Monday night trivia: Put the following 3 athletes in order from oldest to youngest - Katelyn Tuohy, Athing Mu, Keely Hodgkinson

Ok, I guess this is some sort of subtle, or not so subtle, dig at Tuohy. Can we not celebrate what Tuohy is doing and not compare her to a likely 800 goat in Athing Mu or her arch rival, Keely. Yes, Mu is like Kipyegon. Ok, we get it, she’s accomplished a lot more than Tuohy at the same age. This is a brilliant insight? Tuohy is a true distance runner, and her best event is likely going to be the 5000 or even the 10. Long distance athletes don’t develop on the same timeline as mid distance ones. We all know this.

Keely has come the closest. She is world elite. I think Moraa could upset them both, but that is another topic.

I read it that way too. It's not subtle.

Like the Dr Sander mile write up referring to Monson as future marathoner, what?! She is not moving to the marathon anytime soon. More like future 3k record holder, in two weeks.

What’s Tuohy’s 800 time then?

Bro? Lol.

Rojo has had a bug up his ass about Tuohy forever. When she set the high school 3000m record he started a thread claiming Cain's converted 2 mile time was allegedly better. Then the very day she won NXN for the third time he started another thread downplaying her long term prospects. And of course the joke here is that comparing 800 runners to distance runners is silly. They develop at different time frames.

Now he generally says the right things, but yes, deep down there’s a resistance that’s not easily explained.

Ok, LRC breaking news, Tuohy is not as good as the 18 yr old Kipchoge was when he beat Bekele and El G in 2003. It’s clear she won’t amount to anything….

In my opinion there is an odd negativity toward both Tuohy and Mu. Tuohy situation has been discussed at length and I agree but there is also this really odd negative undertone in articles or posts about Mu which is just insane given her accomplishments and all the glory she has brought to USA track and field. No matter what she does it’s like it’s never enough. Always comments about not running enough races or the right races or dropping out of ONE race in her whole career. Or the time she had to miss a race because she had freaking COVID. There was an actual headline on the front page - Where is Mu? Even the story on front page now - reads like wishful thinking that she is going to lose at WC. WTF??? In another thread discussing the 600 WR there were lots of downvotes just for bringing up facts that this new record is less than .2 sec faster than Mu as a high schooler. I just don’t get it. Apologies for my rant.

No, you are absolutely right. There was as much focus on Mu’s failure to pr in 2022 as there was on her wc win.

Jim Ryun broke the world mile and 880y records at 19. Noah Ngeny was listed at 20 when he ran the mile #2 AT in 3:43.40. El G ran 3:44.90 at 22. Daniel Komen was listed at 21 when he ran 3:46. Jakob ran 3:47 at 20. Komen ran 7:20 at a listed age of 20. Jakob ran 7:27.05 at 19.

Selemon Barega was listed at 18 when he ran 12:43.

She had better be absolutely great for all the attention she gets here. But she's nowhere near good enough for all that attention. Athing Mu is great but is rarely mentioned here.

Athing Mu does not run as frequently and when she boringly always wins. Both of which lead to less discussion. But she has probably the record on let's run for threads/discussions that followed a race she didn't even finish (Millrose Mile last year) but was nevertheless taken as indication she would run an 800m WR and 3:55 1500m within a year or two (o.k. she's got still another year to achieve that).

She has been great. Not her fault people are not especially passionate about the 800m distance or pro running in generally. Really after the 100m and 200m, the remaining distances tend to be much lower profile in sprinting. They get some attention at the Olympics then disappear for four years. Shake your fist at the wind.

Anyway, there will not be any Mary Deckers or even Jim Ryuns in distance running anymore because of the prevalence of hardcore doping. That is unless the US develops are doping culture on par with other countries or even in the sprinting disciplines that the US sporting authorities green light. (If you think Jakob is clean, Ok). I do not expect any US female distance runner to medal at the Olympics or even WCs because it requires a level of doping that is just not worth it. But I suspect that Tuohy is among the most naturally talented emerging female distance runners, period. In the 1970s and 80s she goes to the Olympics on that talent alone. But today natural talent does not measure up. (see Ma's Army as a quick primer). The doping methods are too strong and the prevalence of doping too widespread. So either US distance running can adopt the sprinters' modus operandi (the number of top US sprinters who have been caught doping tells the entire story) and Tuohy goes in full doping mode or the metrics of success have to be adjusted. I would say success is continued college success, more records and titles, and making a few world teams. It is very tempting to see what would happen if she went full Lance Armstrong, just to see the normal doping apologists blow a gasket, but she won't.

Mu is a beast. Tuohy is a good runner.

Mu is a beast. Tuohy is a good runner.

Gee, don't set those expectations too high now.

I just have an honest view of the sport and refuse to live in la la land.

But making a few world teams is la la land.

But making a few world teams is la la land.