Did Eliud Kipchoge beat the best 5k field ever in 2003 Paris and best marathon field ever in 2015 London?

I have no idea of the point of to some of the replies to the OP. The first place runner in a race is the better runner in that race, at least that's the idea.

Sally V wrote:

worth watching again wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjlqokZ_Xgk

Remarkable that a 3:50 miler could outkick a 3:43 one.

You don't understand what makes a kick.

An historian wrote:

I'm a huge Kipchoge fan, but the greatest 5000 field ever assembled was the 1997 Zurich GP. Haile Gebrselassie's 12:41 beats Daniel Komen's 12:44, with Paul Tergat in 3rd in 12:49.

I'm assuming that they meant the greatest championship 5k ever put together... which i think it might with El G, KB, and Kipchoge duking it out to a 12:52

El Guerrough doubled back from the 1500 and Bekle doubled back from the 10000. Still a good race. I know they're spelled wrong but I'm in a hurry.

ck3237 wrote:

El Guerrough doubled back from the 1500 and Bekle doubled back from the 10000. Still a good race. I know they're spelled wrong but I'm in a hurry.

It takes less time to correct spelling than it does to write an explanation for it.

trolla please wrote:

Bad Wigins wrote:

They do, but marathoners have to starve the most. Many of them are undead.

So why is the top marathoner the least starved? You contradict yourself.

He's the exception that proves the rule.

Bad Wigins wrote:

trolla please wrote:

So why is the top marathoner the least starved? You contradict yourself.

He's the exception that proves the rule.

All of the top Kenyans are relatively muscular.

trolla please wrote:

All of the top Kenyans are relatively muscular.

Relative to what?

ScottEvil wrote:

That's unkind of you to say, GOB. Bekele is my favorite athlete, and I think it's pretty much consensus to say that he's the greatest track athlete of all time. Kipchoge has an overall better road-racing record. I would rank Kipchoge ahead on one crtiteria -- range, on which I think he's second only to Geb. Tergat in third and then Bekele.

If Bekele runs some 2:04s he moves up.

Very interesting that you mention this: "I would rank Kipchoge ahead on one crtiteria -- range, on which I think he's second only to Geb. Tergat in third and then Bekele".

Geb and Kipchoge share one achievement where they both top Bekele: They broke 13 mins for 5000m each year for 9 years(though not consecutively for Kipchoge), the most by any athlete in history! Bekele came close with 8. As for the marathons, apart from Sammy Wanjiru and Dennis Kimetto, no other athlete has stepped up to the marathon and achieved immediate success in a dominating fashion than Kipchoge. Even Wilson Kipsang started out at 2:07 and has had to finish out of top three a few times. So, yes, Kipchoge ranks second to Geb and Bekele after Tergat.

Vegan Triblogger wrote:

trolla please wrote:

All of the top Kenyans are relatively muscular.

Relative to what?

The average person and the average starving person.

everyone really wrote:

Vegan Triblogger wrote:

Relative to what?

The average person and the average starving person.

They aren't that muscular, they are just defined due to low BF

Vegan Triblogger wrote:

everyone really wrote:

The average person and the average starving person.

They aren't that muscular, they are just defined due to low BF

The average person has even less muscle mass obscured by piles of lard.

Hingle McCringleberry wrote:

An historian wrote:

I'm a huge Kipchoge fan, but the greatest 5000 field ever assembled was the 1997 Zurich GP. Haile Gebrselassie's 12:41 beats Daniel Komen's 12:44, with Paul Tergat in 3rd in 12:49.

I'm assuming that they meant the greatest championship 5k ever put together... which i think it might with El G, KB, and Kipchoge duking it out to a 12:52

That was not specified, and London wasn't a championship.

And to the other guy, Geb and Komen would have waxed that Paris field.

You must have missed Geb getting "waxed" by Bekele in the 10000 in Paris. Yet you think he would've won the 5000?

An historian wrote:

That was not specified, and London wasn't a championship.

And to the other guy, Geb and Komen would have waxed that Paris field.

1-2 Punch wrote:

You must have missed Geb getting "waxed" by Bekele in the 10000 in Paris. Yet you think he would've won the 5000?

An historian wrote:

That was not specified, and London wasn't a championship.

And to the other guy, Geb and Komen would have waxed that Paris field.

We are talking about Haile Gebrselassie circa 1997, not at another time. also, I was referring to another poster who suggested that the 2012 Paris Diamond League was a better field than the 1997 Zurich GP meet, due to having more runners under 12:50.

1-2 Punch wrote:

How does this two-race combo stack up all-time for distance runners? Beating two of the greatest fields ever assembled at the respective distances like Kipchoge has done has to be at or very near the top of the list. Haile, Bekele and even Khannouchi, among others, have some impressive combos over top fields so it's probably not conclusive but hard to argue against Eliud's quality wins.

Pound for pound Kipsang is the victor here. Kipchoge is a tiny man while Kipsang is taller and weighs more which means more energy is needed to power along his larger body over marathon distance. Despite being second, the fact that he was only trailing Kipchoge means he had the greater performance.

Kapcherop wrote:

So, yes, Kipchoge ranks second to Geb and Bekele after Tergat.

You don't understand the concept of "second"