It's Official: Max King Is A Beast - Completes 50k/21k National Titles On Back To Back Days for 2nd Straight Year

complesstion wrote:

He is good but nobody was there so I think you guys are giving way too much credit. He is not the best Trail/mountain guy in the USA as seen at US Mountain Nationals

He is not the best Trail runner? Can you please explain how you've come to this conclusion? Are you basing it on a pure uphill road race called mt. washington?

He is not the best Mountain guy? This could actually be argued as well, but I will agree that he is not as dominant on uphill climbing as he is on every other type of trail running. Up and down courses he will crush everyone just like he did when he won USA nationals and the WORLD Championship.

But answer this question, if he is not the best mountain runner then who is? Consider last years results not just this year, which was an olympic year where he was running the steeplechase (placing 6th at the trials).

I wont ask you that question for trail running because I dont even think you could come up with someone. He has been completely dominant on the trails on anything that is not pure climbing.

a local kid Alex Nichols did beat him at the Pikes Peak Marathon. I'd count that as a mountain race. Not saying that Max isn't one of the best on the trails, just throwing out a result showing that he doesn't always win even against other US runners.

Oh man! A local kid beat him one time on a climbers course with insane altitudes. One race that favors runners in one discipline doesn't say much. But I like your point that there are other solid US runners which should get some respect. If you think its so uncompetitive then come out and race in the trail/mountain races. Why pass up a chance to compete internationally!?

Man you are really swinging on them balls haha. The US is very competitive and you cant just name one, but he was not even top 6 at nationals which matters in this argument whether you wanna agree or not.

6th in the trials in a weak event= not a big deal. He was 7th at Mountain Nats and that is supposedly less competitive? He is winning yes, but there is nobody at these events, look who was second in both races for him over the weekend....garbage athletes to be honest. Bak was hurt so he had no push at ALL

To give perspective on the sports- the 2012 Olympic Marathon winner from Uganda was 4th at the World Mountain Running Championships in 2010.

Mountain and Trails are competitive. Is every race competitive? Of course not, but it's still competitive.