I remember watching this half marathon WR run on a perfect morning in Arizona--on TV, I mean--and thinking that he had the most flawless stride I'd ever seen.
You make a valid point. However, I have no doubt if Haile had specialized in the marathon starting in 2000 or so, his 2008 time would have been minutes faster. Kopchoge specialized for almost his entire career so yeah that's 15? years of specialized marathon training vs 5? for Haile.
You serious dawg? Kipchoge was basically a 3k/5k specialist from ‘02 to ‘12, and ran his debut marathon less than ten years ago.
I even have Mo Farah (who was the last straw sending kipchoge to the marathon btw) ahead of kipchoge on my overall all time distance runner list.
I don’t think Mo Farah sent Kipchoge to the marathon, I think it had almost everything to do with his young Kenyan competition. In the 2012 Paris DL 5k Kipchoge finished 8th in 12:55, soundly beaten by Isaiah Koech, Thomas Longosiwa and John Kipkoech, who all broke 12:50 (K. Bekele was 9th in 12:55 btw). So Kipchoge looked to the 10k, but finished 7th at the Kenyan Olympic Trials behind Wilson Kiprop, Moses Masai, Bedan Karoki, Emmanuel Bett, Geoffrey Kirui, and Lucas Rotich. That’s when he said “Screw you guys, I’ll go and be the marathon GOAT instead.”
I even have Mo Farah (who was the last straw sending kipchoge to the marathon btw) ahead of kipchoge on my overall all time distance runner list.
I don’t think Mo Farah sent Kipchoge to the marathon, I think it had almost everything to do with his young Kenyan competition. In the 2012 Paris DL 5k Kipchoge finished 8th in 12:55, soundly beaten by Isaiah Koech, Thomas Longosiwa and John Kipkoech, who all broke 12:50 (K. Bekele was 9th in 12:55 btw). So Kipchoge looked to the 10k, but finished 7th at the Kenyan Olympic Trials behind Wilson Kiprop, Moses Masai, Bedan Karoki, Emmanuel Bett, Geoffrey Kirui, and Lucas Rotich. That’s when he said “Screw you guys, I’ll go and be the marathon GOAT instead.”
3 Kenyan that all broke 12:50 and that none hear of today.
I don’t think Mo Farah sent Kipchoge to the marathon, I think it had almost everything to do with his young Kenyan competition. In the 2012 Paris DL 5k Kipchoge finished 8th in 12:55, soundly beaten by Isaiah Koech, Thomas Longosiwa and John Kipkoech, who all broke 12:50 (K. Bekele was 9th in 12:55 btw). So Kipchoge looked to the 10k, but finished 7th at the Kenyan Olympic Trials behind Wilson Kiprop, Moses Masai, Bedan Karoki, Emmanuel Bett, Geoffrey Kirui, and Lucas Rotich. That’s when he said “Screw you guys, I’ll go and be the marathon GOAT instead.”
3 Kenyan that all broke 12:50 and that none hear of today.
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