America's Best Distance Runner May Be Someone You've Never Heard Of

3 posts in and this thread is already off-topic. shame. As for Teshome, I predict he finishes top 5 in Orlando but doesn't make the team getting beat by some combination of Mantz, Fauble, Panning, and Montanez (also wouldn't be too surprised if Rupp makes the team)

CJ Albertson is making the Olympic team after he smokes Mantz and Fauble. Rupp will be a DNF

Nice story but I don’t think he’s even close to being America’s best distance runner. He’s not better than Grant Fisher, and Galen Rupp with a bad back ran a much faster marathon this year than Mekonen.

Statistically speaking it is likely the best runner doesn't even run. The amount of things that have to line up for an elite athlete to realize their potential is hard to account for. Some kid that could run a sub 2 if they were able to dedicate their life to training could have been shot on a stoop by a random bad guy when they were 3 or could have been born into poverty and end up addicted to drugs. How many Einsteins were born into the developing world to waste their potential in a remove village?

Then they wouldn't be the best runner now would they?

Well that’s a nice theory, certainly.

I have to say the same thing Nike did: I need to see more. If he's talking about 2:08 in spring, let's see 2:08 in spring.

(Possibly the only time the suits in Beaverton and I are in agreement.)

I vaguely remember him from when this happened.

flotrack.org

WATCH: Silas Kipruto Tries To Slap Opponent Mid-Race - FloTrack

At the Bix 7 mile road race yesterday in Davenport, Iowa, Silas Kipruto of Kenya reached behind him and tried to slap Teshome Mekonen of Ethiopia.

Link:www.flotrack.org/articles/5053806-watc...

Isai Rodriguez?

"American"

Greeted by three removed posts; this is going to be interesting.

Does he go in and out of Ethiopia to get the sauce? There was an Olympic medalist in the marathon who came to the US immediately after and he never did anything of substance in elite running again. Wake me up if he beats Dion Marquise Hayes or makes the olympic team. Until then, it's all hype.

I’ve heard of Grant Fisher

Agreed.

Grant Fisher is far and away the best distance runner in the United States and is one of the top guys in the world.

My guess, if he were to race on the roads from 5k through half marathon, he would break all of those US records without having to adjust his track based training this next year if he so desired.

Marathon is much more training specific, different, and harder to predict for any athlete. Nevertheless, my feeling is that down the road Fisher could also be a force in the marathon on the world stage.

such blatant baiting

welcome to the family, teshome. you're what makes america great

That title is correct. There are probably a lot of people walking around that have no idea that they can run distances very fast. Sprints is a little different as the talent is identified early like at the elementary school field day 50 yard race. We find potential sprinters easier.

If Ed Eyestone had just been a little bit better at baseball then his high school baseball coach wouldn't have cut him and he most likely would have never ran xc & track.