If you say Cheptegei is a 12:35 man, the Jakob is a 3:26 man.
So Bolt is a 9-second man, not a 9.58 runner? Your claim isn't comparable because 12:35-flat isn't the record and no one but Cheptegei has run sub-12:36. The fractions of a second aren't an issue in the 5k record, because no one is near Cheptegei's time; they are in the 1500 record, where several runners have beaten 3:27. Only one is a true "3:26 man".
there are events that measure to the hundredth, events that measure to the tenth, and events that measure to the full second.
I disagree. I don't think it's clear who is the best of this era. From 2019 to today, five different people have won gold at each of the five global champs. Two guys have medals from three of those champs (Jakob and Kerr) but still only one gold each. No doubt, Jakob dominates the circuit, but that's a very specific type of racing and those races are kind of meaningless in the grand scheme of things, unless he does eventually the WR in one of them. So I don't think there's a clear best of the era.
What I will say for Jakob is that he's the most important 1500m runner since El G. He has changed the game entirely and raised the floor of the event. Every single guy on the circuit owes the PB to Jakob. There still hasn't been a sub-3:30 race without Jakob for at least five years. Just watch any DL 1500 when Jakob isn't running and it is inevitably won in a une above 3:30. While he hasn't yet raised the ceiling of the 1500, he's made it the current field the most competitive in history. When they're all retired and looking back, I think even his fiercest rivals will recognise that.
If Jakob isn´t the clear no 1 in the 1500m at the moment, who is?
He has been no 1 in IAAF´s ranking for more than 2.5 years. And he was also ranked 1 this by LETSRUN and din´t AW do the same? And before he was no 2 for some years starting when he was still a teenager.
Kerr (who I guess is your favorite top miler?) is no 6 at the moment and have never been higher than no 3.
IMO, there isn't a clear number one, and that's OK. The need to rank is just barstool banter, it has no real meaning. Jakob does some things very well, but he has repeatedly failed to win the big race of the year in the 1500 since 2021. I remember years ago when Caroline Wozniacki managed to become WTA number one despite never winning a major up to that point. She was a consistent performer, getting to semis and finals but never winning. Was she really better than Serena or Clijsters at the time? No. Jakob is consistent through the season, but he's second best (or fourth best) when it really matters. So LRC and AW can rank him 1 if they like, that's fine, but is he favourite for the gold in Tokyo? Absolutely not. And if he isn't, then he's not a clear number one.
For the record, I root for several 1500 guys, but neither Kerr nor Ingebrigtsen, who are both monumental arseholes - it's very much the let_them_fight.gif for me when it comes to those two. I root for Wightman, Beamish, Tim C, Stonier, and increasingly, Hocker on the men's side. With a soft spot for Oli Hoare because he won me a lot of money when he took gold at the CWGs.
This post was edited 1 minute after it was posted.
So Bolt is a 9-second man, not a 9.58 runner? Your claim isn't comparable because 12:35-flat isn't the record and no one but Cheptegei has run sub-12:36. The fractions of a second aren't an issue in the 5k record, because no one is near Cheptegei's time; they are in the 1500 record, where several runners have beaten 3:27. Only one is a true "3:26 man".
there are events that measure to the hundredth, events that measure to the tenth, and events that measure to the full second.
They all measure to the above. But sometimes tenths and hundredths are the difference. 10ths currently matter in the 1500 because they are the difference between the wr and what Ingebrigtsen has so far run.
I'll disagree slightly, no one gives Timothy Cheruiyot enough credit; in 2017 him and his fellow countrymen (I forget the name) took out the 1500 hard from the gun which was NOT the norm back then. And he did the same thing in 2019 to win Gold and tried it again at the Tokyo Olympics (only to get caught by Jakob). Jakob is certainly the popular one now, but they had been front running the 1500 four years before he was relevant on the Olympic Scene. And good ol' Timmy is STILL racing out there!
Diamond League wins are not meaningless. That is ridiculous. Even if we only look at global championship medals, which is a dumb constraint, Jakob still has Gold Silver Silver. Nobody has matched that. If Kerr can finish ahead of Jakob in 2025, then yes he is the best championship runner and has an argument for the best. But now, we have to look at other things, which Jakob is clearly on top of.
The DL is quite literally meaningless. The fact that it's meaningless is precisely what's wrong with the sport. In its wisdom, World Athletics has decided that the regular season is utterly devoid of stakes. The DL might matter to you personally, and I enjoy the races myself, but they mean nothing. They are nothing like an average Premier League match or even an ATP500 tournament in terms of how much they matter to an athlete's progress in any given season.
And prioritising global medals is not a dumb constraint, it's the primary criteria for assessing greatness in athletics. The other stuff counts, but to a much lesser degree. Medals matter above all else, every athlete will tell you that.
Extremely poor way of looking at the sport. You aren’t just prioritizing global medals, you are ONLY looking at them, which is a dumb constraint. Jakob doesn’t win four number 1’s straight in the event by World Athletics, Letsrun, and Track and Field News for no reason.
I dont understand some of these arguments. Are you saying Kerr is the best runner of this Era? With one outdoor gold medal? One? Zero world records? Zero diamond league titles? Zero world leads? Zero olympic records? Zero European championships? Come on...
Yes, an indoor gold, and one indoor world best. Its extremely solid. But not the best. Just stop.
If you say Cheptegei is a 12:35 man, the Jakob is a 3:26 man.
So Bolt is a 9-second man, not a 9.58 runner? Your claim isn't comparable because 12:35-flat isn't the record and no one but Cheptegei has run sub-12:36. The fractions of a second aren't an issue in the 5k record, because no one is near Cheptegei's time; they are in the 1500 record, where several runners have beaten 3:27. Only one is a true "3:26 man".
If some runner is a 3:26 1500m man (or a 12:40 5000m guy or...) doesn't depend on what others habe achieved and what the WR is but only on the PB of the runner in question.
There are two guys who have both Olympic golds and faster 1500 PRs. One of them is over a second faster at 1500 and has a 3-2 record vs. Kerr in global championship 1500s, and absolutely owns the DL circuit.
Both Olympic champions have failed to win a world title meaning in terms of 1500m titles essentially it's an even playing field.
I think history would tell us that we will look back and just count the titles and pr's not the diamond League wins.
Even playing field in terms of gold 1500 accomplishments since 2020:
Jakob 2020 world champ
Weightman 2022 world champ
Kerr 2023 World champ
Hocker 2024 Olympic champ
Hoare - Commonwealth games champ
Times
Jakob 3:26/3:43
Yared 3:27/3:43
Kerr 3:27/3:45
Hocker 3:27/3:48
Wightman 3:29/3:47
Cheruiyot 3:28
Hoare 3:29/3:47
Am I missing any notable times or notable athletes running fast times at the 1600/mile distance? I think it's pretty close looking at titles. Any one of these guys would need to win one more gold to objectively say they were the best of this era/decade.
My take: Obviously my favorite runner Yared would need a gold but he does have the fastest bronze ever lol. This is the goose year. Jakob can claim most dominant 1500 runner for the 2020s as of January 2025. This is purely based on having the fastest time and a gold. Since mostly everyone already has one gold of some kind fast time. THEN I'd go to diamond League results to set them apart which is where Jakob's stock skyrockets.(Diamond leagues are sometimes not only set up for him but it's his style of racing at this point)
To Be fair to Kerr I have him at #2 for the decade and it is still pretty close. Please don't try to put the olmpic golds on a pedestal about the world champs it's the same field of competitors. Only asterisk there is the comm wealth gold
Oly gold over world champ gold? Another horrendous take. Why not put the Diamond league final or Eugene mile on the same field as world champs? its the same field of competitors...
The DL is quite literally meaningless. The fact that it's meaningless is precisely what's wrong with the sport. In its wisdom, World Athletics has decided that the regular season is utterly devoid of stakes. The DL might matter to you personally, and I enjoy the races myself, but they mean nothing. They are nothing like an average Premier League match or even an ATP500 tournament in terms of how much they matter to an athlete's progress in any given season.
And prioritising global medals is not a dumb constraint, it's the primary criteria for assessing greatness in athletics. The other stuff counts, but to a much lesser degree. Medals matter above all else, every athlete will tell you that.
Extremely poor way of looking at the sport. You aren’t just prioritizing global medals, you are ONLY looking at them, which is a dumb constraint. Jakob doesn’t win four number 1’s straight in the event by World Athletics, Letsrun, and Track and Field News for no reason.
First, it's a criteria rather than a constraint. Second, why do you have to be so rude in how you respond? Most people are trying to have a civil debate and you're coming on here and calling people dumb. You might not like that I prioritise global medals among other criteria, but it's certainly not dumb. You should be better than that.
I'll disagree slightly, no one gives Timothy Cheruiyot enough credit; in 2017 him and his fellow countrymen (I forget the name) took out the 1500 hard from the gun which was NOT the norm back then. And he did the same thing in 2019 to win Gold and tried it again at the Tokyo Olympics (only to get caught by Jakob). Jakob is certainly the popular one now, but they had been front running the 1500 four years before he was relevant on the Olympic Scene. And good ol' Timmy is STILL racing out there!
It was Elijah Manangoi, who subsequently got suspended for whereabouts failures. But yes, I love Tim and I'd love it if he came back to take gold in Tokyo, though it's unlikely at this stage. It would be the best storyline in the 1500 if it happened
Extremely poor way of looking at the sport. You aren’t just prioritizing global medals, you are ONLY looking at them, which is a dumb constraint. Jakob doesn’t win four number 1’s straight in the event by World Athletics, Letsrun, and Track and Field News for no reason.
First, it's a criteria rather than a constraint. Second, why do you have to be so rude in how you respond? Most people are trying to have a civil debate and you're coming on here and calling people dumb. You might not like that I prioritise global medals among other criteria, but it's certainly not dumb. You should be better than that.
A criteria that disregards everything else is dumb. Sorry, it’s not personal. It’s more that the idea itself is dumb. That’s fine though, your opinion. Also, your “dumb” criteria disregards Jakob’s Gold-Silver-Silver. So, it is as clear cut as we think. He has the best championship results and total body of work. It is a no brainer that he is the best.
Remember when Wightman won World Champs and wasn't such a massive attention hog after it?
So your criteria is who didn't hurt your feelings after winning gold?
The hate on Kerr is always unwarranted him and Jakob are very similar people. You guys like to scrutinize Kerr much more than other runners. You guys take their comments way too seriously compared to how athletes talk in other sports
“What allows me to be content is that I did everything I could for the best result, and that was the best result I could ever get,” says the Edinburgh AC athlete. “I’m not like: ‘I should have done this or that, and the result would have changed’. That was the best 1500m race I’ve ever run, and could be the best 1500m race I will ever run in my life. [Silver] wasn’t what we wanted but I’m still very proud of what it was.”
and on wanting to be the best.
“I’m trying to be the best 1500m runner of our era, and that means I need to have more titles than everyone else and run faster times, so anyone that’s going to challenge that will hear my honest opinion on their life and their racing,” states Kerr. “I wouldn’t say I have a particular standpoint on any of these guys right now, but if they say something or do something that I don’t quite agree with, I will let them know that.”
Actually you are quite the timid person. You failed to highlight the most important quote of them all which shows Josh’s suspicion of Hocker, Nugise and Kessler doping.
”I’m not cheating, but I can’t control what the other camps are doing. I can only accept the result ( my loss to Hocker) and move on.”
Rojo you have lots to answer to us Americans today as a British athlete has clearly fired a shot at American camps clearly implying even if subtly that ‘he can’t control what the other camps are doing’ ( that means if the other camps are doping secretly he can do nothing about it), and that is the evidence of him knowing something is up with Hocker and the other 2 teammates.
Americans are awakened today after trumps victory. We will search every nook and cranny and test every piece of ‘fact’ to the fullest. Josh has spoken his mind, let those dirty Americans be banned for life.
Oly gold over world champ gold? Another horrendous take. Why not put the Diamond league final or Eugene mile on the same field as world champs? its the same field of competitors...
A take so horrendous that the last 4 Olympic 1500m champions didn't win a world title at 1500m. How obtuse are you? Bowerman mile is invite only a global gold is the best only where casualties can and do occur.
Diamond League wins are not meaningless. That is ridiculous. Even if we only look at global championship medals, which is a dumb constraint, Jakob still has Gold Silver Silver. Nobody has matched that. If Kerr can finish ahead of Jakob in 2025, then yes he is the best championship runner and has an argument for the best. But now, we have to look at other things, which Jakob is clearly on top of.
The DL is quite literally meaningless. The fact that it's meaningless is precisely what's wrong with the sport. In its wisdom, World Athletics has decided that the regular season is utterly devoid of stakes. The DL might matter to you personally, and I enjoy the races myself, but they mean nothing. They are nothing like an average Premier League match or even an ATP500 tournament in terms of how much they matter to an athlete's progress in any given season.
And prioritising global medals is not a dumb constraint, it's the primary criteria for assessing greatness in athletics. The other stuff counts, but to a much lesser degree. Medals matter above all else, every athlete will tell you that.
I remembered someone, a self proclaimed anti vaccinist, said that DL is also hogwash and of no value. I tend to agree. It’s there just to ‘fill up the empty seats and slots in the season’ and to provide some illusory entertainment but the real deal are still the olympics and world champs.
Jakob thinks he can win so many DL but so what? The stakes are so low and the prestige level of the events so non existent any random Tom with nothing to lose can come and win them all. But when the Olympics come around they all get scared af because suddenly they face so much prestige, history and tradition and it provokes their thoughts and self doubt creeps in. They get soft legs from all the nerves and cave in to the pressure. Jakob is such a person.
I disagree. I don't think it's clear who is the best of this era. From 2019 to today, five different people have won gold at each of the five global champs. Two guys have medals from three of those champs (Jakob and Kerr) but still only one gold each. No doubt, Jakob dominates the circuit, but that's a very specific type of racing and those races are kind of meaningless in the grand scheme of things, unless he does eventually the WR in one of them. So I don't think there's a clear best of the era.
What I will say for Jakob is that he's the most important 1500m runner since El G. He has changed the game entirely and raised the floor of the event. Every single guy on the circuit owes the PB to Jakob. There still hasn't been a sub-3:30 race without Jakob for at least five years. Just watch any DL 1500 when Jakob isn't running and it is inevitably won in a une above 3:30. While he hasn't yet raised the ceiling of the 1500, he's made it the current field the most competitive in history. When they're all retired and looking back, I think even his fiercest rivals will recognise that.
If Jakob isn´t the clear no 1 in the 1500m at the moment, who is?
He has been no 1 in IAAF´s ranking for more than 2.5 years. And he was also ranked 1 this by LETSRUN and din´t AW do the same? And before he was no 2 for some years starting when he was still a teenager.
Kerr (who I guess is your favorite top miler?) is no 6 at the moment and have never been higher than no 3.
Josh Kerr didn’t get as many opportunities to race as Jakob so his PR is not as comparable. Or they may be reasons why he wanted to duck races but all in all, your ability to drop your PR is dependent on the number of chances you take to run fast which means you need a larger pool of races.
The DL is mainly good for WR racing. That’s the only value it really contributes. If you are not racing to break the WR, then you are better off just turning up for the olympics and world champs.
Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win a LetsRun t-shirt.Help us build the best running shoe review site for a chance to win one of 10 LetsRun t-shirts.