Does Nico Young have the best range of any US runner ever?

Peach Pit wrote:

Official PBs of 1:47.65/3:34.56/7:37i/12:57i/26:52. Pretty sure the normal picks are:

Rupp - 1:49/3:34.1/8:07i/12:58/26:44/59:47/2:06:07 - Faster 1500, 3k, 10k, half marathon and marathon. Worse at 800 and 5k.

Lagat - 3:26 or 3:29/8:09i/12:53/27:48r/62:00 - Way better at the mile lol, faster at 3k, faster at 5k, definitely not better above 5k.

I think Nico has better range than either of them. I can already hear you old people saying "bUt LaGaT wAs a DoUbLe wOrLd cHaMpiOn aNd rUPp goT siLvEr aNd bRoNzE", and while that is true, it's also true that Nico is 21 and already basically better than Rupp. Put Nico in a 3:29 race and he runs 3:31 or faster. Put him in a 12:40 race and he runs 12:45. Put him in a 26:30 race and he runs 26:30.

If you think this comparison is crazy, it'll make more sense after Nico medals this summer.

Peach Pit wrote:

Official PBs of 1:47.65/3:34.56/7:37i/12:57i/26:52. Pretty sure the normal picks are:

Rupp - 1:49/3:34.1/8:07i/12:58/26:44/59:47/2:06:07 - Faster 1500, 3k, 10k, half marathon and marathon. Worse at 800 and 5k.

Lagat - 3:26 or 3:29/8:09i/12:53/27:48r/62:00 - Way better at the mile lol, faster at 3k, faster at 5k, definitely not better above 5k.

I think Nico has better range than either of them. I can already hear you old people saying "bUt LaGaT wAs a DoUbLe wOrLd cHaMpiOn aNd rUPp goT siLvEr aNd bRoNzE", and while that is true, it's also true that Nico is 21 and already basically better than Rupp. Put Nico in a 3:29 race and he runs 3:31 or faster. Put him in a 12:40 race and he runs 12:45. Put him in a 26:30 race and he runs 26:30.

If you think this comparison is crazy, it'll make more sense after Nico medals this summer.

Blank231 wrote:

Rupp's track times were all pre supershoes and he did not run the 800m much. Young also has been training at 7000ft all 4 years of school.

Dwightarm wrote:

Super excited for Nico but agree with the others: they are not equal comparisons because of super shoes.

That being said, with the trajectory Nico is on, I have no doubt he will surpass Rupp’s performances on the track.

Jonathan Commentor wrote:

Blank231 wrote:

Rupp's track times were all pre supershoes and he did not run the 800m much. Young also has been training at 7000ft all 4 years of school.

agree, disagree, disagree.

Yes, Rupp would've been much faster in supershoes.

Altitude existed pre 2021. Rupp had the option to train/live and altitude just as long as Nico, and he also had the option to race the 800 more frequently.

Blank231 wrote:

Rupp's track times were all pre supershoes and he did not run the 800m much. Young also has been training at 7000ft all 4 years of school.

6 blahs wrote:

Webb should also be considered: 1:43, 3:46, 13:10, 27:36.

what..? wrote:

so from 800-10k nico is only better than rupp at 800m and by 5k (barely) and I'd say rupps 5k PB is pretty soft relative to what he was capable of. rupp is as of right now better at both the half and the full.

Lagat is better from 800-5k, and given the fact that we never saw lagat run a 10k in his prime (his PR is from 2016) I'd say theres a good chance it would be a lot closer had he had reason to move up sooner.

Grant fisher is better 1500-10k, and has only ran 4 800s in his life as far as I can tell 3 of which were in high school.

those guys all for sure have better range, and I could be missing some. he's becoming a star before our eyes, but lets not get carried away.

Blank231 wrote:

Rupp's track times were all pre supershoes and he did not run the 800m much. Young also has been training at 7000ft all 4 years of school.

Do Not Forget wrote:

Blank231 wrote:

Rupp's track times were all pre supershoes and he did not run the 800m much. Young also has been training at 7000ft all 4 years of school.

...and Lagat was a drug cheat who escaped due to PC politics.

Peach Pit wrote:

Official PBs of 1:47.65/3:34.56/7:37i/12:57i/26:52. Pretty sure the normal picks are:

Rupp - 1:49/3:34.1/8:07i/12:58/26:44/59:47/2:06:07 - Faster 1500, 3k, 10k, half marathon and marathon. Worse at 800 and 5k.

Lagat - 3:26 or 3:29/8:09i/12:53/27:48r/62:00 - Way better at the mile lol, faster at 3k, faster at 5k, definitely not better above 5k.

I think Nico has better range than either of them. I can already hear you old people saying "bUt LaGaT wAs a DoUbLe wOrLd cHaMpiOn aNd rUPp goT siLvEr aNd bRoNzE", and while that is true, it's also true that Nico is 21 and already basically better than Rupp. Put Nico in a 3:29 race and he runs 3:31 or faster. Put him in a 12:40 race and he runs 12:45. Put him in a 26:30 race and he runs 26:30.

If you think this comparison is crazy, it'll make more sense after Nico medals this summer.

6 blahs wrote:

Webb should also be considered: 1:43, 3:46, 13:10, 27:36.