LRC Decides: What was the best race of the 2010s? We want your input!

rojo wrote:

Jonathan (Who made the spreadsheet),

How are the 64 races grouped? If we don't want to see them at this stage, I think we need to at least group them by subject matter so it's easier to compare.

If we reorganize the races by type, it's easier to compare and eventually seed.

So we label races something like "US Races", "Sprint Races", "WR Races," "Distance Track Races", "Major Marathons".

It's much easier to look at a list of 10-15 races and figure out what does and doesn't belong than it it compare 64 races versus 39 races.

Huh?! You guys didn't talk about this before posting?

Why are we not talking about the 2018 DL 5000m Final! It was a great race with an insane time (12:43).

Officialdb wrote:

2013 Great North Run

That was second mention. I third this. Not saying it should be at the very top, but it was the first race to come to my mind, so deserving of top 64 at minimum.

Sifan Hassan mile record 2019

2012 Olympics men's 800m

2012 Olympic Trials women's 200m (Felix ran 21,69s)

2014 European Championships women's 4x400m relay

2015 Monaco women's 1500m

2016 Olympics women's 10k

2017 WC women's 3k steeplechase

2019 Berlin Marathon (men)

2019 Chicago Marathon (women)

Drunk Letsrun wrote:Wanjiru's win in Beijing

+1

This was the first and only thing that came to my mind.

Best race/workout combo of your life

agreed 100% wrote:

Drunk Letsrun wrote:Wanjiru's win in Beijing

+1

This was the first and only thing that came to my mind.

Listen you two, Wanjiru winning in Beijing was from 2008! Yes it is my favorite marathon as well.

That said, I do nominate Wanjiru winning Chicago 2010 has the best marathon in the 2010s. He came in obviously out of shape, lots of rumors of his domestic and alcohol problems, issues committing to training, but in that last mile or so he kept chasing down Kebede and refused to lose! A few months later he was dead. I don't think there was a more important marathon than that in the last decade.

You can't just pick setting a WR for every race as "the best."

The recent 24-Hour WC was a massive throwdown. Quality beyond all others, I think, at the distance.

Oh Please wrote:

agreed 100% wrote:

+1

This was the first and only thing that came to my mind.

Listen you two, Wanjiru winning in Beijing was from 2008! Yes it is my favorite marathon as well.

That said, I do nominate Wanjiru winning Chicago 2010 has the best marathon in the 2010s. He came in obviously out of shape, lots of rumors of his domestic and alcohol problems, issues committing to training, but in that last mile or so he kept chasing down Kebede and refused to lose! A few months later he was dead. I don't think there was a more important marathon than that in the last decade.

You can't just pick setting a WR for every race as "the best."

Agreed all around. That Beijing race came to mind immediately when I thought it was 2000s, but doesn't fit the 2010 criteria. But the Chicago race is incredible for all the reasons Oh Please listed. I watch those last five-ten minutes pretty regularly.

agreed 100% wrote:

Drunk Letsrun wrote:Wanjiru's win in Beijing

+1

This was the first and only thing that came to my mind.

that was in 2008.

This race would have to be on my list:

https://twitter.com/toledonews/status/1123288369713287168

(For those who don't want to click through, it's a video of the dude who broke the finish line tape that was supposed to be for the first woman marathon finisher.)

NCAA xc 2017- NAU’s dominance getting 3 in top , Baxter pushing knight to the line

NCAA xc 2016- Tiernan upsetting Cheserek and him and knight stopping Cheserek from completing his streak, plus NAU’s dynasty begins

A few worth mentioning

2011 final Diamond League 10,000m

2012 Great Ireland Run

2013 Great North Run

2014 Paris thon

2016 Manchester 10k

2016 Berlin thon

2017 Calcutta 25k

2018 Bern 10 miller

2019 Berlin thon

Rudisha 800m WR

Solinsky 10k AR

Bekele Berlin and Great North Run

Drew Hunter Penn Relays DMR finish

2016 Olympic Women's 10k

Banana Bread wrote:

A few worth mentioning

2011 final Diamond League 10,000m

2012 Great Ireland Run

2013 Great North Run

2014 Paris thon

2016 Manchester 10k

2016 Berlin thon

2017 Calcutta 25k

2018 Bern 10 miller

2019 Berlin thon

Oh Banana Bread, I knew you'd throw something like this up. The fact is, the best of those is the 2013 Great North Run, but unfortunately I think Kamworwor winning the WC Half in Cardiff after falling and in miserable conditions is the best half of the 2010s.

The marathons Bekele ran were surprising (the 203 and 201), but in both cases he had not a lot of competition and neither ended up being a WR. The rest aren't even good races by Bekele standards.

Bekele v Kipsang at Berlin.

Almaz Ayana WR 10k

Bekele-Geb-Farah

Came here to mention the Cardiff half with Kamworor dominating even after falling at the start. Iconic!