Is Kipchoge the Babe Ruth or Barry Bonds of Marathons?

Bonds big workouts were jogging the bases after home runs. I don’t believe Kipchoge is doped.

Did you believe Bonds was?

Babe Ruth possibly, but if you had to pick the greatest statistical outlier in sport, that’s the Australian cricketer Don Bradman with a 99.94 test batting average when the second-best for anyone who’s played at least 20 matches is 61.87. Imagine a WR that’s 50% higher (or 33% quicker) than the second-best.

stats.espncricinfo.com

Records | Test matches | Batting records | Highest career batting average | ESPNcricinfo.com

Read about Records, / , Test matches, / , Highest averages Cricket Team Records only on ESPNcricinfo.com. Check the Stats & Records of Records, / , Test matches, / , Highest averages Players in ✓ Wicket keeper ✓ Batting ✓ Bow...

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how can anyone be this naïve still?

Different question, who would you say is “The Babe Ruth of the marathon?” I’d pick 7-time Boston winner Clarence DeMar, but that’s due to the eras more than anything.

en.m.wikipedia.org

Clarence DeMar

Clarence Harrison DeMar (June 7, 1888 – June 11, 1958) was a U.S. marathoner, winner of seven Boston Marathons, and Bronze medalist at the 1924 Paris Olympics. He was known by the nickname "Mr. DeMarathon." Biography DeMar wa...

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Reported the thead, as I'll now be doing to all threads alleging or hypothesizing with no basis in fact.

Also, shame on the Letsrun owners for their recent drug polls.

I'm tired of seeing every successful runner torn down and accused.

Kipchoge is better at the marathon than Babe was at baseball.

Also why is the author comparing Kipchoge to someone who competed over 100 years ago??? The 1900s are long gone, get with the times!!

Mentioning Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds in the same sentence is very insulting to the great Babe Ruth.

Kipchoge is Bonds, Abebe Bikila Ruth

Hmm, a great athlete who mysteriously gets even better, dominates his competitors, and breaks records in his mid to late 30’s. Yep, sounds like Barry Bonds!

I'd say he's more like the Mike Trout. GOAT but no one knows who he is or what he looks like.

The thing about Babe Ruth is he was a prime mover for economic throughput in the Roaring Twenties. He was more than a baseball player and more than a rags to riches story.

He was the reason people bought radios. He was the reason people fetched the newspaper. He was a reason people went to work in the factories (so they could afford radios, newspapers & tickets). He was a cultural icon that influenced the lifestyle that brought about things like The Great Gatsby.

When Ruth hit three homers in a doubleheader against the Washington Senators, (June or July in his first year as a Yankee) and was well on his way to setting the record for in season homeruns, the third went into the upper grandstand. All those New Yorkian eyes watching that ball float to the upper deck, those were vicarious eyes with belief infused synapses. Not just belief in The Babe but belief in the impossible.

Kipchoge and sub-2 is good, no doubt. But he didnt take the economy out of a recession like The Babe.

Kipchoge was World Champion at age 18 beating EL G and K. Bekele in the World Championships 5000, So he was Great most of his life, he probably could have won the USA Foot Locker Championships as a 10th Grader if he had went to High School in the USA and he might still have the High School 2 Mile and 5000 National Records, He would have beat all the Newbury Park Runners if he was in High School and age 15 to 17. So he was always great he just keeps going and omehow has avoided burning out like most good young runners

Yes, Kipchoge was great at a young age. So was Bonds, who got drafted to the pros straight out of high school, went to college instead and dominated at that level, and won 3 National League MVP awards by the time he was 28.

Like Kipchoge, Bonds was a consistent performer who kept going. Then at age 36, when his peers were declining, Bonds “somehow” got even better and broke the home run record. His age 36-39 years were by far the best of what was already a fantastic career. Sound familiar?

Since he ran 13:13 at age 17 I’d say that’s a fair assumption.

Mods, why in the world was this thread deleted? The OP was asking a question about the title of a story we wrote. Do not delete stuff simply because you think it's a stupid topic, particulary if it's running related.

"Had went?" Seriously?

Barry would be taken out of the game in the 7th or 8th inning because his excess weight made him slow on the basepaths and a defensive liability in left field. It looked like he was on the verge of pulling a hamstring anytime he had to sprint; it was cringy to watch. Everyone forgets this tradeoff as he was an all-around talent before he went really crazy with the steroids.

Their is no Kipchoge comparison…maybe he can’t break 1:50 for an 800m anymore? But that doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have a major, observable drop-off.