After his win and course record at the 5th Avenue Mile today, Josh Kerr is the 2024 men’s middle distance runner of the year. Let’s take a moment to recognize his magnificent year.
Can I also remind you guys that Wanyonyi also crushed a road mile (like Kerr) way back in April? And now he is the second fastest ever at his event (unlike Kerr but not downhill or wind-aided). And he has a Gold medal.
You really have to take Wanyonyi over Kerr as well, if we are being honest.
I like Wanyonyi's candidacy better than Jakob's because Wanyonyi has been competing since March and won gold in the Olympics. It's important that the 2024 middle distance runner of the YEAR be someone who has competed for at least 5 months and has a middle distance gold medal from global championship competition.
The flaw with putting Wanyonyi ahead of Kerr is Wanyonyi has only performed better than Kerr at one distance this year, the 800. Kerr has performed better than Wanyonyi this year at 1500/mile and 3000/two miles. That's a decisive win for Kerr when looking at the entire middle distance spectrum of events from 800 to two miles.
Wanyonyi has a middle distance gold medal this year. Kerr has a middle distance gold medal AND a silver medal.
Wanyonyi didn't break any track world records this year. Kerr did.
When facing Hobbs Kessler in a road mile, Wanyonyi beat Kessler by less than 2 seconds. When Kerr faced Kessler in a road mile, Kerr beat Kessler by 8 seconds. Kessler tried to keep up with Kerr but faded badly.
The 1500 rankings is not the subject of this thread. It's about the middle distances overall, from 800 to two miles.
You may not care about indoors but you can't deny those races happened and they were part of this year. It would be inappropriate to ignore them when evaluating the 2024 middle distance runner of the YEAR.
Yes, we can use different criteria. I just don't understand why anyone would limit their focus to literally one season for a yearly award.
It’s not just LRC posters that don’t care about WIC!!!
It’s also Aregawi, Kejelcha, Girma, Cheptegei, Ingebrigtsen, Gebrhiwet, Kiplimo, Fisher, Ahmed, Lobalu, and other top 3/5/10K guys.
Cole ran faster and beat him twice in BIG races. Terrific year for King Cole.
Cole felt the need to mention he did not train for 3 days after the Olympics. I got a feeling there will be a steady stream of excuses as to why his Olympic form disappeared never to return. Think his conscience is getting to him?
Can I also remind you guys that Wanyonyi also crushed a road mile (like Kerr) way back in April? And now he is the second fastest ever at his event (unlike Kerr but not downhill or wind-aided). And he has a Gold medal.
You really have to take Wanyonyi over Kerr as well, if we are being honest.
I like Wanyonyi's candidacy better than Jakob's because Wanyonyi has been competing since March and won gold in the Olympics. It's important that the 2024 middle distance runner of the YEAR be someone who has competed for at least 5 months and has a middle distance gold medal from global championship competition.
The flaw with putting Wanyonyi ahead of Kerr is Wanyonyi has only performed better than Kerr at one distance this year, the 800. Kerr has performed better than Wanyonyi this year at 1500/mile and 3000/two miles. That's a decisive win for Kerr when looking at the entire middle distance spectrum of events from 800 to two miles.
Wanyonyi has a middle distance gold medal this year. Kerr has a middle distance gold medal AND a silver medal.
Wanyonyi didn't break any track world records this year. Kerr did.
When facing Hobbs Kessler in a road mile, Wanyonyi beat Kessler by less than 2 seconds. When Kerr faced Kessler in a road mile, Kerr beat Kessler by 8 seconds. Kessler tried to keep up with Kerr but faded badly.
Kerr is the winner.
Wanyonyi is a Kenyan, a demonstrated nation of sports dopers. That should automatically rule him out of discussion.
Who is your hurdler of the year? I would give it to a person who only raced the hurdles three times in a two month window.
7:17 is not getting your attention? It is a result that forces you to stop and think about what distance you are talking about. It doesn't even sound like a 3km time... So yes, If you break the greatest, oldest world record in the middle distances (by a lot) AND also run the only 3:26.x in twenty years, you are the best Middle Distance runner of that year.
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.
Who is your hurdler of the year? I would give it to a person who only raced the hurdles three times in a two month window.
7:17 is not getting your attention? It is a result that forces you to stop and think about what distance you are talking about. It doesn't even sound like a 3km time... So yes, If you break the greatest, oldest world record in the middle distances (by a lot) AND also run the only 3:26.x in twenty years, you are the best Middle Distance runner of that year.
Grant Holloway is the hurdler of the year. Hands down.
I already gave the 7:17 and 3:26 attention.
It wasn’t the first 3:26 in 20 years. It was the first 3:26 in 9 years.
Get your facts straight before you try to debate me.
Who is your hurdler of the year? I would give it to a person who only raced the hurdles three times in a two month window.
7:17 is not getting your attention? It is a result that forces you to stop and think about what distance you are talking about. It doesn't even sound like a 3km time... So yes, If you break the greatest, oldest world record in the middle distances (by a lot) AND also run the only 3:26.x in twenty years, you are the best Middle Distance runner of that year.
Grant Holloway is the hurdler of the year. Hands down.
I already gave the 7:17 and 3:26 attention.
It wasn’t the first 3:26 in 20 years. It was the first 3:26 in 9 years.
Get your facts straight before you try to debate me.
Grant Holloway? Okay, now you are being silly. He didn't even run a PR, let alone a WR. He hasn't PRed in three years. And I will know you are a troll if you tell me about his "indoor 60m hurdle record" that nobody cares about...
Sydney is the GOAT and ran TWO world records in the same season breaking her own previous world record!
Also, the 3:26 from 9 years ago has been thrown out because Kiprop was busted for doping! Get your facts straight.
1 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Roma 14.07.1998
2 3:26.12Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Bruxelles 24.08.2001
3 3:26.34 Bernard Lagat KEN 12.12.74 2 Bruxelles 24.08.2001
4 3:26.45 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1rA Zürich 12.08.1998
5 3:26.69 Asbel Kiprop KEN 30.06.89 1 Monaco 17.07.2015
6 3:26.73 Jakob Ingebrigtsen NOR 19.09.00 1 Monaco 12.07.2024
7 3:26.89 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1rA Zürich 16.08.2002
8 3:26.96 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Rieti 08.09.2002
Grant Holloway is the hurdler of the year. Hands down.
I already gave the 7:17 and 3:26 attention.
It wasn’t the first 3:26 in 20 years. It was the first 3:26 in 9 years.
Get your facts straight before you try to debate me.
Grant Holloway? Okay, now you are being silly. He didn't even run a PR, let alone a WR. He hasn't PRed in three years. And I will know you are a troll if you tell me about his "indoor 60m hurdle record" that nobody cares about...
Sydney is the GOAT and ran TWO world records in the same season breaking her own previous world record!
Also, the 3:26 from 9 years ago has been thrown out because Kiprop was busted for doping! Get your facts straight.
1 3:26.00 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Roma 14.07.1998
2 3:26.12Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Bruxelles 24.08.2001
3 3:26.34 Bernard Lagat KEN 12.12.74 2 Bruxelles 24.08.2001
4 3:26.45 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1rA Zürich 12.08.1998
5 3:26.69 Asbel Kiprop KEN 30.06.89 1 Monaco 17.07.2015
6 3:26.73 Jakob Ingebrigtsen NOR 19.09.00 1 Monaco 12.07.2024
7 3:26.89 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1rA Zürich 16.08.2002
8 3:26.96 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 14.09.74 1 Rieti 08.09.2002
Are you not able to distinguish between the performance of the year and the performer of the year? Sydney had the best hurdling performance. Holloway had the best hurdling YEAR. I know YOU are trolling for trying to debate that.
You are wrong about Kiprop. His 3:26 is still listed on the World Athletics all time list. He tested positive in 2017. His 3:26 is from 2015.
Kerr raced consistently from February to September. Jakob didn't start racing until the last week of May.
Yes and he had a hard winter of training on top of that. Jakob was injured over winter and started racing himself in to shape from the end of May. So Jakob has really only been racing for 3 months.
Everyone also acts like Kerr just sits around between racing. He doesn’t. He trains very hard and has a schedule designed to peak for key races. He was in peak shape much earlier this year - see the world record at the indoors. Then he needed to hold that peak - he won in May - then set a NR and silver at the Olympics. Of course he’s going to have the odd off race in the middle of that. And also not do loads of DLs
He finished his season by smashing the 5th Avenue mile record (a race he always does) 2 days after racing in Zurich (plus travel). I think he’s had a really good season.
Jakob stared much later and is basically peaking now. Only in the 1500 he is lacking that closing speed. Hence him being beaten quite a few times. The endurance is there for sure. Maybe he’ll peak just in time for the final.
This post was edited 7 minutes after it was posted.
You are being condescending by accusing me of trolling, by trying to dismiss a 43-year course record, and by not wanting to count Kerr's magnificent indoor season for an award that is supposed to be about the whole YEAR and not just a few months. How rude.
I think you still are trolling when you call me rude. But it’s OK by me -I get it that you are here to have some fun…
In my view Kerr had a break through that started in late fall 2023 (he told the training went very well at the time). And therefore he went for a long season, with an impressing indoor season, that confirmed that he had something going, and probably was the current best mid distance in the world (because Jakob, who quite consistently had been around 2 sec better than him in 2023 was seriously injured)…
In May 2024 Jakob surprised me by starting his season that early. So despite what you are claiming I think Jakob has had an extraordinary long season (given his injury background). And although Kerr was better than Jakob in May I was very surprised by the small gap Kerr had to Jakob. And I also disagree in your praise of Josh having a long season -I think he shows real weakness here by racing very little, and having to have very much time between his good performances, whereas Jakob, despite sickness, is able to concentrate his stellar races and also show longevity and consistency, whereas Josh ended his track season by a catastrophic loss (2 sec) to a sick Jakob. -Very weak!
Despite my reasoning above: Josh showed very good progress from his 2023 season in the mile in May, and I agree with Jakob that Josh showed here an ability to race in a decent way, and not only being a parasite. But it is striking that Jakob already in July was far better than Kerr (by running a 3.26 clearly way out of the Brit’s reach, even when the latter is paced 1450m).
Conclusion: Jakob had a far “longer” season than Josh -of course not in time, although all isn’t said and done yet, but in the amount of good races. And I haven’t even mentioned his 5000meters..! -Extremely good done of a guy that came from injuries and sickness vs a guy that has had a year of improvement and chill. And I’m sorry -this 3.44 is of course a win, but the time conversion just isn’t what you think…
I appreciate your efforts but once again you make extremely faulty comparisons. What advantage has Jakob had this outdoor season, especially these last few weeks over everyone else who has been competing the whole year? He's been FRESH because he didn't start racing until late May while they have been running on FUMES because they've been racing longer.
Take a closer look at some of the guys he beat in Silesia.
Aregawi ran cross country and started racing in January. Kejelcha ran a 26:37 10k on the roads back in March. Barega ran a full indoor season starting in February. T.H. Bekele raced indoors in February. Fisher has been racing since February.
You have to give more respect to someone like Kerr who has been racing since the winter like so many others when selecting the 2024 middle distance runner of the YEAR award. It's much more difficult to be magnificent for 7 months than for 3.5 months.
Your bias here is so extreme. -Yes, a long season can be exhausting. But don’t you see the context here -do you really think Jakob preferred being injured 5 months instead of full training and a full indoor season. Man, you really are breaking some records here!
Your bias here is so extreme. -Yes, a long season can be exhausting. But don’t you see the context here -do you really think Jakob preferred being injured 5 months instead of full training and a full indoor season. Man, you really are breaking some records here!
I tried to explain the same thing. Being injured and then running 3:26/7:17, getting Olympic Gold, a world record, and maybe the Diamond League title is more amazing because he did it coming off an injury.
Yes, Jakob missed indoors but when the season opener rolled around back in May, both he and Josh Kerr ran a very honest 3:45 at Pre (I was there). People were stunned that Jakob was already back and in the same shape as Kerr despite having had such a hard Winter.
p.s. Kerr 100% earned and deserved that win at Pre. He took control a lot sooner than we expected and controlled it in the end. Hats off to Kerr, for sure!
It's not about the number of competitions. It's about the length of the racing season. Do you even race? If you did, you would understand why it's way more difficult to produce magnificent racing performances for a span of 7 months than 3.5 months.
It’s way more difficult to excel the way Jakob has done when you come from a serious injury. Just see how Wightman has struggled. And Jakob has had seasons where he has been consistently good far far longer than 7 months. -Yes, even this current season may be far longer for Jakob than the 3.5 months you are talking about if Jakob does as he use to do (race Euro xc in December).