Ryan Hall 2:04:58 = underwhelming, wind-aided performance. Kamworor 13:01 = GOAT??

Actually what people are missing is a key factor:

Not Kamworor, necessarily; not Mutai, but

Until we are not willing to accept that Eliud Kipchoge is NOT the fastest marathoner ever (he is) because it was not a true race and was done in special conditions, we should be equally accepting of the fact that, regardless of wind, weather, course, day of the week, feeling, etc., nobody can deny that Ryan Hall today is the fastest and best American marathoner to date.

Nobody can take away his 2:04:58. Ever.

And if you really have a difficult time accepting this, look at what Ryan did to Houston half.

End of story.

Small correction:

Until we are willing to accept that Eliud Kipchoge is NOT the fastest....(he is)....

Stoppit Smith wrote:

Actually what people are missing is a key factor:

Not Kamworor, necessarily; not Mutai, but

Until we are not willing to accept that Eliud Kipchoge is NOT the fastest marathoner ever (he is) because it was not a true race and was done in special conditions, we should be equally accepting of the fact that, regardless of wind, weather, course, day of the week, feeling, etc., nobody can deny that Ryan Hall today is the fastest and best American marathoner to date.

Nobody can take away his 2:04:58. Ever.

And if you really have a difficult time accepting this, look at what Ryan did to Houston half.

End of story.

Khalid K at his best would make Ryan Hall look like a chump.

I have the utmost respect for Khalid Khannouchi.

Great runner; great personality.

But we've thrown in Mutai, Kamworor, and now Khannouchi in an attempt to show Ryan Hall....how "bad" his 2:04:58 is?

Can we also add that Ryan was only 1:56 between Mutai at the same course in the same wind?

I mean really...what in the world is this blatant disrespect for Ryan Hall?

He never did anything to anyone and never once had an attitude.

SORRY THAT BOTHERS YOU wrote:

He still ran 2:04.

He didn't really. Not on an eligible course. Am I a sub 4 minute miler if I run it downhill? No. But I've "run" it.

Stoppit Smith wrote:

Until we are not willing to accept that Eliud Kipchoge is NOT the fastest marathoner ever (he is)

What are you talking about? Of course Kipchoge is not the fastest marathoner ever. That would be Dennis Kimetto.

We all know Kipchoge is a class above Kimetto, but until he runs a world record he is not the fastest runner ever.

End of story.

Stoppit Smith wrote:

I have the utmost respect for Khalid Khannouchi.

Great runner; great personality.

But we've thrown in Mutai, Kamworor, and now Khannouchi in an attempt to show Ryan Hall....how "bad" his 2:04:58 is?

Can we also add that Ryan was only 1:56 between Mutai at the same course in the same wind?

I mean really...what in the world is this blatant disrespect for Ryan Hall?

He never did anything to anyone and never once had an attitude.

You literally called Hall “the fastest and best American marathoner to date”. I merely pointed out that there has been a faster and better American marathoner. Doesn’t mean Hall wasn’t also good, he’s just overhyped.

Næh wrote:

He didn't really. Not on an eligible course. Am I a sub 4 minute miler if I run it downhill? No. But I've "run" it.

And for the record: I'm still a Ryan Hall fan, too. Great runner, nothing but class. But his PR is 2:06:17 from London. Which is an amazing time.

Hall is the fastest American marathoner to date. That is fact. Even if his 2:04:58 did not qualify for an American record, it does not mean the time doesn't count as a time. He still has the fastest PR in the USA because the course is still legal for a times. Kipchoge is the fastest marathoner ever. Hall is the fastest American marathoner ever. Time is time. The clock speaks.

Ehlo wrote:

Stoppit Smith wrote:

I have the utmost respect for Khalid Khannouchi.

Great runner; great personality.

But we've thrown in Mutai, Kamworor, and now Khannouchi in an attempt to show Ryan Hall....how "bad" his 2:04:58 is?

Can we also add that Ryan was only 1:56 between Mutai at the same course in the same wind?

I mean really...what in the world is this blatant disrespect for Ryan Hall?

He never did anything to anyone and never once had an attitude.

You literally called Hall “the fastest and best American marathoner to date”. I merely pointed out that there has been a faster and better American marathoner. Doesn’t mean Hall wasn’t also good, he’s just overhyped.

Sentiment ok wrote:

I think OP should have picked Mutai’s 2:03 low in Boston for the comparison to GK’s split. Hall is more derivative since he was 4th in that race. Noone treats Mutai’s time as greatest ever because of wind. Same should go for GK split. GK is great; Mutai was great, especially his NYC record, GK’s run was impressive but the split time is overplayed for hype.

GK is the best, most versatile distance runner right now. He probably can’t get close to track world records but he is tough to beat there and seems totally dominant on the roads and in XC.

You're right, Mutai's run is a better comparison. If I could redo my post, I would use that instead.

And I'm not saying Hall should be praised for his 2:04:58, I'm saying it's weird why one time would get dismissed due to the conditions while for another time they're virtually ignored.

I will add this.

"Not record-legal" does not mean the course is not legal

It means it cannot stand as a sanctioned record

But in terms of legitimate time, Hall is the fastest American.

I get a chuckle out of these threads. People acting like Hall had a rocket pack on his back for that race.

How many of you were actually IN that race? I was. And I've run 6 Bostons total.

Fact is, I felt nothing special that day. It wasn't slow, but it wasn't crazy fast. I certainly didn't do anything personally unusual that day, showing up fit. There was no 30mph constant tailwind blowing people to insane times.

Stoppit Smith wrote:

I will add this.

"Not record-legal" does not mean the course is not legal

It means it cannot stand as a sanctioned record

But in terms of legitimate time, Hall is the fastest American.

Yeah, sure. And Mike Boit is the fastest miler ever.

Technically, Mike Boit is the fastest miler anywhere.

Until someone runs faster than his 3:27.90 on the same downhill, that time vests in Boit.

Legally, for record purposes, the fastest is not Boit. But when someone asks about the fastest mile ever its Boit

Similarly, if someone asks who the fastest American marathoner is.....its Hall.

Until someone beats Hall, its still Hall.

In comparison, Kevin Butler (then at UGA) made a 71 yard field goal in practice..... In regulation in college and the pros, he never made anything close. Are you really going to say he did not make a 71 yarder?

Food for thought.