Who is the most likeable distance runner of all time?

Nikki Hiltz

The Goose will sign autographs and take pictures with fans for hours. This year during the Millrose after party he even came up and started photo bombing. He's the friendliest guy I have seen after his race.

Abbey D’Agostino

usopm.org

Abbey (D'Agostino) Cooper uses her story to share Olympic values | U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum

Maddie Jones

Middle-distance runner is thankful that she has the opportunity to share her incredible experience from Rio 2016.

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When Mimoun heard of Zatopek's death in 2000, he said, "I have not lost an opponent. I have lost a brother."

Marco Arop seems like a really nice guy also clayton young

Hocker is

I'm glad that someone mentioned John Landy. Here is something that I wrote about Landy elsewhere after his death in 2022:

John Landy died on February 24, 2022, at the age of 91. He was one of my athletic heroes. I started to write a tribute to him months ago, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine began that same day in February, and writing about athletics seemed inappropriately trivial to me for some time thereafter. But as I was running a "comfortably hard" 13.5-miler last night, I realized that I needed to get back to John Landy, whose story deserves to be told to a new audience who may believe that winners are simply the ones who run the fastest times, score the most points, make the most money, or play for the winning team.

Landy was a world record holder in the 1500 meters and the mile, a two-time member of the Australian Olympic team, and an Olympic bronze medalist. Later, following his educational path, he was a naturalist and conservationist, and became governor of Victoria when he was in his seventies. Those are fine accomplishments, but none of them explain why Landy is so revered in Australia, despite being so little known elsewhere, except among some track geeks and critics who remember him primarily as the guy who lost several very famous races.

The first race was to become the world's first sub-four minute miler. Landy and Great Britain's Roger Bannister were the favorites. In 1953 and 1954, Bannister arranged for a series of time trials, paced by Olympic and world-class runners to reduce air resistance (an important factor in high-speed running) to assist him in breaking the four-minute barrier. His pacing scheme led to his disqualification in one unsuccessful attempt, but on May 6, 1954, Bannister, paced by two of the best middle-distance runners in the world, ran a mile in 3:59.4. Despite the questionable conditions under the rules of the sport at the time, Bannister's performance was quickly recognized as the first four-minute mile. Forty-six days later, Landy (who disapproved of paced time trials) ran an even faster 3:57.9 for a new world record in a legitimate race, but Landy knew that he could never unring the bell; Bannister would always be recognized as the first four-minute miler, and Landy made no protest.

The second race was the one-mile final at the 1954 British Commonwealth Games. Landy and Bannister were still the only two four-minute milers in the world, and this would be their showdown. A little-known fact is that Landy had cut his foot on a discarded photographer's flash bulb on the morning of the race, but he wouldn't allow a doctor to stitch his foot up unless the doctor agreed not to tell anyone about the injury; Landy didn't want any excuses if he lost to Bannister, which he did. The popular story is that Bannister cannily stalked Landy during the whole race until Landy finally cracked and looked over his left shoulder, allowing Bannister to pass on his right, but that's untrue: Bannister simply had great finishing speed, and Landy could not get a big enough gap on Bannister to hold him off at the end. Nevertheless, when a larger-than-life bronze statue was erected showing the moment at which Landy looked over his shoulder as Bannister was passing him, Landy graciously joked that "While Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back, I am probably the only one ever turned into bronze for looking back."

Bannister quickly retired from running and was knighted by the Queen three years later; he was regarded as an athletic legend for the rest of his life. Landy kept running. Although he was one of the favorites in the 1500 meters at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, he advised a nervous young Irishman named Ron Delaney before the race, and told Delaney that he could win. Delaney did; Landy finished third.

Three big races; three big losses. But Landy's sportsmanship was extraordinary throughout his career, and Australians regard his race in the 1956 Australian national one-mile championship as his greatest. Running in the lead pack at a world record pace, a young runner (and future world record holder) named Ron Clarke fell. Landy, running right behind Clarke, had to hurdle over him to avoid a collision. But Landy was concerned that Clarke had been injured, so he stopped and went back to where Clarke was lying. Clarke told Landy that he was fine, and that Landy should get back in the race. Landy, now perhaps 35 meters behind the leaders and less than two laps from the finish, returned to the race, chased down the pack, and won in a time close to four minutes. In Australia, Landy's actions in that race -- which almost certainly cost him a new world record in the mile -- would eventually be named as the greatest act of sportsmanship of the Twentieth Century.

After retiring from running, Landy remained a singularly modest man, repeatedly turning down awards that would have declared him a legend of the sport. He lived a full life of service, kindness, and simple decency.

Umm... ever heard of Jordan Hasay?

Sir Alberto Salazar

Bill Rogers deserves mention.

Cool dude. Boston Marathon Champ and did some other road races. If you are old enough, you know he was chill.

These guys honestly just show what true motivation and follow through can do.

My Top 5:

1.) Tom Danielson: (HS Sub 4 Miler and Great Husband)

2.) Jon Gill: (Jon Brown Protigege & Track Town Pizza Sponsored Athlete)

3.) David Eisenhauer: (V-Tech Track & Middle School Girl Mentor)

4.) Eric Kweeder: (Great Runner & Roommate)

5.) Oscar Pistorius: (Not a Distance Runner but just a great inspiration and great boyfriend and human being)

Grete Waitz and Joan Benoit Samuelson...two very talented and unassuming runners

As a close second...Deena.... she actually answered practically every question asked to her on this very forum

Without question:

French Steeplechaser: Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad

Who else takes time to acknowledge mascots like him?

en.wikipedia.org

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad

Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad (born 15 March 1985) is a retired French professional middle-distance runner of Algerian descent who mainly competed in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He is the only man to win three Olympic steeple...

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Jakob is a hot candidate -I like his good mood in every interview, and in his YouTube videos. And he also has depth -make me think of the Leonard Cohen line: «I smile when I’m angry».