Who is the Michael Jordan of endurance running?

No. It is Kate Tuohy.

There isn’t one.

Whoever it is, when they find the guy who kicked his axe, we'll know who the Larry Bird of endurance running is.

We'd probably need to see which on high jumps, long jumps, and hurdles the best.

Bekele

Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, Seb/Steve (Bannister), Aouita/Geb/Bekele (Bikila), El Guerrouj, Kipchoge, Jakob.

probably from this group down to:

Shorter v Bekele

and winner is Shorter.

Being American helps, and Shorter most closely identified with the start of running boom. Bekele if discussion on pure performance.

To be the goat, he needs ATLEAST 4 Olympic Golds, 4-6 World Titles, atleast two of the three records (1500, Mile, 5000m), and 5 more seasons of dominance in either the 1500/5000m. If he does that, he is the Goat undisputed.

Rupp

https://www.instagram.com/mj_of_track?igsh=bHNqampscG42aGkw

Not even a discussion

Someone already said this, but it's Bekele. He's got the stats (multiple world records that are barely getting beaten with wavelights/supershoes) and the championship records to be the endurance GOAT. I think Bekele's string of world XC victories mirrors the double 3-peats that Jordan achieved, plus he's also got the 3 Olympic golds from one of distance running's most competitive eras

Someone who was the best of their time but has since been surpassed besides casuals still claiming they are the GOAT?

Geb.

Gotta be Kipchoge. Bekele, Gebrselassie, and Jakob never broke through with the casual public in the way Kipchoge did.

People who don’t know or follow endurance running were awed by Kipchoge.

Lindgren

Kipchoge & Paula

end of thread

Lasse Viren - won the 5000/10000 double in back to back Olympics (1972 & 1976).

In order to be Michael Jordan, this person would have to inspire, innovate, capture a crowd's interest and never quit being great.

Your Michael Jordan is Emil Zatopek

He inspired future runners, created an extreme training plan that many try but can't finish, was exciting to fans because of his zeal for competition and never let up.

No runner in this current era has Zatopek's work ethic except maybe Nico Young and Grant Fisher.

Scott Jurek. Next question

I would say Henry Rono. Overhyped and would get slammed by college runners.

It's not really a fair comparison because the sports of basketball has changed so much in the last 3 decades and the sport of track has just recently gotten faster.

"Prime" MJ would get cooked by 17 year old Cooper Flagg (and most NBA players), you can't really say that about any running GOATs like Bekele.