Top FIVE American Middle & Long Distance Runners of All-TIme

1. Frank Shorter

2. Jim Ryun

3. Bob Schul

4. Glenn Cunningham

5. Steve Prefontaine

6. Bill Rogers

7. Bob Kennedy

8. ALberto Salazer

9. Dathan Ritz

10.Craig Virgin

top 3 women

Mary Decker

Joan Samuelson

Lynn Jennings

1. Jim Ryun. he destroyed the old world records in the mile and the 800 (the 2M as well?). he got some bad breaks in the Olympics (altitude and a fall).

2. Bernard Lagat. AR in the fifteen (prior to that, obviously, he ran three seconds faster, and in fact, he was already an American citizen, but unannounced when he ran maybe 3:27), double world champion, beat Bekele in the five, double world medalist at the last worlds.

3. Frank Shorter. Olympic gold in the marathon and silver, and if not for eastern bloc cheating, now proven, he would have had two golds. brought up the running boom.

4. Joan Benoit. amazing world record and first olympic gold in the women's marathon. (if not for the doping, which probably started with her relationship to the doping weightthrower, I would have Mary Decker (Tabb/Slaney) in here, as she was the most talented American female distance runner ever).

5. Steve Scott. long time AR in the mile and incredibly consistent. won a lot of big races in a great era in miling (Cram, Coe, Ovett), and this is the most competitive middle distance race, the race where the top talent in distance has almost always been, so that outweighs the one timers like Wottle or Mills, and an up and comer like Ritz. Meb deserves a lot of consideration for this spot as well with NYC (first American since 1982) and the Oly silver, although the latter was on a very hot day where the leader was knocked down and the favorites wilted in the heat.

I think IMO's list is it, although I just can't accept a list without Ryun. Thus, it has to be a top-6 list. Shorter and AlSal close behind.

Rodgers and AlSal, sorry.

Ryun- shouldnt have to explain why

Shorter- again, no need to elaborate

Lagat- say what you want, in the time he has been an American he has made 5 major championship finals and walked away with 4 medals. 2 golds, 1 silver and a bronze. No American has ever had that many. add on the AR in the 1500 and indoor mile, and indoor 3k, the sub 13 5,000 and the fact that he has beaten Bekele (and almost did it twice) at 5,000. Multiple national championships with more to come. Also, the man knows what it means to be an American more than most of us who take it for granted. He also genuinely cares about the sport of distance running in the united states and its athletes.

Bill Rodgers- cant argue with the major marathon wins

Pre- Im sorry, I know there is a Pre-hating mentality here but the fact of the matter is the guy held every AR from 2,000 to 10,000 and he was 4th in the only Oympics he ever got to run in. The mass of American records he had are credentials that get you in the top 5 Americans even if he hadnt died early. He dominated domestic competition.

Runners who would make the list if (and/or when) they win a major champs medal-

Teg- surprised that nobody has mentioned him as a potential threat to be on this list down the road. He has a 4th at the WC (I dont care if it was a kickers race, its a 4th place) and a sub 13 clocking. --an AR and a medal and hes in.

Webb- phenomenal range, and a 346. he just needs a medal

Ritz- the 1256 is huge. If he can get the 10k AR and a high placing at a major champs he might be in.

Hall- he has the talent, just needs the right day

Rupp- I hate to say it but the guy has the tools to be the best, just dont know yet how good he really is.

I know Bob Kennedy was a trailblazer and the first non African to run sub 13 minute 5000m; however, he never finished higher than 6th at Olympic or Worlds. Strange to see him on poster's list that leave off Gold Medalists from 70-80's and others who have medaled against tougher competition in the late 90's til now.

To be honest VIPAM, I thought your list was strange.

What do you against Bob Kennedy? Have you ever looked the best times in a America(5k? I mean really look at it? Bob Kennedy was in league of his own! Face it, your list is emotional bull crap.

Oh please, Mills held the world record in the 6 mile for a while and was successful in numerous other competittions. Schul was amazing as well. Based on a points system, which has been done, the two best are Mary Decker and Frank Shorter.

As for the old guys:

Clarence Demar--7-time Boston marathon winner (when it functioned as the US championship), 3-time Olympian with a bronze marathon

Glenn Cunningham-2-time Olympian (a 4th and a silver 1500m), WR in the mile and indoor WR 1500m and mile

John Woodruff--Olympic gold 800m; 3-time NCAA champion 440 and 880, US champion 880

The following are all stil alive though largely now ignored:

Curtis Stone 3-time Olympian in 5,000 and 10,000m; Pan Am Games 2 golds in 3000 steeplechase and 10,000; 3-time US champion 3mile/5,000m; 4-time US champion 6-mile/10,000m; US champion 3000m steeplechase; NCAA champion 2-mile, US cross-country champion; NCAA cross-country champion

Horace Ashenfelter 2-time Olympian with a gold in 3000m steeplechase; NCAA champion 2 mile; 2-time US Champion 3-mile; US champion 10,000m; 3-time US champion 3000m steeplechase; 2-time US Cross-Country Champion )1955, 1956); WR 3000m steeplechase

Mal Whitfield 2-time Olympian with 2 golds in 800m, s bronze 400m, a gold and a silver 4x400; 2-time NCAA Champion 880y; 5-time US Champion 800m/880y; 2WR 880y

Bob McMillen 2-time Olympian with a silver in 1500m; NCAA champion 1500m; American record 1500m

Wes Santee US, Olympics in 5,000m; NCAA champion 5000m and mile; 3-time US champion 1500m/mile, NCAA cross country champion; WR 1500m, 2-Indoor WR mile; Indoor WR 1500m

Tom Courtney 2 Olympic golds in 800m and 4x400; NCAA champion 880y; US champion 440y; 2-time US champion 880y; WR 880y

Bill Dellinger 3-time Olympian in 5000m winning bronze one year; NCAA champion 1500m and 5000m; 2-time US champion 5000m

Frank Shorter should put him down for 2 golds (after banning the drug cheat he did the second on a broken foot) in the marathon as well as a 5th in the 10000.

Jim Ryun won everything for a long time in world record times (probably the last man to set a world record without the help of a rabbit). Just had bad luck in the Olympics and still managed a silver.

Put Bob Kennedy on the list he was competing in the first era of African domination and depth never seen before in the sport factor in it was also the EPO era. This made it the toughest time ever for the middle and long distance track events (Bekele is the only one to crack the world records since). And Bob was the sole non-African in it.

Steve Scott was competing against the dirtiest runners in history. 80's drug testing was a joke. World records were dropping everywhere and Steve Scott runs just .3 outside the world record while accumulating sub 4 mile times on more than one occasion a week and being kept out of meets including Coe or Ovette.

Bill Rogers he has so many major marathon wins it is sick. Try and find someone else with as many as him.

Title says RUNNERS, not racers, so what about these efforts (in random order). Not my list, just a different approach.

Fred Lebow...brought the masses to the marathon

Shorter...Munich gold helped spark the boom of the '70's/'80's

Jim Fixx...wrote the best selling book that is still discussed (mostly by non-runners), then died while running.

Pre...still has power to produce emotion and dollars

K. V. Switzer...helped lead the way for women

1. alan webb

2. nicc symonds

3. bill rodgers

4. bob kennedy

5. billy mills

honorable mention- pre, jim thorpe.

all PHEONOMINIMAL mid-distance and distance runners.

all REAL americans.

Geez! Apparently all-time means 'beginning in 1960'...

If this isn't a list based only on who has run the fastest then your number one is Jim Lightbody - look him up.

seriously, webb and ritz have a great shot at making the list by the time they are done. webb has the best range of any American distance runner ever, along with the most prestigious distance record, a past 2M record, a legitimate shot at the 800m and 5k records, and already some very impressive victories during a spotty, inconsistent career. ritz has the 5k record, the world jr xc bronze, and the world half medal, as well as multiple national championships from high school and college xc to pro, but if he follows through on his promise and breaks the 10k, half marathon, and marathon records next year, as is not at all unlikely, he will have to go in the top five. if Teg breaks BK's 3k record, Ritz's 5k record and of course gets the other unmentionable record, he would warrant very strong consideration.

800: Johnny Gray

1500: Bernard Lagat

1/2 Marathon: Ryan Hall

Marathon: Meb Keflezighi

All Around Awesome: Jim Thorpe

800: Maria Mutola (1.56:56 in 1993)

1500/steepler: Jenny Barringer (breaking new ground each year!)

10000: Shalene Flanagan

Marathon: Deena Kastor

what the majority of people fail to realize, is that Jim Thorpe was a SUB 4 MILER.

nightline wrote:

Yeah, just like all those guys on the soccer team.

Which soccer team would that be?

Thorpe ran 3:58. To our knowledge, that was his p.r.

Could be faster.

No order

Lagat

Joe Falcon

Meb

Khalid K

Schul

Bernard just dominated the World Indoor 3000m and combined that with his previous medals at major International Championships while being an American and his is GOAT.

Greatest Of All-Time American middle distance runner!