I've seen a lot of value placed on 800m times and speculation about what a 400m sprinter could do in an 800m (an event that matters much more). So I vote 800m.
If you count them as 1, the favorite is probably the 1500/mile. It's a distance website, and the 1500 is at the bottom end of distance, so it's easier to watch than a 5k or 10k. The best guy in the World, and most exciting to watch, is Jakob, who's focusing on the 1500. He's one of the most exciting personalities the sport has had recently, and Kerr is now right up there with him talking sht. There's also been the crazy storyline of 2 Brits from the same track club pulling huge upsets to win at WCs the last 2 years. Beyond that, Letsrun is a US dominated website, and it's definitely the most loaded event the US has today with Nuguse/Hocker/Kessler all young and already all world class (all medaled at World Indoors, all have run 3:48 or faster). Plus with Centro/Lagat, it's the most competitive event we've had for a long time. And of course there's always discussion about the HS sub-4 milers, both in HS and college.
Respected? Idk maybe the 800? Just because people say it's so painful. Personally I used to run most of my races like an 800 (massive positive split), so I consider every race/event/distance painful. FWIW I always see people say to "respect the marathon", but it's not a track event. I think it's more often that specific performances are respected. Fernandez's CA State course record. Wanjiru's Olympic Marathon win. Sifan Hassan's Olympic triple/London win + WCs + Chicago. Jakob's DL final double. The kinds of performances that get brought up every time a "What's the most impressive X of all time?". There was a lot of discussion about Komen's 3k/2-mile records being the strongest up until Jakob ran 7:54.
This post was edited 4 minutes after it was posted.
This might be a controversial opinion, but I just feel it's the 10k. It's the runner's distance.
A lot of people may say something shorter, like the 1500m, 800m, or even the 100m. Those events seem (and are) more popular with the masses. The 1500m is particularly exciting right now, which gives it a boost, along with its appeal as the "metric mile". The 10k is long, sometimes boring, and there's an undercurrent here that it's nerdy and uncool (which is probably true).
But look at revealed preferences. Rudisha, El Guerrouj, Bekele, Kipchoge: all of them relatively recent, all historically dominant in their events. An argument could be made for any of the four having the greatest career. Yet Bekele is held above the rest in reverence: he's seen as the consensus GOAT of distance running. As Geb was before him. El Guerrouj in particular has a great case as overall GOAT, but he's NEVER talked about that way.
As another example, Centrowitz was objectively more successful than Rupp on the global stage, but who was talked about more, whose accomplishments caused more excitement? Rupp, by a long ways. It's not about Rupp or Centro personally (although a lot was about them personally...), it's about seeing an American in contention on the global stage in the 10k.
Compare Jenny Simpson and Kara Goucher. The former was far more successful, but never got fully feted here, despite her global gold and silver. It's very cool, but the 1500 is the 1500 and the 10k is the 10k.
I don't think I did this argument justice, but I've felt for a very long time that the 10k is THE EVENT in the minds of LetsRun, but that it's more of an undercurrent than something explicitly mentioned.
I've seen a lot of value placed on 800m times and speculation about what a 400m sprinter could do in an 800m (an event that matters much more). So I vote 800m.
The contest to be the "first non-African-Born finisher" in any distance 1500 and up. It only matters on letsrun, but in this niche community, it's the most effective way to earn respect.
I think it’s gotta be either the 1500/mile or the 5k. The simple reasons for that are:
-Most everyone who visits the site has some experience with those events, whereas the latecomer hobbyists may know nothing of the 800, and the young miler or the 5k/10k diehard has never raced the marathon.
-Largely related, they’re in the meaty center of the LRMB events focus. We talk about the sprints and ultras occasionally, and of course some prefer the 800 or the marathon, but 1500/mile/5k are the distances that nearly everyone here takes a serious interest in.
You can throw out anything beyond the marathon and anything 400 and below from the discussion. You can disregard the steeple as well. The marathon gets too much disrespect from posters (mostly younger ones, probably) who consider it an event for runners who can no longer compete on the track, or lack the talent for shorter distances, and as the event worshipped by “hobby-joggers” but not “real runners” (a lot of resentment for people sharing their 4 hour marathon on social media, no doubt). The 10,000 is out because a significant number of LetsRunners think it should be cut from the Olympics and replaced by XC or a half marathon, and that even as runners they find watching a 25 lap race boring, and that the winner is usually the best 5k guy anyway. XC is out because “nobody cares about it at the pro level,” which has considerable truth to it, and for some “it’s really just a season for laying down a good base for track.” Half marathon and 3k are out because they’re non-Olympic “‘tweener” distances. So it’s down to 1500/mile or 5k.
@Peach Pit: people often say “respect the distance” regarding the marathon, but they don’t mean to revere the event more than other races—they mean you need to properly train, fuel, and pace yourself over 42.195.
I think it’s gotta be either the 1500/mile or the 5k. The simple reasons for that are:
-Most everyone who visits the site has some experience with those events, whereas the latecomer hobbyists may know nothing of the 800, and the young miler or the 5k/10k diehard has never raced the marathon.
-Largely related, they’re in the meaty center of the LRMB events focus. We talk about the sprints and ultras occasionally, and of course some prefer the 800 or the marathon, but 1500/mile/5k are the distances that nearly everyone here takes a serious interest in.
You can throw out anything beyond the marathon and anything 400 and below from the discussion. You can disregard the steeple as well. The marathon gets too much disrespect from posters (mostly younger ones, probably) who consider it an event for runners who can no longer compete on the track, or lack the talent for shorter distances, and as the event worshipped by “hobby-joggers” but not “real runners” (a lot of resentment for people sharing their 4 hour marathon on social media, no doubt). The 10,000 is out because a significant number of LetsRunners think it should be cut from the Olympics and replaced by XC or a half marathon, and that even as runners they find watching a 25 lap race boring, and that the winner is usually the best 5k guy anyway. XC is out because “nobody cares about it at the pro level,” which has considerable truth to it, and for some “it’s really just a season for laying down a good base for track.” Half marathon and 3k are out because they’re non-Olympic “‘tweener” distances. So it’s down to 1500/mile or 5k.
@Peach Pit: people often say “respect the distance” regarding the marathon, but they don’t mean to revere the event more than other races—they mean you need to properly train, fuel, and pace yourself over 42.195.
I agree, but I think 'respect the distance' comes from the fact that a blowup is going to be so much worse than a blowup in any other race. If you're in a track 5000 and blow up (typically around 3000-3600 or so) you have 4-5 minutes left. If you're truly sick, you can just DNF. In a marathon, if you're not well trained, the wheels will fall off at 20 miles and it's a long slog to the finish.
I agree, but I think 'respect the distance' comes from the fact that a blowup is going to be so much worse than a blowup in any other race. If you're in a track 5000 and blow up (typically around 3000-3600 or so) you have 4-5 minutes left. If you're truly sick, you can just DNF. In a marathon, if you're not well trained, the wheels will fall off at 20 miles and it's a long slog to the finish.
For sure, it’s just two sides of the same coin: respect the distance by training, fueling and pacing properly, or it’s really gonna be rough out there.
I agree, but I think 'respect the distance' comes from the fact that a blowup is going to be so much worse than a blowup in any other race. If you're in a track 5000 and blow up (typically around 3000-3600 or so) you have 4-5 minutes left. If you're truly sick, you can just DNF. In a marathon, if you're not well trained, the wheels will fall off at 20 miles and it's a long slog to the finish.
Elites just DNF marathons in that situation... more of a short golf cart ride to the finish
I agree, but I think 'respect the distance' comes from the fact that a blowup is going to be so much worse than a blowup in any other race. If you're in a track 5000 and blow up (typically around 3000-3600 or so) you have 4-5 minutes left. If you're truly sick, you can just DNF. In a marathon, if you're not well trained, the wheels will fall off at 20 miles and it's a long slog to the finish.
Elites just DNF marathons in that situation... more of a short golf cart ride to the finish
If you’re a hobbyjogger on Boston it’s a 2 hour walk.