I guess holding the AR from 2k-10k makes you overrated. No wonder you're a hobby jogger. How can you be so wrong on all three? Do you even follow track and field? Or is everyone who ran before 2000 overrated in your book?
Everyone before 2000? I didn't write Herb Elliott, Peter Snell, Ron Clarke, Billy Mills, Bob Schul or Dave Wottle was overrated. Elliott was a far more accomplished runner than Bannister, but didn't get all the hype that Bannister did. Lasse Viren won four Olympic golds and broke the WR. Where is the DL meet named after him? And if I don't follow trach and field, how do I know that Manzano won Emsley Carr Mile?
So you’re saying you know how to use the internet and google in this post. Good job.
Bill Rodgers wouldn’t qualify for NCAAs nowadays in his prime. His 2:09 is pedestrian at best. He was a road racer who popularized the sport, and famous for it. but I would say as a runner he’s generally overrated
And that was before anyone had heard of him. Not overrated at all, but well known even to non-runners. He was a race directors dream. At most races he was more than willing to stick around, sign autographs, and chat with the other runners. And he raced a LOT!
I would stack his group of full time working runners in the GBTC against any sponsored group today and Bill Squires with any other marathon coach.
Yeah other options would include ultrarunners because it's such a niche sport. Not like there's any Kenyans even contesting that charade. Athleticism is thrown out the door and it's a contest who can be the most degenerate exerciser. Karnazes and Philippines--agreed.
Bill Rodgers wouldn’t qualify for NCAAs nowadays in his prime. His 2:09 is pedestrian at best. He was a road racer who popularized the sport, and famous for it. but I would say as a runner he’s generally overrated
Bill Rodgers won races. His 2:09 wasn’t pedestrian when he ran it. You cannot compare times of different eras. He won major races, was ranked #1 in the world several times, and you think he was overrated? Look up his record from 1977-79 and then get back to us.
Nobody else remembers a 4th place of an Olympics otherwise.
Easily!
Don't get me wrong, he was a great runner, and I like the way he raced, but if you were new to running and had to guess who was the greatest runner of all time based on hype alone, you'd put him in the conversation with Bekele, Kipchoge, Gebrselassie, etc.
Re: Webb, people are confusing overrated and underperformed. Webb gets a boatload of criticism for underperforming. He got a lot of deserved hype for his talent, which showed in his HS and American mile records, but also a lot of deserved hate for never living up to his potential in championship races. So not really overrated, in my mind, unless you think records mean nothing and only championship races matter.
Re: Webb, people are confusing overrated and underperformed. Webb gets a boatload of criticism for underperforming. He got a lot of deserved hype for his talent, which showed in his HS and American mile records, but also a lot of deserved hate for never living up to his potential in championship races. So not really overrated, in my mind, unless you think records mean nothing and only championship races matter.
Championship races matter MOST! It's when the bright lights are on, cameras are following your every move to send it across the world, and the world's best in your event are giving it their all. It's the tip of the spear, the highest-pressure environment, and the hardware lasts forever. Records are tough and usually impressive, but records are made to be broken and AW's record happened against essentially nobody on what looked like a rural high school track and was recorded on shaky hand-held video that went straight to a nice fan site, never saw the light of day on ESPN. By and large, the public did not clamor to witness this feat. Webb got people excited with how he performed at US champs and then shat the bed when he put on the Team USA kit. Even though it's used ironically now, how many times have we seen "Webb's back, baby!"? In his time he was widely rated as USA's best hope for an international medal since Ryun.
Nobody else remembers a 4th place of an Olympics otherwise.
Easily!
Don't get me wrong, he was a great runner, and I like the way he raced, but if you were new to running and had to guess who was the greatest runner of all time based on hype alone, you'd put him in the conversation with Bekele, Kipchoge, Gebrselassie, etc.
This is a great description, that also fit a couple of modern day runners as well.
Bill Rodgers wouldn’t qualify for NCAAs nowadays in his prime. His 2:09 is pedestrian at best. He was a road racer who popularized the sport, and famous for it. but I would say as a runner he’s generally overrated
Bill Rodgers won races. His 2:09 wasn’t pedestrian when he ran it. You cannot compare times of different eras. He won major races, was ranked #1 in the world several times, and you think he was overrated? Look up his record from 1977-79 and then get back to us.
Bill Rodgers two 2:09s were both American bests when he ran them and were only about a minute off the World Record. He was winning Boston, Fukuoka and NYC when they were the only three major marathons. He was ranked first in the World in the Marathon three times.
2 miles - 8:26.2 (1971) 3 miles – 12:52.0 (1974) 5000 meters – 13:26.60 (1977) 10,000 meters – 27:45.91 (1975) Marathon (42.195 km) – 2:10:30 (1972)
"He is the GREATEST ever" ~ Let's Run
He's not the greatest ever but got some massive wins. Olympic gold and a silver against a proven cheater. 4 wins at Fukuoko. His times were more impressive when he ran them as 2:09 was rare and he wasn't that far off the 10000 record.
Bill Rodgers won races. His 2:09 wasn’t pedestrian when he ran it. You cannot compare times of different eras. He won major races, was ranked #1 in the world several times, and you think he was overrated? Look up his record from 1977-79 and then get back to us.
Bill Rodgers two 2:09s were both American bests when he ran them and were only about a minute off the World Record. He was winning Boston, Fukuoka and NYC when they were the only three major marathons. He was ranked first in the World in the Marathon three times.
The 2:09s were not on a record-eligible course. I like Rodgers but the thing about him was that within 5 years of his best times lots of people were popping 2:08s and people like Rodolfo Gomez were faster than he ever was.
He also dominated US cross country for a few years and prior to winning the Munich marathon ran a heat and a final in the 10000, setting an American record
The 4-minute "barrier" was hype. The record had plummeted from 4:06 to 4:01 during world war 2 when sports were mostly on hold. Post-war sub 4 was inevitable, but inevitable doesn't get people excited like impossible does.
But Prefontaine is still clearly the most overhyped. Figurehead of the Nike shoe company and also still worshipped by gray-haired cult weirdos, who will probably be triggered by this
There are those who say the 4 minute barrier would have been broken before WWII if amateurism hadn't been so rigid. Only the privileged had the time, resources, $$$ to compete. Take a look at Chariots of Fire - not a single Welsh coal miner among the lot.
Jim Ryun is still well remembered in Kansas half a century later. Leo barely remembered in Marble Falls.
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