Craig Mottram’s 2006 season is something you’d NEVER see from an American in 2022/2023

who?

American's can't compete in the commonwealth games, short course world xc doesn't exist, and beating bekele in a 3k wouldn't be very impressive since he mostly runs marathons lately. So yeah, we won't see an american do that in 2022/2023.

Um, Grant Fisher surpassed Mottrams achievements many times over in 2022. Fisher is actually one of the all time greats in 5000 & 10000 now.

#2 and #3 are haters. What OP means is that Mottram raced with BALLZ every chance he got. Americans just don't do that anymore. No one does for that matter. Name me one current runner like Mottram who would throw down anytime anywhere just because the race was hot. It all started when Galen skipped XC because the course was hard...

We are talking about Mottram's Comm games 5k and Pre 2 mile more than 15 years later. What race has Fischer run that we will talk about in 15 years? Time trial 10k? Yeah right. People remember emotional performances, not fast times.

Showing your age, in the same era Gran fisher couldn’t hold Mottrams spikes.

Mottram was the ONLY non African who could compete w them above 1500m for several years

mottram even had a mullet a good 15 years before they were popular again.

dude just had it!

All time greats? Ummmm... no global medal yet at age 25, over 3 seconds per mile behind the two WRs. And you are comparing him to Bekele and Haile and Farah and Cheptegei. Sure, why not, fans will be fans.

Why’d you have to do this. Fisher is doing great things - but Mottram was an absolute animal. Took it to anyone anytime at any distance. His Commonwealth 5k and Pre 2 mile are legendary.

Let’s see what Fisher does the next couple years. Perhaps you’ll wind up right.

Mottram’s best Olympic finish was 8th. Fisher placed 5th in his first Olympic appearance. Fisher is better.

LOL…

show me fishers 4:50 2k?

show me fishers 3:48 mile?

Given technology

show me fishers Bronze medal in WC 5k against the deepest groups of Africans the sport ever saw….

show me fishers wins against Bekele, and Geb in the 5k?

hell show me how fisher actually ran races and not time trials

Mottram did that all in the PRE super shoe / super tracks era

mottram RACED…. Fisher time trialed.

motttam was at WXC every year duking it out. Fisher time trials three times a year. If that

Great runner....not sure about his future as a coach with ON.

Fisher defeated world record holder and defending Olympic 5K champion Joshua Cheptegei at this year’s world championships 5K, and he defeated the defending Olympic 10K champion Selemon Barega at this year’s world championships 10K. Mottram never defeated any world record holders or defending Olympic champions at a global championship final.

Fisher’s times are superior at 3K, 5K, and 10K, even accounting for shoe tech. Fisher is currently 7th all-time on the 10K list. Mottram was never in the all-time top 10 in a championship event.

Fisher is better.

Mottram was AWESOME. Sadly I believe he was on drugs. Either way he burned very bright and very quickly.

Mottram was great. He got a World Championships bronze medal in the 5,000 m in Helsinki in 2005. But Rupp got an Olympic bronze medal in the 10,000 m London in 2012 and an Olympic bronze medal in Rio in 2016 in the Marathon. I think most would give the edge to Rupp.

Now do World Championships.

Fisher is an incredible athlete and a class act, but Mottram is ahead of him and it's not even a debate.

Number of global medals to Fisher: 0

Number of global medals to Mottram: 1 - World Championships 5000m 2005.

P.S I think in order to accurately compared the two, you'd need to add up their tallies of international wins.

Given that Fisher races once every 14 years, there aint gonna be a whole lot in his column.

Two totally different athletes. Mottram was a mid-distance guy with his massive frame and Fisher is a distance runner...

Mottram - 3:33.97, 7:32.19, 12:55.76, 27:34.48

Fisher - 3:35.53, 7:28.48, 12:46.96, 26:33.84

Mottram simply could not hang at his height/weight.

Mottram was awesome. He ran at the top level for a number of years and always tried to give himself a chance to win. Like Fisher, many times in championship races or huge meets he finished behind the leaders after putting up a good performance. It is a bit unfair to judge the full career of a 42 year old against a 25 year old just coming into his peak. Also nothing Grant Fisher or anyone else ever does will make Craig Mottram any less a legend.

That said, compare Fisher's 2022 season (11 races) with Mottram's PRs.

3k - Fisher 7:28, Mottram 7:32

5k - Fisher 12:46 (12:53 indoors), Mottram 12:55

10k - Fisher 26:33 (27:28 in a championship final), Mottram 27:34.

As I said earlier, Fisher or any other American couldn't duplicate Mottram's 2006 season, but there were a few misfires for Mottram that year like a 17th place in a 1500 in Brussels, and a 15th place in a 3000 in Monaco, and a 7th place at Crystal Palace in a 5000. Also he only finished 11th in World XC short course, 8 seconds and 5 places behind American Adam Goucher.

Sure but didn’t this guy also cut his career short due to injuries? An exceptional talent and incredibly race-savvy, would have loved to have see n him qualify for the 2008 Olympics final.