I disagree about the messenger guy from the roman days. Didn't he DIE!? He sucked at the marathon, any average guy who can even just finish a marathon and live is closer to GOAT status than some exercise induced dead roman
Yep, he’s very good. Maybe not the goat, but very good. With modern training and super shoes, he’d be competitive today. But he beat the best of his time, including PREFONTAINE
Exactly. He has 4 Olympic gold medals. Repeat champion in both the 5000 and 10000. Does anyone else have that? Anyone?
Yep, he’s very good. Maybe not the goat, but very good. With modern training and super shoes, he’d be competitive today. But he beat the best of his time, including PREFONTAINE
Exactly. He has 4 Olympic gold medals. Repeat champion in both the 5000 and 10000. Does anyone else have that? Anyone?
Farah did the same in '12 and '16.
However, he did not have to run a 10,000 heat like Viren did in both '72 and '76.
I'm a solid Viren fan. I think what he accomplished was legendary.
Whichever fastest 100 meter guy ran a season of cross country once... 😱
I know for example Jesse Williams did cross country in high school,but you asked fastest, not highest jumper 😂
Joseph Fahnbulleh ran cross country in high school, was a teammate of Joe Klecker. He may count following your criteria, though the question was about the greatest, not fastest.
Ask yourself this question: Was Usain Bolt faster than Jesse Owens?
1. Owens had to use a garden trowel to dig his starting blocks in the dirt. His primitive uniform included 5 pound shoes. No one knew anything about training, nutrition, strategy, tracks, or anything remotely related to Track & Field. Also world records are made to be broken. They are posted in many places all the time for men's minds to ponder. Not many people talk about that but if you run the same course over and over again you are bound to get faster! Do we not learn from the pioneers who raced before us?
I never get thrilled when a world record is broken, all it means is I've have just became slower in my youth!
Bekele is the G.O.A.T He won 11 or so World Cross Country titles. 3 Olympic gold medals. 5000m & 10000m WR's and a 2:01:41 marathon PR.
Mo Farah is the 2nd best. 6 World Championship gold medals and 4 Olympic gold medals. I believe he holds the world record for the 1 hour run and 2 mile world record.
And on a lighter note, Galen Rupp was the best ever Peter Pan look-a-like runner.
Mate, are you serious? Not only did he not hold the 2 mile world best, Jakob absolutely shattered it a month or so before Worlds this year. Did you not pay any attention to this track season?
Yes James, YOU should be especially aware of Jakob smashing WRs/ WBs.
I suppose you remember your "not even remotely" prediction some years ago?
I think the answer is technically Paavo Nurmi based on:
1) Olympic medal count
2) advancing the sport with his revolutionary training techniques
3) inspiring countless others to test their limits
4) only distance runner to be on a country's currency
My personal favorite, however, would be Zatopek, and I think one could argue for him being the greatest due to his insane 1952 Olympic triple and how he was an ambassador for the sport. My opinion was highly influenced by the biography about him, Today We Die a Little!
Nurmi always comes to mind for me. Don't forget he was an amateur without the benefit of the modern diet or training knowledge we have not to mention the shoes.
Give him modern shoes and super shoes for racing and the income from running that the best runner in the world makes and who knows what times he'd be running.
I've been pondering the age-old question in distance running: Who deserves the title of the greatest distance runner of all time? With so many incredible athletes to choose from across different eras and disciplines, it's a topic that can ignite some passionate debates. Whether it's the legendary dominance of athletes like Haile Gebrselassie, the enduring legacy of Emil Zátopek, or the modern-day marvels like Eliud Kipchoge, there's no shortage of candidates. But who, in your opinion, truly stands out as the greatest and why? Is it their world records, their Olympic performances, their impact on the sport, or a combination of factors that sets them apart? I'd love to hear your thoughts and insights on this topic. Let's dive into this debate and celebrate the incredible achievements of distance runners from around the world. Share your pick for the greatest distance runner and the reasons behind your choice. It's bound to be an exciting discussion!
Henry Rono.
And everyone forgets this poor guy. Two, useless, Olympic Boycotts. No World Championships back then. It's likely the boycotts contributed to his alcohol problems.
I think the answer is technically Paavo Nurmi based on:
1) Olympic medal count
2) advancing the sport with his revolutionary training techniques
3) inspiring countless others to test their limits
4) only distance runner to be on a country's currency
My personal favorite, however, would be Zatopek, and I think one could argue for him being the greatest due to his insane 1952 Olympic triple and how he was an ambassador for the sport. My opinion was highly influenced by the biography about him, Today We Die a Little!
Nurmi always comes to mind for me. Don't forget he was an amateur without the benefit of the modern diet or training knowledge we have not to mention the shoes.
Give him modern shoes and super shoes for racing and the income from running that the best runner in the world makes and who knows what times he'd be running.
kenenisa bekele. his dominance in the 5000/10000 is too much. if you are feeling unmotivated to run, just go on youtube and watch the last 600m of a kenenisa bekele 10000m. i truly believe that if he hadn't gotten injured in 2010, nobody today would know what a mo farah is, and the marathon (and maybe half marathon too) record would be property of kenenisa bekele.
That last 600 meters was amazing. It does motivate me when I'm running and want to finish strong.
The answer is unequivocally kenenisa bekele. If you don’t know this or don’t agree with this you are a casual.
3:32, 7:25, 12:37, 26:17, 2:01:41. In the old spikes with shoddy pacing and no wave lights. In 2019 was 2 seconds away from simultaneously holding 5k 10k marathon WR
Has the hardware, double Olympic and world 5k/10k champ
Winning record against every runner he ever raced
Dominated the golden league in the deepest era of distance running
5 time double short and long course world XC champion back when that actually meant something. Made kipchoge look like mincemeat regularly.
The 2008 Olympic 5k final alone is a good reason to consider Bekele the goat. The field is extremely packed at 3k in 8:00. Bekele surges and proceeds to run his next four laps in 59, 61, 60, 60. He starts to pick it up and then with 300m to go, he absolutely rips away from the field in a final 300 of roughly 39 seconds, gapping Eliud Kipchoge by 40m and making it looks like child's play. Bekele turned championship racing into an art
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