The 10 Best Moments Of The Decade For U.S. Distance Running

giffypop17 wrote:

I can get on board with most of that, but Lagat's 15/5k double should be up there, and Flanagan's bronze should be top 5 as well, meaning Fernandez' double, as good as it was, doesn't make the top 10..

My list is based on the Wow Factor. Lagat does absolutely nothing for me. I rank Solinsky Oslo 5k ahead of his Zurich 5k, even though the Zurich race was his best race of the year.

Khannouchi is the opposite of Lagat. He defected from the Moroccan team, sought asylum, lived in cramped quarters and washed dishes while he trained. Ran 2:05:42, then once he received citizenship he ran 2:05:38 under the US flag. I should give him more credit, but I just find him to be too mechanical and sterile.

If it's just about exciting the imagination then here's my list:

1. Solinsky 26:59

2. Ritz 12:56

3. Hall 2:06

4. Ritz 3rd World Junior Cross

5. Webb 3:53

6. German Fernandez 4:00/8:34

7. Meb silver medal

8. German Fernandez 3:55i or 7:47i

9. Wheating 3:30.9

10. Solinsky 12:55

Yes, I admit, I'm a huge fan of Solinsky, Ritz, and German

malmo wrote:

Snatch wrote:

Solinsky, Webb and Khannouchi are totally under represented. They must really love Hall. A WR in the marathon, while defeating Tergat and Geb, that is basically superhuman and is better on paper and "emotionally" than any of the others. Khannouchi's London and Webb's HSR are tied for my #1, and I will put Solinsky's Sub 27 ahead of Webb's AR.

Actually Khannouchis WR does nothing the excite the imagination. I rank Abdi Abdirahman's 10k win at the Olympic Trials higher on the Wow Scale than a mechanical world record holder setting another world record.

Dude, I don't know what scale you're using, but even if it wasn't a great moment for US distance running due to KK being an immigrant, that race was EPIC. The man broke his own world record, and beat Paul Tergat and Haile Gebrselassie, the next two world record holders in the event. For me, that race would go down in top ten moments in distance running period of the decade for the decade.

Malmo, have you met Bernard Lagat? I completely agree with your views on him being a mercenary, and the whole 2004 lying about citizenship thing, I am simply curious.

malmo wrote:

Racist? Huh? Legat, a mercenary from Kenya who lied about his citizenship in 2004, running a 12:54 5000 in 2010 isn't a great moment for the US. It's a great moment for Bernie.

I am not into this racist allegation, so leaving that aside, one could also say that Solinsky's 12:56 and 26:59 were great moments for Chris. I am willing to be convinced: how were they great moments for the U.S.? I know that Lagat is a mercenary. I do not know that Solinsky is not.

Chairman Wow wrote:

Dude, I don't know what scale you're using, but even if it wasn't a great moment for US distance running due to KK being an immigrant, that race was EPIC. The man broke his own world record, and beat Paul Tergat and Haile Gebrselassie, the next two world record holders in the event

It has nothing to do with his being an immigrant. As I said, Khanouchi did not live The Lifestyles of the Rupp and Famous. He had already run 2:05:42 as a Morrocan. that race just wasn't that memorable to me. Sorry if my explanation isn't good enough for you.

On the other hand, Abdi's 10k at the 2008 Olympic Trials was absolutely electric!

I could watch the last four laps of that race over and over without being bored. If I watched Webb's 3:46, I can hardly make it through three laps without nodding off. Webbs 1500 wins in Ostrava and St Denis (and the 2004 Olympic Trials win) are absolutely great moments.

jennifer cruz wrote:

I am not into this racist allegation, so leaving that aside, one could also say that Solinsky's 12:56 and 26:59 were great moments for Chris. I am willing to be convinced: how were they great moments for the U.S.?

Were you knot absolutely stunned by those performances? I was. That makes for a great moment.

OK, the 26:59 was stunning. The subsequent 12:56 then was less so, not so much because of Ritz in 2009 but because it came after the 26:59.

However, IF Rupp had won that race in 27:10 and therefore set the U.S. record, would it have made your top 5?

I would add that for a 36 (now 37) year old man to have run 12:54 and 7:29 did surprise me a bit, much like a 37 year old surprised me in 1984 with a 27:17 and Olympic gold at the marathon.

Imports Don't Count wrote:

No one cares about imports. If Michael Jordan moved to Ethiopia he could still be their #1 basketball player today. Wouldn't mean they'd achieved anything in that sport, or that it was a great moment for Ethiopian basketball.

That is the smartest thing I have heard anyone say about anything ever.

I think if you talk American distance running, Webb, Ritz, and Tegenkamp have to be mentioned. Tegenkamp getting 4th in 2007, barely missing a medal, is often overlooked. Since 2006 he's really set the tone for American born 5000m runners that they can compete on the world stage and compete with runners like Lagat. I think it was Tegenkamp's performances in '06, '07, US trials '08, '09 that inspired the times Lagat, Ritz, Solinsky, and Rupp have run in the 5k in the last couple years. Teg probably hasn't had one huge race that should make the top 10 list but he's had so many solid races in the US and Europe over the years.

The following absolutely have to be on the top 10 list:

-Ritz's American record 5k

-Webb's AR, win in 04 or 07 Diamond League, or high school record

-Kara Goucher's medal

-Shalane's medal

-One thing Hall did: I'd say Olympic Trials was probably his best moment.

-Lagat's WC double

-Kastor medal

-Meb's win in NYC or medal

-Solinsky 10k

-Something about Symmonds, Rowbury, Wheating, or Manzano's NCAA career

Honorable mentions:

-Rupp's distance double at NCAA's senior year

-German's high school 2 mile record: has raised the depth of high school running, collegiate running, and ultimately professional

...top 10 huh?

Let'ssee.com

...starting out with:

Races that sell out:

1. Chicago Marathon

2. NYC.

3. Boston

4. LA

5. Disney/Orlando

6. Indy Mini

7. Almost every Rock n' Roll 1/2 Marathon

8. Marine Corp. Marathon

9. Army 10-miler

10.You're not part of the 'In crowd' if you're not a 'runner/jogger!'

Who'd of thunk this would've happened over 30-40yrs. ago?!!!

For better or for worse, remember the new influx of runners/joggers help fuel the sport and help bring new innovations to our sport.

My pick for #1: "Let'srun.com," what else???

This is obviously highly subjective in terms of order. There were many great, awe-inspiring performances, and perhaps it should've been a top 15 or 20 list. Personally, I would add Adam Goucher's 6th place finish at world cross, mixing it up with the best Africans, most of whom were sub-13:00 guys. That made the notion of a sub-13:00 doable before it actually happened. Cross gets no love or attention.

malmo wrote:

Actually Khannouchis WR does nothing the excite the imagination. I rank Abdi Abdirahman's 10k win at the Olympic Trials higher on the Wow Scale than a mechanical world record holder setting another world record.

By the way, what's become of the "black cactus?" Is he training for another marathon? And what of Adam Goucher's marathon pursuit? Anyone know?

Don't talk about Goucher, he wasn't even top 5 and that was in the atrocity that was the short course at World XC.

Scientist, PHD wrote:

Don't talk about Goucher, he wasn't even top 5 and that was in the atrocity that was the short course at World XC.

And yet, cross, short course or no, has more depth than any of the other events mentioned. That's why I think Craig Virgin's two golds were the most impressive American distance feats ever, even if depth greatly increased in the era after him.

Go back and look at the names and their respective PRs of the Africans in that short course race. When's the last time any American finished top 10 in any world cross event? Even though Kennedy ran sub-13:00, Goucher's race alone ushered in a new era of the possible, which we are now realizing on the track. That you don't like Goucher is of no consequence.

Webb's HSR easily----televised live, absolutely electrifying, tons of press, plus proved to us all that yes, it can happen here-----under tremendous pressure after the indoor record, to deliver like that-----honestly i do not even see this as a debate

agreed wrote:

Webb's HSR easily----televised live, absolutely electrifying, tons of press, plus proved to us all that yes, it can happen here-----under tremendous pressure after the indoor record, to deliver like that-----honestly i do not even see this as a debate

Yep, pretty awesome. I also think Wheating's 3:30.9 was very inspiring and makes me think we could have a medal contender at the distance in 2012.

Solinsky, Lagat, Ritz, Tegenkamp in the 5k and 10k are certainly awe-inspiring but why omit Huddle, Kastor, Flanagan for their similar marks?

Is that the complete list of major medals for the last 10 years of US running ?

Khannochi: London win, Chicago win

Rowbury: Berlin WC Bronze

Flanagan: Olympic Bronze, New York 2nd

Keflegizi: Olympic Silver, New York win

Goucher: Osaka WC bronze

Kastor: Olympic Bronze, London win