebet. Love a dominant 5/10 runner who doesn't lose to the milers and "fast kickers" and wins from strength. Will go on to set marathon wr

This post is so sexist. 😛

May seem crazy saying this given I'm British but I really like Jakob, very entertaining guy and confident without coming across as too arrogant. I think he seems genuine and is more likeable than Kerr (who's social media persona is just borderline insufferable).

Yared Nuguse seems like a mega chill guy, again very like-able and entertaining to watch him race.

After watching his YouTube series, Clayton Young has a new fan in me. Seems super dedicated, family-oriented and his running form is just great. Even though him and Connor Mantz are devout mormons he doesn't really shove it down your throat or go on about it too much in the videos/post-race clips (which I respect as someone who isn't affiliated to any religion).

Sifan Hassan, because I like runners to be clinically insane.

Most of my favorites have already been mentioned. I already liked Hassan before this Olympics, but she became GOAT to me this week. And wearing a hijab during the closing ceremony is such a power move against xenophobia. Gotta love her. Fisher is great, Nuguse, Femke Bol, Maia Ramsdem (so close to making finals), Young/Mantz duo, Karissa Schweizer. I'll throw in some love to Morgan McDonald and the CoffeeClub boys too. They had a rough week, but it's hard not to root for them. Hope they find a way to bounce back from it.

El Bakkali - Always delivers in finals. Fast or slow race it doesn't matter he'll always be the one crossing that line first