Daily Debate: If Mo Farah wins Tokyo 10,000 gold, will he be the GOAT of track distance runners?

I don't know, but I'm surprised how many people are counting Farah out!!! Idk if he'd be the favorite or not, but I would still give him a 20% chance to win in Tokyo. JMO.

I don't think he will turn up.

He most likely missed his shot at being the GOAT by refusing to chase fast times during his prime

John Wesley Harding wrote:

Close, but not quite wrote:

Too many others that are ahead of him. Nurmi, Viren, Puttemans, Geb, and Bekele to name a few.

Puttemans over Farah. Lol.

Not even in your 100.

Mo won’t win

Debate over

Aussiestatman wrote:

John Wesley Harding wrote:

Puttemans over Farah. Lol.

Not even in your 100.

Puttemans should be in the 100.

He was a hell of a distance runner.

Tron wrote:

I think the big difference to me is on top of that, Bekele basically ran every golden league race during those years and won. At one point after a loss to Lagat in 2006, Bekele went on to win close to 30 races in a row (don't have the exact number but that's what i recall reading) over the next few years.

Not correct. After 5 wins he lost twice . He also lost in 2007, 2008, 2009.

sky wrote:

Aussiestatman wrote:

Not even in your 100.

Puttemans should be in the 100.

He was a hell of a distance runner.

Puttemans should be in any top 50.

Mo is prolly the track GOAT regardless of how he does this summer. If Cheptegei wins double gold his argument is going to start to take shape. It's almost like Mo has a chance to defend his status if he wins gold at either. Cheptegei has the records but then has to stay in shape like this for another 3 years and then another 4 years and win gold during those next two Olympics to really eclipse him.

Stoppit Smith wrote:

No. I looked up specifics. 19-9-2

It's Mo now..no matter what he does

But I'm surprised still that nobody mentioned Haile.

What does 19-9-2 mean?

ukathleticscoach wrote:

A world record is not equal to Olympic Gold. Athletics is not a time trial.

Fernando Mamede

Dick Quax

Numerous other runners who would swap their record for Olympic Gold.

That does not mean Farah would be the GOAT because others have won multiple golds and world records.

So you're saying bolt would be the goat without a world record? Or that mo farah could've won all the same races bekele won? Anyone can win any race. See the rio 1500 for example. Not everyone can run a world record (bekele is only a few years older than farah Interestingly enough).

World records >>>>> titles even though I don't really respect cheptegeis we've light record

Farah winning the 10000 again would put him in the goat conversation for me because I've always had him in 3rd clearly behind bekele and haile

I thought Mo retires several years ago. He has an ego bigger than Trump's.

If Mo wins a 3rd gold in the Olympic 10,000, at his age, and against the reigning WR holder and other undeniable studs, it works for me. The fact he didn't chase times doesn't mean he wasn't capable.

Every athlete knows the date of the Olympics. For 100+ years, it is where you want to win in athletics, and he would have done it more over that distance than any other.

So yea, track GOAT, I'll concede. You guys don't think it's making a statement if he was to kick down Cheptegi, Kipruto, Kiplimo, etc to win a 3rd Olympic 10000 title after being off the track for several years?

A few things:

1. Mo is not going to win the Olympic 10K. I seriously doubt a race with at least 3 athletes capable of running faster times than Mo will make the mistake of allowing it to come down to a sprint finish. I will be the first to go the record and say Mo will not even medal at the Olympics.

2. Winning an Olympic goal medal is the ultimate, in fact I would place winning WC gold medal over setting a world record. I have never heard an athlete who has won a gold medal express major disappointment for not setting a WR, but I have head it the other way around. Case in point, the great Daniel Komen and Henry Rono set several records are are only known among hard care track fans.

3. If Bekele had not run another step after his track career, perhaps a case could be made. However, Bekele moved to roads and has exceled to the point where he is considered one of the worlds greatest marathoners. Mo would have to do more than win another Olympic 10K to supplant Bekele as the GOAT.

Always Zatopek

You weren’t paying attention. The thread is about track distance runner GOAT, so your remarks about Bekele’s road career are not particularly relevant.

If you are comparing someone who won multiple championships and set multiple world records to a person who won multiple championships and never set a single world record, I think the call is easy.

Mo is a brilliant competitor, but it's a bit of a stretch to even see him getting a silver let alone gold. So, Mo for the bronze.

A gold would not make him the GOAT.

Meanwhile, will the Olympics even take place this summer? Not so sure. I hope so!

John Wesley Harding wrote:

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot wrote:

Of course not! Silly question. Geb won more hardware and set more records, same for Bekele.

False in regards to significant hardware, especially if he were to win another Olympic gold.

True, though I also weight setting records and consider that he could win WXC and WMM races. He was great on the track and great in multiple phases as a distance runner. I know this thread is about track alone, but like someone else said Geb is first in our hearts and Bekele is also right there. Most people aren't going to separate out these things, just like they aren't going to separate out Mo and his performances from the shadiness of Salazar, Aden, etc. I don't believe Geb and Bekele were necessarily clean, but with Mo it just got to a level of obvious ridiculousness on a par with Wang Junxia.