Bekele’s 2008 Olympic 5000m final was the GOAT performance - prove me wrong

yeah, can't argue with that...definitely my favourite and his best performance given the stage. Not just the last 5 laps but I think he led almost 9 laps of the race and just utterly dominated the competition. The last 2 km was 4:57 and last lap he opened up a 40m gap on Kipchoge with a 53 in which he started celebrating with 150m to go. Don't think anyone from any era could compete with him on that day

These also stood out.

2003 10,000m against Geb with a sub 13min second half

entertaining finish against Lagat in 2009

This was just golden league but the speed at the end was just mind boggling in a 12:48 race

Amazing performance, but Rudisha in London 2012 was even greater.

In terms of an actual race, I’ll also vote of Kipchoge’s WC win in 2003 and El G’s 1500 win in Athens as the two greatest races I’ve watched in terms of an uncertain finish until the very end against the best competition on the biggest stages.

Agreed, Rudisha takes the cake for greatest middle distance performance. Bekele for distance. With how thoroughly Bekele dominated a runner many like to falsely anoint the GOAT, and with how much “easier” it is to run a clean and steady 800 from the front, I’d argue Bekele’s performance still remains a better performance.

The latter two refer to the concept of better “races”, which is not relevant to this thread. Of course there have been tighter, more entertaining races including finals. But a greater PERFORMANCE from an athlete? Nope.

That was a very entertaining race. Bekele starts jogging with just over 3 to go when he sees he hasn’t gotten a gap he’s comfortable with. They run 2:14 (13:57 pace) from 3800-4600. And then…Bekele runs 38” for his final 300m. Wow.

Fair enough. Bekele is the distance goat and you have selected an ideal example. It’s true, the 800 and 5000 are apples and oranges. The London 800 final was insane, however. Rudisha of course broke his own wr, but I think everybody else in the race ran a personal best, one that none of them would ever match again. Has there ever been a race like that one?

Not quite true—Kaki didn’t run a PB, and while Aman did (marginally), he would improve upon it a few weeks later.

Still, 6/8 ain’t bad.

Thank you. I knew I should have looked it up before posting! Still, it was an insane race. Nick Symmonds at 1:42.9? Crazy……

Agreed. 200-600m was a 72s lap and he still ran 12:57, with a 53.x close while leading 3k+ of the race. I don't believe anyone in history was capable of beating Bekele on this day. Threw in a string of 59/60 second laps and then still closed like it was a tactical race.

Bekele was great, but there was at least one runner in history that could have beaten him that day, and that runner is Daniel Komen.

There is no shot Komen could run 53.x at the end of a 12:57 race. He was a grinder who had no kick and was not capable of running away from Bekele.

I'd vote for Rudisha, London 2012.

This is a great thread. I was thinking- While I was growing up we only had the Olympics. Then in 1983 we add the World Championships (they were every 4 years at first).

There weren't a lot of opportunities for GOAT Championship races (the 72 800 and 72 & 76 5 & 10's stand out).

Now, with a Global meet three out of every 4 years some of these performances kind of get lost in the shuffle.

I miss the anticipation of the quadrennial Global championships but I DO love that we have more opportunity to see these great races.

Now all we need is for the World Cross to come back to it's once great status.

Make that 2 runners in history. Bekele would have been down 6 seconds to Fisher at 3000m and would only have gained 2 seconds over the last 2000.

It was an incredible run. He learned the hard way in 2003 and 2004 not to leave a championship 5k to any kickers.

Peak Komen was one hell of a runner, but I think even he would have been left in Bekele’s wake on this day.

The amazing thing about his form in those Olympics is that I think he would have won any race 3000 - Half Marathon with that peak, with very few opponents who might give him a challenge at the two ends, but no competition in his sweet spot.

Why was my comment removed? It wasn't offensive. I'm just pointing out the milleneal thinking of the 'prove me wrong' thinking. How about prove yourself right. Thanks Mods.

You effectively used the “F word”—duh.