greatest runner without an olympic gold medal?

If I may throw my hat in to the ring

Paula Radcliffe GB

Lynn Jennings USA

Sir Roger Bannister GB

toro wrote:

Paula Radcliffe is up there but I don't know about the greatest.

Nice XC performances but that's not an Olympic event.

She has a WC Silver at 10,000 and a WC Gold in the marathon.

And of course the great world record in the marathon.

Who cares if XC isn't an Olympic event - question was greatest runner without OG.

Surprise! wrote:

Who cares if XC isn't an Olympic event - question was greatest runner without OG.

If we are considering non Olympic events then how about Michael Wardian or Dean Karnazes?

I just figured the conversation should stay around events that you COULD win an Olympic medal.

Sticking with Tergat. Multiple world records and world championships from 10k to marathon. Top honors in roads, cross country and track.

1. Filbert Bayi

2. Wilson Kipketer

3. Ron Clarke

Lynn Jennings was a great runner but when she stepped to the line at the olympics, she was never a favorite.These lists can go on for ever. Steve Cram doesn't have an Olympic gold. Neither does Abdi Bile. Or Sydney Maree. Or Steve Scott.Some of it is timing (guys like Ryun and Cram) where the athletes best years didn't coincide with the olympics and some is bad luck (Ryun having to race at altitude, Lagat having to face El G and Ngeny).Wilson Kipketer has to win this as he was the #1 800m guy for like 6 years dominated championship races (3 WC golds) but missed one olympics for polical reasons and came in 2nd by an eyeblink in 2000.

Randy Oldman wrote:

If I may throw my hat in to the ring

Paula Radcliffe GB

Lynn Jennings USA

Sir Roger Bannister GB

wouldn't go on forever if they updated the website so you could add a poll

Paul Tergat doesn't have a single championship in an Olympic event.

And he's tried 5 times from 1995 - 2000.

Wilson Kipketer duh

adsfasd wrote:

Lynn Jennings was a great runner but when she stepped to the line at the olympics, she was never a favorite.

10K wasn't her distance, she ran for a medal. She is still the only runner to win 3 World XCs and not win Olympic Gold.

Not the greatest but worth an honorable mention.

Jim Peters broke the marathon WR 4 times.

xfitter well they fell for it

Objectively, it's Paula Radcliffe, given where her marathon PB compares to all other women runners.

A word on behalf of Frankie Fredericks who missed 4 Olympic Golds by a combined total of 59/100ths of a second.

1992

Linford Christie 9.96

Frankie Fredericks 10.02

Michael Marsh 20.01

Frankie Fredericks 20.13

1996

Donovan Bailey 9.84 WR

Frankie Fredericks 9.89

Michael Johnson 19.32 WR

Frank Fredericks 19.68

Daniel Komen had his moment.

Short burst of great performances.

Just couldn't make the 1996 Kenyan team even though he ran 12:45 that year.

And he was losing it by 2000.

Lagat never held a world record.

Hard to be considered the greatest to not win Gold if he was never the greatest in his event.

Jim Ryun. Held the world record in the 880, 1500, and mile. Held the mile record from 1966 to 1975. Never had a good year during an Olympic year.

Xfitter543 wrote:

2. Galen Rupp

- very close to world record in 10000m

9/10.

Defeated every time by Haile Gebrselassie who most consider the king of distance running. also he lost to Haile by .09 seconds in 2000 at sydney.

tergat has a bunch of WC xc titles and no Oly gold