The fact that El G. did only a single try to get that should make you think. Bekele, Gebreselassie, Chepteguei, and others Mo Farah had the 5000m as priority when thinking about distance times, not the 3000m.
There was also a myth about the 5000m WR some years ago, until Chepteguei beat it in 2020.
Yes, El G making only one serious attempt to break Komen’s record makes me think he realized he wasn’t capable. Running 7:23 must have been discouraging for him. If El G had run 7:21 instead of 7:23 that day, don’t you think he would have been tempted to give it another try?
I love Bekele, and I have demonstrated my willingness to go to great lengths to argue that he is the distance running GOAT in multiple threads. But if we’re just comparing his 5K record to Komen’s 3K record, I have to be fair and give the nod to Komen.
The 3K is not like other tweener events such as the 600 and 1K that are rarely contested. I don’t care about those records. The 3K, on the other hand, is contested often enough when guys should have enough fitness to try to break the record if they think they can. Komen’s record also has the same mystique that Bekele’s record had.
It’s also worth noting what the WR was when Komen broke it: 7:25.11. He took nearly 4.5 seconds off that record! That, plus the fact that none of the other all-time great runners of the past quarter-century have been able to even sniff his WR makes it mind boggling.
Everything here is totally on-point - even the Bekele GOAT stuff. But the hardest, most unfathomable record on the books is this 3000m record. Even the whole "EPO" golden age narrative doesn't really apply because the guys who took serious shots at this and missed by considerable margins were right in the thick of that era too (El G, Morceli etc). So Komen was a 3.46/12.39 runner and he was 2.5 seconds ahead of a 3.43/12.50 (but realistically if he had bothered) a 3.43/12.45 runner in El G. So Jakob is the guy with the speed strength and generational talent but do we really see him running under 12.40? That puts him just on par with Komen but then to think there has to be something more - including the perfect race with the perfect pacer (Komen had John Kosgei take him to 2000m in 4.53.2) - just don't see it.
Yes, El G making only one serious attempt to break Komen’s record makes me think he realized he wasn’t capable. Running 7:23 must have been discouraging for him. If El G had run 7:21 instead of 7:23 that day, don’t you think he would have been tempted to give it another try?
I love Bekele, and I have demonstrated my willingness to go to great lengths to argue that he is the distance running GOAT in multiple threads. But if we’re just comparing his 5K record to Komen’s 3K record, I have to be fair and give the nod to Komen.
The 3K is not like other tweener events such as the 600 and 1K that are rarely contested. I don’t care about those records. The 3K, on the other hand, is contested often enough when guys should have enough fitness to try to break the record if they think they can. Komen’s record also has the same mystique that Bekele’s record had.
It’s also worth noting what the WR was when Komen broke it: 7:25.11. He took nearly 4.5 seconds off that record! That, plus the fact that none of the other all-time great runners of the past quarter-century have been able to even sniff his WR makes it mind boggling.
So Jakob is the guy with the speed strength and generational talent but do we really see him running under 12.40?
yes, I think the majority of posters are willing to give him 12:40-12:42 right now.
They’re WR’s so of course they’re all crazy, but here’s my top 5:
1. Komen’s 3k. Seven sub-60 second 400’s in a row, plus another 200 for good measure. Back to back 3:40 1500’s. Basically back to back sub 4 miles. WTF
2. Kipchoge’s marathon. Anyway you slice it I just shake my head. TWENTY SIX 4:37 miles in a row?? Back to back 1:00:34 half marathons?? This could be its own thread….”What’s the most bonkers way to carve up 2:01:09?” But for me, it’s a 14:21 5k EIGHT times in a row. I know his 2022 WR is 30 seconds faster, but 2018 Berlin was just so damn iconic, seeing him blaze through the streets of Berlin in that second half of the race, in total no man’s land, and finishing completely fresh and jogging around.
3. Gidey’s half marathon. Completely blew the lid off what we thought was possible in that event.
4. Bolt’s 200m. Just completely skipped over that whole pesky 19.20’s thing. And that turn though
5. Radcliffe’s marathon. It’s been surpassed of course, and we just saw another 2:15, but for all those years it was so far ahead of anyone, no one was even close. A 2:15 in 2003? That WR was so far ahead of its time it’s sick.
*** really want to put Rudisha but can’t figure out who to take out.
Komen’s 3k is actually 7 400s at 58.7 secs plus another 29.xx 200.
If you include field events, one that's often overlooked is the mens high jump record of 2:45m set way back in 1993 set by Javier Sotomayor. Nobody has even come close since!
Wait, like, the Supreme Court lady?
Apparently you were not yet born in 1993 -- mHJ used to be a timed event. Breaking 3:00 was mind-blowing. 2:45 is incomprehensible.
My favorite was Michael Johnson’s 19.32. It was mind boggling because of the previous record and how much it lowered that record. The previous record of 19.72 was set at high altitude and had stood since 1979. It was almost mythical. Then 17 years later, Johnson comes along and, after first breaking the record at the US Olympic Trials, runs 0.4 faster than the old record on the sport’s biggest stage as the featured Team USA track athlete in Atlanta while wearing those iconic golden spikes. Astonishing!
My favorite was Michael Johnson’s 19.32. It was mind boggling because of the previous record and how much it lowered that record. The previous record of 19.72 was set at high altitude and had stood since 1979. It was almost mythical. Then 17 years later, Johnson comes along and, after first breaking the record at the US Olympic Trials, runs 0.4 faster than the old record on the sport’s biggest stage as the featured Team USA track athlete in Atlanta while wearing those iconic golden spikes. Astonishing!
12:43.02 Selemon BAREGA 2018 12:45.71 Jacob KROP 2022 12:45.82 Hagos GEBRHIWET 2018 12:46.33 Nicholas KIPKORIR 2022 12:46.79 Yomif KEJELCHA 2018 12:46.96 Grant FISHER 2022
If 7:26 being 6secs away from the WR is the same as 12:45 being 10secs away from the WR, clearly more athletes have been closer to the 3K WR (7x) than the 5K WR (3x).
Your lists are conspicuously incomplete at the top. I was referring to the guys who are closest to each record. Geb and Komen are only 2 seconds away from Bekele’s 12:37; nobody is within 2 seconds of 7:20. The closet is El G, who is 2.42 seconds away. The next closest is Wale, who is 4 seconds away.
Yeah sorry I forgot to mention that in response to your point I was only including times ran in recent years (2018-pres) as there had been comment about technological advances and the current crop of elites.
It doesn't matter how close Geb and Komen were to 12:37, that's not the WR. It's how close they are/aren't to 12:35. If we include athletes who competed pre-2018, then still there are more athletes closer to 7:20 then there are to 12:35
There's a reason they've lasted so long. I'll give you one guess why that is.
7:20 is not breakable anytime soon. You have guys micro dosing on the newest ped with another 5 second advantage cheat shoes have to offer that aren’t even close to 7:20. Even El G was only 7:23.
If a "B" level talent like Wale can run 7:24 indoors in January, fairly certain someone like Jakob with 3:28/12:48 prs could go a bit faster in a Monaco type race.
Stop being so naive. What did we learn from the tour de France scandals? You actually think these record holders are beating all the top druggies of past and present clean? Puhhhlease.
And Michael Johnson? Why does any implication of him using get voted down here? That because he is american?
When he was interviewed by our most renowned TV interviewer at the time (during Goodwill games where he was ambassador), he ripped his mic off and his personal 'heavies' took him out of studio when Ray Martin asked him to discuss drug use in the sport.
They’re WR’s so of course they’re all crazy, but here’s my top 5:
1. Komen’s 3k. Seven sub-60 second 400’s in a row, plus another 200 for good measure. Back to back 3:40 1500’s. Basically back to back sub 4 miles. WTF
2. Kipchoge’s marathon. Anyway you slice it I just shake my head. TWENTY SIX 4:37 miles in a row?? Back to back 1:00:34 half marathons?? This could be its own thread….”What’s the most bonkers way to carve up 2:01:09?” But for me, it’s a 14:21 5k EIGHT times in a row. I know his 2022 WR is 30 seconds faster, but 2018 Berlin was just so damn iconic, seeing him blaze through the streets of Berlin in that second half of the race, in total no man’s land, and finishing completely fresh and jogging around.
3. Gidey’s half marathon. Completely blew the lid off what we thought was possible in that event.
4. Bolt’s 200m. Just completely skipped over that whole pesky 19.20’s thing. And that turn though
5. Radcliffe’s marathon. It’s been surpassed of course, and we just saw another 2:15, but for all those years it was so far ahead of anyone, no one was even close. A 2:15 in 2003? That WR was so far ahead of its time it’s sick.
*** really want to put Rudisha but can’t figure out who to take out.
All those records are excellent, but they're still breakable.
There's a reason they've lasted so long. I'll give you one guess why that is.
Based on the OP title, those aren't mind boggling. No one's asking, "how are those possible?!?" Most everyone darn well knows how they were done. They don't boggle the mind.
My final word on the 7:20 discussion-- if Geb was only 3 seconds off Komen's 2 mile time, we can reasonably allow him a 7:23 3k as well. As Bekele was 2 seconds faster than Geb at 5k, we can spot him 1-1.5 seconds in a 3k, putting Bekele at 7:21 or 7:22. His 7:25 is clearly not reflective of his peak 3k ability.
Komen's time is not SOFT, it's a hard and incredible record and will take a sub-3:30/12:40 guy like Komen was, to beat it. Jakob is the only one out there right now that fits that. But it is not an Olympic or WC event and no professional I'm aware of tries to peak for a 3k or proclaims themselves a 3k specialist, so times overall in the event will remain soft, and 7:20 may indeed cross the three decade mark as the standing record! Ok, I'm done.
The amount of chemicals those young women were on was staggering. On a whim I looked up the u20 1500 women's record. 3:51 by another member of Ma's army. Just radioactive.
Over 1 foot further than he previous world record holder Banks and still stands nearly 30 years on
Willie Banks started the rhythmic clapping all jumpers now use
Every time I see Perchado or Hernandez jump, I think "they're unbeatable." And then I realize that they're nowhere near Edwards. It's an astounding record.
OTOH, Rojas is simply a marvel, albeit a bit idiosyncratic.
Here is Bekele's 7:25.8 video. 1k splits of 2:29.45 / 2:30.43 / 2:25.92. Basically running at hard 5k pace, then kicking it in. And it appears to be raining!
Meanwhile Komen split 2:25.89 / 2:27.29 / 2:27.49. Too hard in the first kilometer? 7:20 might actually be soft?
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