The top 800m guys vs the top 1500m guys in a 1000m

It's a good question because historically I would have always sided with the 1500m guys and for good reason - when you look at the alltime 1000m list the top 10 is predominantly (not exclusively but still predominant) 1500m studs (Ngeny, Coe, Cram, Makh, Morceli). But this was also back when the 1500m guys were more 8/15 guys (especially in the case of Coe who of course held the WR), but so much has changed in the last half decade as 1500m runners are more in the 1500,3k,5k mold as we have found that anaerobic threshold endurance is more important than anaerobic power in the event and this has even bled into the 800m as even paced running closer to threshold has seen a new plateau of performance created in the event globally.

My feeling is that right now the 800m guys would have the slight edge. Arop alone sits 5th on the alltime list just behind Makhloufi. The interesting thing is, I'm not sure if the 800m guys have quite enough 1500m/mile chops to run under 2.12 and I'm not sure if the 1500m/3k/5k guys have quite enough 800m chops to run under 2.12 either. I feel like Wanyoni and Arop, are the guys who can run in that mid 2.12 range - and mostly because we have seen them run at least competent 1500/mile races. Kessler I think has a shot at breaking 2.13 at 1.43/3.29 (similar to Cram but not quite as quick over 800m) and so does Hocker because I'm also sure his ability over 800m is well under 1.45. The other 800m guys I have no clue. The 1500 guys I don't see quite at that level. I really don't think there is much of a difference between Jakob, Yared, Josh - I think they can all run just under 2.14 as we know Wightmann can (or at least could and did at his peak).

Top 3?

Arop

Wanyoni

Hocker (just out-muscling Hobbs in the final 40)

winning time 2.12.41

With the current crop of runners I'd have to give it to the 800m guys. I'd probably think differently in most other eras.

I don't think Hocker/Jakob/Kerr/Nuguse/Kessler are matching up against a bunch of 1:41 guys, Wanyonyi/Sedjati/Arop/Hoppel, in a 1k.

Most often I'd give the advantage to the miler in a 1k - say if a 4:30 mile specialist is facing a 2:00 800m specialist in a high school 1000m - advantage goes to the miler.

Here in MA the standard indoor events at the high school level are 55-300-600-1000-mile-2mile. Generally the milers reign supreme at the 1k distance and have two events to choose from in indoor track while most of the 800m specialists favor the 600m (and outperform the 400m runners in that event). Outdoor distance runners have 4 events indoors while outdoor sprinters only have 2 events indoors (but also have the long jump). This is a good thing though, the 600m is a great stepping stone for finding 800m runners in the state. I feel a lot of better long sprinters end up moving up to the 800m outdoors after finding success in the 600m indoors, who otherwise probably would have been intimidated by the 800m and stuck to the 400m their whole high school career if they were already finding success at it.

An elite 800m runner sets the pace @1:45 could hang on til the 1k finish line. Would still be too far ahead of the 1500 runner closing the final 100m.

The 1500m runner goes out @1:47 and closes the gap on the 800m runner out ahead.

Excellent question. I am looking forward to more responses.

The 1k is such a great event (especially if started in a waterfall or double waterfall). I think it is way more interesting than both the 800m and 1500m from a tactical perspective. The brojo's famously say you have 1 move available in an 800, 2 moves available in a 1500... something that really does ring true for most runners. But in the 1k it really depends on the runner and their skillset - some have 1, some have 2, and I think it's hard for competitors and viewers to even know what a runner has in their toolbox any given day. Tactics are more variable in the 1k than the 800, which I feel the only tactics are to go out hard or not, due to the one move limitation. Like the 1k, there are more tactics available in the 1500m, but the longer length of race and availability of moves by all the runners make tactics or moves by other runners all coverable. You can be boxed in during a 1500, have someone make a big move, and still not have to worry too much about having distance or the space to cover it at some point in the race, while in the 800m and 1k it could end your chance of winning. In the 1000m, runners have multiple moves/tactics to their disposal, but each one of them is a whole lot more critical than in the 1500. I guess the 1k is best described as having all the tactics available as a 1500, but how they are deployed (or not deployed) all carry as much risk and criticality as moves in the 800m.

It would be nice if some of the meets like "ultimate world champs" or whatever they are calling it, the diamond league final, or world indoors would mix up the events a bit. We don't need to be running the 4/8/15/5k at every championship meet. The 1k would be at the top of my list to add. USA Indoors contests the 300/600/1k in years their isn't a world champs to qualify for (meet records held by Noah Lyles, Erik Sowinski, Clayton Murphy). We need more of that on the global level.