greatest runner without an olympic gold medal?

There's tons. It's probably easier to list guys - or women - who should have been gold medalists and weren't than the reverse: Here's just a few that haven't been mentioned (and that only if we're restricting our attention to distance runners)

1. Marty Liquori

2. Grete Waitz

3. Roger Bannister

4. Bill Rodgers

etc. etc.

Sorry I accidentally posted before I had given mine - it's Ron Clarke, as others have mentioned. Kipketer is a close second. Moses Kiptanui should be on any top 10 list - he hasn't been mentioned yet

I'll concede that Clarke and MAYBE Komen (very short career at the top, and specialized in non-standard distances) are in the same category as Kipketer. No one else mentioned so far is, though.

This is easy and it doesn't involve Webb, Rupp, or Hall.

- Daniel Komen

- Paul Tergat

- Sileshi Sihine

Paul Koech should be on the list.

Ingrid Kristiansen

Why is every discounting Lagat?

Second fastest 1500 runner ever losing to the only person you can say without a doubt is better than him all-time, El G. Tergat's credentials are as good as Lagat's (if not worse) and he's has been mentioned multiple times.

Lagat never had a WR or OG because of El G. Kipketer, for example, doesn't have the excuse that he had to race Rudisha or something.

I'm not saying Lagat is the front runner, but he's definitely up there.

This ^

Lagat is the second fastest human in the history of the 1500m, won the gold in the 5000m and 1500m at worlds...

lagat has the epo A positive... rules him out

Lagat

Ryun

Tergat

Sihine

Radcliffe

just sayin wrote:

lagat has the epo A positive... rules him out

Lagat is a great guy, a great talent, and a great runner as multiple posts have already pointed out. But, this always comes up.

BEN JOHNSON!

joke

Clarke

Kipketer

Lagat

Komen

First people that came to mind.

Henry Rono - had all of those world records.

Renaldo Nehemiah - totally the best in the world in his prime

Wilson Kipketer- WR, WC Gold in 95, 97, 99

Moses Kiptanui - first steeple under 8, WC Gold in 91, 93, 95, WR in steeple, 3K and 5K

Butch Reynolds - 43.29

Leroy Burrell - twice 100m record holder

The OP's list was pretty amusing.

IS THIS A SERIOUS QUESTION PAULA RADCLIFFE WITHOUT QUESTION!

SHE BROKE RECORDS AND DOMINATED RUNNING BUT NEVER WON AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL!

div1 xc coach wrote:

IS THIS A SERIOUS QUESTION PAULA RADCLIFFE WITHOUT QUESTION!

SHE BROKE RECORDS AND DOMINATED RUNNING BUT NEVER WON AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL!

Agreed, not even debatable.

toro wrote:

First people that came to mind.

Henry Rono - had all of those world records.

Renaldo Nehemiah - totally the best in the world in his prime

Wilson Kipketer- WR, WC Gold in 95, 97, 99

Moses Kiptanui - first steeple under 8, WC Gold in 91, 93, 95, WR in steeple, 3K and 5K

Butch Reynolds - 43.29

Leroy Burrell - twice 100m record holder

The OP's list was pretty amusing.

Reynolds won a relay gold.

Burrell won a relay gold.

This is why I didn't bother trying to think of sprinters.

Definitely going with Kipketer. Absolutely owned the world in the 800.