people dont understand paul tergats GREATNESS !!!

Geb vs. Tergat:

Tergat has set, as nearly as I can tell, "only" 8 world records/world bests in his career:

1 - 10,000 (26:27.85)

1 - marathon (2:04:55)

2 - half marathon (59:17 & 59:06a)

2 - 20k (56:18 & 55:57)

2 - 15k (42:13 & 42:04)

Several of these were split times from longer races, but they were the fastest times in history at the point he ran them. He never set official 10k road or 10 mile records as far as I can tell.

Geb has set 22 world records/world bests in his career, as follows:

3 - 10,000 (26:43.53, 26:31.32 & 26:22.75)

4 - 5,000 (12:56.96, 12:44.39, 12:41.86 & 12:39.36)

3 - 5,000i (13:10.98, 12:59.04 & 12:50.38)

2 - 2 Miles (8:07.46 & 8:01.08)

1 - 2 Miles i (8:04.69)

2 - 3,000i (7:30.72 & 7:26.15)

1 - 2,000i (4:52.86)

1 - 25k (1:11:37)

1 - half marathon (58:55)

1 - 20k (55:48)

1 - 10 Miles (44:24)

2 - 10k (27:34 & 27:02)

Geb is also at least 22-3 head to head with Tergat. Although everyone gives the advantage in cross country to Tergat, they've met only 4 times in that discipline (all WXC) and have split the series 2-2.

Also, although it has no bearing on this arguement, an impressive fact is that Geb has set at least 53 Ethiopian national records in his career.

I'm not trying to be a flamer or send this in a different direction, but do people tend to think both Geb and Tergat (I'm not going to consider bekele for this question) are clean?

Personally, whether it's valid or not, I tend to think of guys with longer, consistent careers as being "cleaner," especially when they've been such public ambassadors for the sport as these guys. That's another thing I like about Tergat, actually.

I tend to think of guys with shorter periods of time at the top, like Komen, as being more likely to be users, but that may not be true.

For the record, I think Geb is GOAT, with Tergat up there in top five. If we're just talking about road distances, Tergat ahead of Geb, but some others with more marathon titles might be ahead of both.

i tend to think both are clean and both were raised to new levels of performance by the simple fact they had each other to compete against.

komen lasted only three years because he got burned out plain and simple. in 1997-1998 he really took no break, running in the australian winter season, indoors, and then outdoors. it was nuts. you can't keep that up year in and year out. heck, he even broke 8min 2M in the middle of winter by himself. things just caught up with him. it's amazing he didn't really get injured.

Looking at Tergat and Geb's records head-to-head, it is clear Geb is by far Tergat's superior. Geb has dominated Tergat head-to-head, and to rank Tergat among the greatest marathoners of all time when he only has two wins (confirmation? any besides 2005 NYC/2003 Berlin?) is ridiculous. Though Tergat is one of the two or three greatest cross runners of all time, Geb has shown he can dominate the roads and dominated on the track for an incredibly long period of time.

Giving Tergat so much credit for his marathon WR is silly. Sammy K's 20456 is most certainly a stronger performance.

My top 5

Geb (best range, world records, olympics)

Bek (Cross domination, world records, olympics)

El-G ( 1500 domination, 5k gold a major boon)

Tergat (Road WRs XC)

Viren (Somebody Old school, 5k-10k Olympic double is huge)

Not set in stone, just off the top of my head, including all runners 1500-up

the430miler,

i think i hate you.

-themack

i agree with the430miler. i also think tergat is the GOAT, not because of 430's logic, but because i can actually pronounce paul tergats name.

i have no clue how to say the name "haile gebrassalassie"

Geb is still the greatest in my book just because of the head to head matchup in championships but Tergat is right up there and deserves a lot of respect for never ducking Geb even though he could have had a much easier race in the 5000 in '96 and 2000. I think he would've beaten Niyangabo in 96 and probably wouldn't have let 2000 go so slowly.

The same cannot be said for Geb in cross country. Geb ran cross when he was younger but got tired of losing to the Kenyans (who had stronger teams and made it very tough for him) and stopped running cross entirely. Geb's head to head record looks better because he skipped a bunch of Tergat's wins in cross, factor in cross and Tergat's pretty close to Geb.

paul tergat is like the michael jordan of running.

HE IS THE GOAT.

geb and bekele are both like dewayne wade, OVERRATED!!!!

So let's see if I have this right. Tergat is the greatest ever but Geb beat him almost every time they raced.

This is just ridiculous and getting out of hand. Gotta stop the BS here. Gebrselassie is the G.O.A.T!! Period!

well, i didnt intend for this whole thread to turn into a debate about geb vs tergat or bekele vs tergat or even to debate whether he is the goat vs other competitor; but i should have known that this was going to happen, seeing that there are so many tergat haters and geb lovers, just like theres so many b.lagat haters and lovers...

but i was just trying to emphasize tergats greatness in numerous races and events; and im sure there are many more aspects of his physiological career that havent even been mentioned yet. if you can find others please post, because i was mentally astounded when i saw his marks in so many races and distances. top notch stuff. he has quality AND quantity. alot of both. quite a career, that has not yet seised.

why we're on the subject, it may also be essential for me to point out that these are two completely different runners; different sizes, different styles, different form and stride, different nationality, etc...

all in all, i am truly amazed with geb; he has incredible aerobic endurance on a level i cannot imagine to be able to pump out 445-455 mile after mile, and he is so short. he has great turnover.

my choice for GOAT still lies within tergat, for reasons that i stated in the beginning post in this thread.

6 CONSECUTIVE WORLD CROSS COUNTRY GOLD MEDALS

______________________

this right here shows your stupidity, it was only five and it has been matched, by a certain kenenisa bekele who also managed to win the 4k all five times as well. stop posting, you just make yourself look like an idiot

430miler ...

could this be...

speedkills?

seed doesnt kill, but mileage does.

also, force recon, i apologize for saying it was 6 instead of 5. all in all, you get the picture.

bekele is very good at the 4k. BEtTER than tergat.

tergat is better in the long run.

paul tergat's not on the 2k list moron

f***, nevermind

i never said he was on the 2k list. but yes, paul tergat does indeed hold a world record for 2,000 meters.

lol murph, j/p, i know it was a typo and you meant 4k.

i also never said he was on the 4k list, but bekele would be better even tergat was in the 4k field.

We're getting a fairly good handle on 'the430miler's idiotic need for attention.