There is no doubt that Sebastian Coe is to this day the best runner of all time pound for pound. Look at the times that he was putting up back in the day and you should agree. I mean 1:41.73, 2:12.18, 3:29.77, 3:47.33!! I mean, those times are rediculous. He would blast El Guerrouj out of the water. Yeah, El Guerrouj has run faster, but come on; If Coe ran now.... I say that he would be 1:40.65, 2:09.89(1K), 3:24.32, 3:41.53(MILE!!).. OUCH!
Yes he was great, maybe the best 800m/1500m guy of all time but the one thing that is missing for him to be seen as complete middle distance/distance runner is the fact that he never really managed anything special over the mile distance. In fact, correct if I am wrong anyone, I'm not sure if he ever managed under 14 minutes for the 5k.
Coe spent a hell of a lot of time in the lab, he was the Ivan Drago of Miling, unlile Ovett who was a far more natural specimen, who could demolish world class fields at 10k on the road and still run 3.30 in the summer.
I'm a fan of him because he had just average talent but with desire,knowledge and the help of his father he became on of the best middledistance runners of all-time.
He started running at the age of 13 or so and his pb at the age of 15 was 4:25!!!But he improved every year and @ 20-21 he was one of the best runners in the world.
Kevin Sullivan ran 1:51 and 3:54 as a 15-year old!!!.
It's strange that somebody who can run 1:51 at that age has now, 14 years later "just" can run 4 second quicker.
There are thousands of 4:25 15-year olds and one of them has showed "us" that it's possible to be world-record holder without to be a superprodigy.
Coe is one of the greats -- but I think Gebrselassie deserves the title of greatest of all time.
Double Olympic golds (perhaps triple next year)
17 WRs
World Indoor Champion 1500m/3000m(2)
World Outdoor Champion 10000m(4)
Olympic Champion 10000m(2)
1500m(i) 3:31.76 (2nd only to el Guerrouj)
3000m(i) 7:26.15 (2nd only to Komen)
2mile(i) 8:04.xx (WR)
5000m(i) 12:50.38 (WR)
3000m 7:25.09 (3rd all time)
5000m 12:39.36 (WR)
10000m 26:22.75 (WR)
Marathon 2:06:35 (9th all-time)
To have that kind of competitive range from 1500m to the marathon and everything inbetween is unrivaled by any other runner in history.
Yea those times are great, but rember they were run on a synthetic track. Yea he did spend lots of time in the lab, like Ivan Drago. Dont know if id like to be compared to him because he was "pumped up". I think coe was on something too.
Now Snell ran very close to those times on grass and Cinder tracks. He ran some fast races on a 300m grass track without splits!
Coe and Ovett were great runners. I have always considered Coe one of the (if not the number 1) greatest middle distance runners in history. I did have the opportunity to meet both of them and Ovett was simply a class act. Coe seemed somewhat full of himself...
Shut the hell up little man, you probably weren't even born during the days of Coe/Ovett.
Your right i wasnt, but what does that have to do with anything. I wasn't alive during lots things but that dont mean i dont know about them.
Coe had the most perfect running form I've ever seen. They used to call his style "poetry in motion". Just look at any late-race photos of him. He always looks smoother than anyone else in the race. He also had the best kick of any miler I've ever seen.
Last weekend I watched the Bislett Games on CBC and they showed clips of some of the world records set there over the years. I've gotta' say that watching Coe & Ovett cruise their last laps with little discernable effort was so inspiring. I think both should be remembered as amoung the greatest runners ever and the best from their era...
trackhead wrote:
Coe is one of the greats -- but I think Gebrselassie deserves the title of greatest of all time................
I can only BUT agree ... nothing compares to this unique 'specimen' ... they hailing Bekele the new replacement however Geb isn't over by a long way ..
Actually, genuine question ... Is he 30 yet ???
Geb believes he can run sub 2:05 for the marathon, and why shouldn't we believe him ... he ahs never been one for idle chatter ...
Mbwa Kali wrote:
If Coe ran now.... I say that he would be 1:40.65, 2:09.89(1K), 3:24.32, 3:41.53(MILE!!).. OUCH!
Why would he hit those times if he ran now?
Better rabbits? Better competition? Would he for some reason be able to train harder? Would his genetics be different?
If you think that Coe "just had average talent" then you are seriously deluded. He certainly worked both harder and smarter than a lot of others to achieve his successes, but any athlete who reaches those levels of performance starts with physical talent that is out at the end of the bell curve (Poisson Distribution for you stat types).
toro wrote:
Mbwa Kali wrote:If Coe ran now.... I say that he would be 1:40.65, 2:09.89(1K), 3:24.32, 3:41.53(MILE!!).. OUCH!
Why would he hit those times if he ran now?
Better rabbits? Better competition? Would he for some reason be able to train harder? Would his genetics be different?
YES TO ALL bull man. If he had the likes of El Guerrouj, Lagat, Chirchir, Ngeny and all those guys to worry about, he would elavate to new levels. I mean, that is just my assumption. I mean if you go back in time, every event has had some sort of progression be it the 100m or the marathon. Transplant Coe and put him into the present, and I believe that he would hit the times I listed above.
Kali,
For you to assume he would have been as fast as you state then you are assuming that he was UNDEFEATED in his whole career, when he was not.
In fact, he had the opportunity, many opportunities, to run faster than his 3:47 Mile, but Ovett outkicked him and ran the World Record 3:46 at the time. So, in my best estimation, he MAXED out in all his events.
Different tracks, different times/era does not produce a faster runner. Seb ran what he could run, period. NOW, if he would never have lost, that would've been a different story.
Geb wasn't invincible either. Look at all the world xc races he ran...
Exactly, though I would say Geb is the best ever because he does have the World Records aside from the Gold, whereas Seb doesn't have the World Records. Until someone runs faster than 12:39 and 26:22, Geb will rule. See, Geb is not invincible, but ultimately he runs the fastest and wins. Now there is a cink in his armor and you give Kenyans motivation and hope, it is over for Geb. We shall see soon..
Cram outkicked him to run 3:46, but not Ovett.
Cram outkicked him in a race which Seb had missed time due to an injury. Gonzalez outkicked him in that race as well.The next year when he was in top form he flip flopped first and second in the 800 and 1500 with Cram(actually Cram was only 3rd in the 800) at the Euros. Coe was definitely ahead of his time. You don't always run faster in a race where you are pushed but all Coe's records were set in solo performances. Many where he was 20-40 yards ahead. Can't help thinking at least hearing the guy in second couldn't have gotten a few more seconds out of him.