the 5 greatest mile runners of all time

Shameless Lagat erasure.

Your list is based on nothing other than who you liked. Some on your list do not make the top 10.

i have a question for my American friends on the forum. why does a nation that has 6 or 7 times as many people, with such a strong culture of running in school and college, fail to compete against a small island where running is not really a thing growing up at all? the most my school did was a 2 mile cross country run every week, there was no 'team'.

even now we have lesser runners than those listed such as Jake Wightman out performing every American 🤔

PEDs is the answer. The Brits are so skilled at usage of PEDs that even with their genetic defects they can produce good milers.

oh dear. i was hoping we could have a serious discussion.

We are having a serious discussion. Please try to engage here.

It is challenging to have a serious discussion with someone who is listing the best milers of all time but has NEVER even heard of Noureddine Morceli who ran 3:44 for the mile and was a 3X World Champion and also an Olympic Gold medalist.

I do like Cordner Nelson's criteria for greatness.

1) Break world records in their chosen event

2) Win an Olympic Gold ( I would add World Gold which was not around when Cordner made his criteria

3) Have an aura of invincibility.

Well, Steve Ovett never won the world or Olympic title. Bernard never broke a world 1500m/One mile record.

The invincibility aura is tricky. For example, because Ovett's , Coe's and Cram's careers overlapped, the invincibility thing was knocked side wards. For example, at the 1980/84 Olympics, Coe was not considered invincible. And, at the 1983 World Champs, I think Cram was only a very marginal favourite.

Though sadly short lived Noah Ngeny in my opinion is well up on the list. Had events happened otherwise he might of been on the very short list for #1

Noah Ngeny?

Oly Gold, 2nd fastest all time.

Herb Elliott had retired undefeated with a WR in an Olympic final at the age these guys were just getting going.

Real list:

1. El G

2. Morceli

3. Lagat

4. Ngeny (would likely have been #1 if not for his crash)

5. Cheruiyot

#5 may be somewhat controversial, but I maintain that Cheruiyot's 2019 WC race is one of the greatest 1500m races ever run. No super spikes (although they don't really matter for top-class 1500 racing), gun-to-tape solo 3:29. Completely uncontested in a field full of 3:28-3:30 men. If someone put Kiprop, I would not disagree (although I don't like including convicted dopers on all-time lists). I think there's also an argument for Kip Keino, Ryun, Bannister, Maree, Makhloufi, Elliot, Ovett, Cram, Coe, Kiplagat, or several others, but I consider them the second tier of all-time greats.

Walter George

Jim Ryun

El G

Mary Decker

Faith Kipyegon

Anyone hear of Jim Ryun?

It would be interesting to note the athletes who were at least outstanding favourites and then won an Olympic or World gold medal ( and set a mile or/and 1500m record

1948 Olympics Outstanding fav Strand - and equal holder of 1500m record - doesn't win gold

1952 Favourite, Bannister only comes 4th

1956 No outstanding favourite. Delaney wins bit never set world record

1960 Outstanding favourite and world record holder Elliott wins title and sets world record

1964 Outstanding favourite and world mile record holder ,Snell, wins.

1968 The world 1500/ one mile record holder Ryun favourite but questions mark over how the altitude might help Africans. Keino wins

1972 Outsider Vasala wins. he never holds record

976 Outstanding Favourite and world mile record holder Walker wins gold ( but main rival, and world 1500m record holder Bayi missing).

1980 Joint favourite Coe wins

1984 Coe wins, but a big surprise to many as form was dodgy in run up to games.
1988 No outstanding favourite, and outsider Peter Rono wins.
I

I’ll have a break there, but of the above only Elliott and Snell meet the Cordner criteria

1996 Morceli and 2004 El G also make the criteria. Walker, Lagat, Ngeny, and Coe probably have the best argument after those four.

A real student of the history of the sport??

In my opinion Lagat and Cheruiyot shouldn’t even be top 10. No Olympic Gold. Both Coe (two Olympic golds) and Cacho (Olympic gold and silver) should be on the list replacing these two.

1. jim spivey

2. steve holman

3. terrance harrington

4. greg whitely

5. charles marsala

that's my story and i'm sticking to it,

cush