The Magnificent Seven: Bekele, El Guerrouj, Lagat, Komen, Gebrselassie, Ingebrigtsen...Katir?

Oy vey...I can't put Katir there. Someone like Venuste Niyongabo deserves it over him. Mo Farah too.

Cheptegei needs to run ~3:33 to join this list? I'd be pretty surprised if he couldn't do that. Farah is 1262 (3:28) + 1235 (12:53) = 2497. So close.

If you're just taking the best two events, Cheptegei is 2608 over 5000 / 10000. That's going to win unless you go to sprints, where Bolt is 2708 for 100/200. Kipchoge has a lot of depth at 2575 over 5000 and marathon, but I think it's a safe assumption if he time trialed a half marathon on a fast course, he'd shatter his 59:25 best and that would replace the 5000 as his second highest point total.

THOUGHTSLEADER wrote:

Oy vey...I can't put Katir there. Someone like Venuste Niyongabo deserves it over him. Mo Farah too.

The numbers don’t lie, my friend. Farah = 2497 and Niyongabo = 2454.

Katir is better than them 😉

I disavow the numbers! Where do people think Katir would've finished had he opted for the 1500. Here are your tiers:

A- 1st beating Jakob

B- Outkicks Tim for Silver/ narrowly pips Kerr for Bronze

C- 4th-6th (Out of the medals but in the 3:29-mid, sub 3:31 realm)

D- 7th-12 in the final

E- Eliminated in Semis

F- Eliminated in Heats

My order of likelihood: C, D, B, E, A, F

John Wesley Harding wrote:

These seven runners belong to an exclusive club - their cumulative World Athletics scoring-tables points values for 1500 & 5k PBs exceed 2500 points.

1. El Guerrouj - 1302 (3:26) + 1246 (12:50) = 2548

2.Komen - 1252 (12:39) + 1285 (3:29) = 2537

3. Lagat - 1297 (12:53) + 1233 (3:26) = 2530

4. Ingebrigtsen - 1269 (3:28) + 1252 (12:48) = 2521

5. Gebrselassie - 1220 (3:31) + 1286 (12:39) = 2506

6. Katir - 1262 (3:28) + 1244 (12:50) = 2506

7. Bekele - 1211 (3:32) + 1294 (12:37) = 2505

There you have it: the seven greatest runners in history. Indisputable.

Seems pretty disputable to me. Many of these dudes were 5k/10k dudes who rarely raced the 1500. This list seems absurd with Katir and Jakob on it but missing Cheptegei, Kipchoge, Coe etc.

I think you need to take the best two events 800-10000 and maybe marathon and score it that way or something.

highhoppingworm wrote:

John Wesley Harding wrote:

These seven runners belong to an exclusive club - their cumulative World Athletics scoring-tables points values for 1500 & 5k PBs exceed 2500 points.

1. El Guerrouj - 1302 (3:26) + 1246 (12:50) = 2548

2.Komen - 1252 (12:39) + 1285 (3:29) = 2537

3. Lagat - 1297 (12:53) + 1233 (3:26) = 2530

4. Ingebrigtsen - 1269 (3:28) + 1252 (12:48) = 2521

5. Gebrselassie - 1220 (3:31) + 1286 (12:39) = 2506

6. Katir - 1262 (3:28) + 1244 (12:50) = 2506

7. Bekele - 1211 (3:32) + 1294 (12:37) = 2505

There you have it: the seven greatest runners in history. Indisputable.

Seems pretty disputable to me. Many of these dudes were 5k/10k dudes who rarely raced the 1500. This list seems absurd with Katir and Jakob on it but missing Cheptegei, Kipchoge, Coe etc.

I think you need to take the best two events 800-10000 and maybe marathon and score it that way or something.

Nah I was just messing with you

THOUGHTSLEADER wrote:

I disavow the numbers! Where do people think Katir would've finished had he opted for the 1500. Here are your tiers:

A- 1st beating Jakob

B- Outkicks Tim for Silver/ narrowly pips Kerr for Bronze

C- 4th-6th (Out of the medals but in the 3:29-mid, sub 3:31 realm)

D- 7th-12 in the final

E- Eliminated in Semis

F- Eliminated in Heats

My order of likelihood: C, D, B, E, A, F

This seems accurate.

highhoppingworm wrote:

John Wesley Harding wrote:

These seven runners belong to an exclusive club - their cumulative World Athletics scoring-tables points values for 1500 & 5k PBs exceed 2500 points.

1. El Guerrouj - 1302 (3:26) + 1246 (12:50) = 2548

2.Komen - 1252 (12:39) + 1285 (3:29) = 2537

3. Lagat - 1297 (12:53) + 1233 (3:26) = 2530

4. Ingebrigtsen - 1269 (3:28) + 1252 (12:48) = 2521

5. Gebrselassie - 1220 (3:31) + 1286 (12:39) = 2506

6. Katir - 1262 (3:28) + 1244 (12:50) = 2506

7. Bekele - 1211 (3:32) + 1294 (12:37) = 2505

There you have it: the seven greatest runners in history. Indisputable.

Seems pretty disputable to me. Many of these dudes were 5k/10k dudes who rarely raced the 1500. This list seems absurd with Katir and Jakob on it but missing Cheptegei, Kipchoge, Coe etc.

I think you need to take the best two events 800-10000 and maybe marathon and score it that way or something.

Fun discussion, I like this idea.

Said Aouita held both the 1500 and 5000 world records.

None of those greatest 7 did that.

WWRD wrote:

highhoppingworm wrote:

Seems pretty disputable to me. Many of these dudes were 5k/10k dudes who rarely raced the 1500. This list seems absurd with Katir and Jakob on it but missing Cheptegei, Kipchoge, Coe etc.

I think you need to take the best two events 800-10000 and maybe marathon and score it that way or something.

Fun discussion, I like this idea.

This is a great idea. I would guess that Cheptegei would come out on top with his world records in both 5k and 10k.

WWRD wrote:

highhoppingworm wrote:

Seems pretty disputable to me. Many of these dudes were 5k/10k dudes who rarely raced the 1500. This list seems absurd with Katir and Jakob on it but missing Cheptegei, Kipchoge, Coe etc.

I think you need to take the best two events 800-10000 and maybe marathon and score it that way or something.

Fun discussion, I like this idea.

Kipchoge 1261 for the 5K (12:46); 1315 for the marathon (2:01.39), so 2576. Kipchoge =🐐

Nope. Bekele comes out on top, with his 10k (1295 points) and his marathon (13:15 points) which is 2610 in total. I don't think any distance runner is over that.

THOUGHTSLEADER wrote:

I disavow the numbers! Where do people think Katir would've finished had he opted for the 1500. Here are your tiers:

A- 1st beating Jakob

B- Outkicks Tim for Silver/ narrowly pips Kerr for Bronze

C- 4th-6th (Out of the medals but in the 3:29-mid, sub 3:31 realm)

D- 7th-12 in the final

E- Eliminated in Semis

F- Eliminated in Heats

My order of likelihood: C, D, B, E, A, F

Given how terrible he looked in the 5000 I am going with D, C, E, B, F, A

Star wrote:

Said Aouita held both the 1500 and 5000 world records.

None of those greatest 7 did that.

He also held the 3000 record. I believe he is the only one to hold all 3 since Hagg? But I could be wrong.

Trucker Hat wrote:

WWRD wrote:

Fun discussion, I like this idea.

This is a great idea. I would guess that Cheptegei would come out on top with his world records in both 5k and 10k.

Ugh, fine.

This new list includes marks at 800, 1500, 3000, 5000, and 10,000 on the track.

The 2500 club:

1. Joshua Cheptegei 1306 (26:11) + 1302 (12:35) = 2608

2. Kenenisa Bekele 1295 (26:17) + 1294 (12:37) = 2589

3. Hicham El Guerrouj 1302 (3:26) + 1283 (7:23) = 2585

4. Daniel Komen 1299 (7:20) + 1285 (12:39) = 2584

5. Haile Gebrselassie 1287 (26:22) + 1286 (12:39) = 2573

6. Noureddine Morceli 1282 (3:27) + 1270 (7:25) = 2552

7. Bernard Lagat 1297 (3:26) + 1245 (7:29) = 2542

8. Jacob Kiplimo 1268 (26:33) + 1261 (7:26) = 2529

9. Jakob Ingebrigtsen 1269 (3:28) + 1258 (7:27) = 2527

10. Paul Tergat 1247 (12:49) + 1278 (26:27) = 2525

11. Asbel Kiprop 1292 (3:26) + 1231 (1:43) = 2523

12. Sebastian Coe 1275 (1:41) + 1248 (3:29) = 2523

13. Ali Saidi-Sief 1271 (7:25) + 1252 (3:29) = 2523

14. Yomif Kejelcha 1263 (7:26) + 1259 (12:46) = 2522

15. Sileshi Sihine 1259 (26:39) + 1258 (12:47) = 2517

16. Selemon Barega 1273 (12:43) + 1243 (26:49) = 2516

17. Mohamed Katir 1262 (3:28) + 1254 (7:27) = 2516

18. Eliud Kipchoge 1259 (12:46) + 1254 (7:27) = 2513

19. Taoufik Makhloufi 1263 (3:28) + 1247 (1:42) = 2510

20. Mo Farah 1262 (3:28) + 1248 (26:46) = 2510

21. Ronald Kwemoi 1262 (3:28) + 1247 (7:28) = 2509

22. Mohammed Mourhit 1261 (7:26) + 1248 (12:49) = 2509

23. Salah Hissou 1262 (26:38) + 1246 (7:28) = 2508

24. Yenew Alamirew 1257 (7:27) + 1251 (12:48) = 2508

25. Hagos Gebrhiwet 1262 (12:45) + 1244 (26:48) = 2506

26. Stewart McSweyn 1252 (3:29) + 1252 (7:28) = 2504

27. Timothy Cheruiyot 1269 (3:28) + 1232 (1:43) = 2501

28. Abdelaati Iguider 1262 (3:28) + 1239 (7:30) = 2501

something is wrong if Kipchoge is only 18th

No, nothing is wrong. This is not a subjective list of greatest distance runners. This is merely one simple statistical metric related to PBs at 5 key events on the track.

Marathon is not included.

trivial pursuit wrote:

Star wrote:

Said Aouita held both the 1500 and 5000 world records.

None of those greatest 7 did that.

He also held the 3000 record. I believe he is the only one to hold all 3 since Hagg? But I could be wrong.

Aouita held the 1500m, 2000m, 3000m, 2 mile and 5000m record all at the sane time.