100 Greatest Middle and Long Distance Runners Since WWII - The Big Bad List

Full throttle EPO era runners should belong in their own bubble and never be compared as all-time greats. Lagat was effectively competing against the rest of the Rift Valley pharmacies, a Moroccan science experiment, and a handful of Iberian state.sponsored dopers.

You guys have been dismissing for years even the likes of Peter Snell and Herb Elliott because there wasn't much African competition in there day. Well I'd bet my house that the 1500m gold in Paris will not be won by an African descent runner (again). Will one even finish in the top ten? Maybe Reynold or Kipsang... if they don't become the latest Kenyan busts first.So when will you guys start admitting that El G and Lagat.etc had 'little competition' from GB and Northern Europe and Australasia?

I will not admit it - because its not true.

In a women's version of this, is Gladys Cherono in or out?

Pro: 3 times winner Berlin Marathon, 7 years in a row ran sub 68 in a half

Con: Only broke 2.20 twice [Zeinaba Yimer has 4], did she ever rep for Kenya over any distance at an Olympics?

Do you think Lamecha Girma warrants inclusion even though he has no global gold medals?

Olympic silver, 3x WC silver, indoor WC silver, 3k SC WR, indoor 3k WR, 4x DL meeting winner, 3:29.51/7:23.81/7:52.11 PBs

So who was the competition from GB, Northern Europe, and Australasia for El G and Lagat? Who were the Snells, the Elliotts, the Coes, the Ovetts, the Jakobs, the Kerrs and Wightmans, or the young generational talents like Laros and Myers?

Moroccan pharmacies were better than Iten pharmacies, that's all El G proved.

Amos off the list now?

Herb Elliott is massively under rated, but he did that to himself with early retirement.

Why do you have so much invested in the white runners? Just enjoy the sport. Are you capable of this?

lagat = 0 olympic gold

farah = 4 olympic golds

lmao even putting them in the same sentence is disrespectful to farah

To name a few: Mayock, Willis, Whiteman, East, Fountain, Mottram, McKay, Carroll, Healy, Blincoe, Graffin, Nolan, Christensen, Cleary, Yates, Turnbull, Petersen.

Only one Coe: Blin(d).

So, your beloved countries 20 years ago hadn't absolutely top class 1500m runners. Because they weren't allowed to compete?

That's not correct.

He didn't had the 3 fastest 5k marks. And for the 10k: are you talking about beginning of '71?

Or do you include converted 3 Miles/6 Miles marks?

John Borican, Glenn Cunningham and

Mel Sheppard should be on this list

John Borican (world records in multiple events but no Olympics because of the war) Glenn Cunningham and

Mel Sheppard (gold medals two Olympics)should be on this list but they are before your time.

Lets assume that Jakob wins double gold in Paris and breaks the 3k WR in Paris. Where does he place on this list? Where would Kerr place?

Silesia* not paris, sorry.

Ok, he only won gold in the 5k and then broke the 3k WR. Where does he stand on this list now? JWH said that if he won the double in budapest, he'd be in the yifter/cheptegei/komen range and not too far from Steve Cram. I'm assuming he is in Steve cram range now? Maybe 20th now? Ahead of John Walker?

Dude what. Jakob is definitely in contention to be top 10-12. He doesn’t have the dominance Farah, Snell, or Coe had over championships but he holds extremely good marks over 2k/3k/2miles. He is also top 3 all time over the mile and 1500….Don’t forget he is also a part of only 3 men to have a 1500 and 5000 Olympic gold. He is also 2x World champion in the 5k and 2x silver in the 1500m. Once he wins a championship double and breaks either the 1500 or 5k records, he will be closer to the top 5.

No Josh Kerr???

Cheptegei and Jakob are at least top 20 now.

edit: Kiptum as well

John, did you actually research and type this out for every single person in your top 100?!

this is one of the most cracked things i've ever seen on this site

like a thesis presented to LR

bravo!