Was Henry Rono the greatest distance talent ever???

No the greatest distance runner of all time will be the person that broke records and won medals. It's not his fault that his country boycotted the games, but you can't say for sure that he would have won if he would have run them. So as the greatest distance runner of all time it right now goes to Haile, all the golds he has won, 24 world records. Its just not comparable. KB is too young right now to know for sure how long his career will last and if he is going to break any more records so we still have to wait.

It didn't ask if he was the greatest distance runner of AT, but rather the greatest distance talent, and yes I'd have to think so. 4 WR in 81 days is insane, and frontrunning without rabbits makes it even more preposterous. You could throw in Daniel Komen, KB, Geb, Viren and maybe even Ron Clarke(he shattered that WR).

The answer is still Geb. You think breaking the 5,000 record by 4.5 seconds is impressive, try 10.9 seconds like Geb did. Rono bested the 10,000 mark by nearly 8 seconds? Geb dropped it by 9 when he got it down to 26:43.53.

Plus, in addition to all the medals, all the WR's, the things I still find most impressive - he ran a 3:31 1500 indoors. Alan Webb has only now broken 3:31 outdoors, and Webb is one of the top 5 or 6 milers in the world right now.

Geb was crazy good.

Yes, Henry Rono is the GREATEST distant runner of all time. 4 World Records is superior. His 4 NCAA DI Records are still there.

Geb isn't, but Rono is.

He was gunning to re-break his own 10000m in Oslo, Norway when a fiesta started and was pulled out of the field. Google Bislett Games and see his picture as well. Henry Rono is the Superman!

I would have to say Rono was one of the best talents ever for several reasons.

1. He broke the Steeple Record at Husky Stadium in Seattle with his time of 8:05.4. Hardly anyone in the stands. Heard it was a rainy, wet day, but I am not sure. Could be added to the myth. Rono broke the record during a WSU/Washington Dual Meet. Second place was 8:53.

2. 1978 NCAA Meet - Probably the best one-day double in history. Ran 8:12 in the steeple in the first rounds, and John Chaplin came out of the stands and told him to slow down, otherwise he would have broken the record again. And in the 5,000 meters, he sprinted the straights and jogged the corners on his way to a 13:20 and change. I wish I could run one of those times, and he did them both on the same day.

3. The famed 10,000 in Eugene against Salazar. Alberto was fit and ready to run, and invited all of the people who had beat him in the past (Sulemain Nyambui, Rono, etc., etc) so he could beat them. Rono was the only one who stayed with Salazar when he started cranking out some 66 second quarters in the rain. And then edged Alberto at the line by a minimal margin to win the race. And the margin that won him the race was the beer gut that he was starting to develop. Rono was a tank for that race.

Henry Rono is the greatest distance runner of all time. Hands down. Would Geb or any of these other guys have set these records without rabbits? 4 records in 81 days? That's crazy. If he would have been able to run in the Olympics we would have had 2-4 gold medals.

Alan

If Haile ran the SC he could have ran all those times.

I know, I know, it's not about the times, but Geb has more world records, more olympic and WC medals, and he's STILL GOING!

Henry Rono, might be the greatest TALENT ever, but to say he is the greatest runner seems inaccurate imo. He falls in very elite list of people who have completed amazing feats running-wise, but I wouldn't say he's the greatest ever. His career was too short and I don't feel he ever truly reached his ultimate potential.

No. Henry could kick ass, no argument, though. For a period of time he WAS the top dog, but all-time...? I don't know.

Close.

Rono started the 1978 season with a 13:22 dual meet in Spokane in a blizzard. Here is the first-hand account from Deryk Bridges, a friend who was in the race:

"I was in that race..... absolutely the most amazing thing I've ever seen.... at a distance... HA! Race was in Spokane at SCC in a blizzard..... Rono went out in the middle of our pack at the first lap in slightly over 70 seconds then I'll never forget when he said...."Excuse me,... excuse me" and we gave him a little gap of space (we were huddled as a group because of the wind and sleet).... when..... BAM! He shot out like a canon. He in one turn put a gap of over 50 meters on us and kept rolling. I think it was Joel Cheryot who was rabbiting ahead for him... anyhow...someone was ahead and he shot out and caught up, passed them and still ran that first mile in something like 4:16 or 17 and just kept going. Mind you, no one warmed up for that race.... the Kenyons were playing soccer and kick ball in the gym. I get cold just thinking about it.....I was a freshman at the time. Of course he more than lapped the field. And don't ask my time.. HA!.."

His first WR was 13:08.1 in a Tri Meet (WSU, ASU, Cal) in Berkeley: 13:08.1 (2:42.0, 2:36.0, 2:39.5, 2:37.0, 2:33.9). Second place was 13:58 (Josh Kimeto). 10k WR-holder Samson Kimobwa was 3rd in 14:03.

His steeplechase WR was not at the WSU/UW dual meet. That meet was in Pullman, where Henry "only" ran 8:24.0

Rono did not run 8:12 in the qualifying rounds of the 1978 NCAAs, he saved that for the finals. Henry ran 8:18.63 in the heats, then came back an hour later to run that legendary 5000, jogging the turns and sprinting the straights (splits below).

1978 NCAA heats

13:21.79 (all splits 440 yards)

1:05 (65)

2:06 (61)

3:05 (59)

4:08 (63)

5:15 (67)

6:17 (62)

7:27 (70)

8:33 (66)

9:41 (68)

10:50 (69)

11:55 (65)

12:56 (61)

13:21.79

Finish (58.3, 202.9, 4:18.2)

Heat 2

1 13:21.79 (NCAA meet record) Henry Rono WSU

2 13:53.97 Joshua Kimeto

3 14:05.41 Joseph Nzau Wyoming

4 14:05.74 Robert Snyder Penn State

5 14:11.36 Gary Hoftetter North Carolina

6 14:11.7 Gerry Deegan Providence

7 14:13.4 Jim Schankel Cal Poly SLO

8 14:14.5 Tom Wysocki Nevada-Reno

9 14:20 Bill McChesney Oregon

10 14:21 Eric Lathrop Houston

11 14:28 Manfred Kohrs Texas AM

12 14:30 Dale Kramer Carelton College

13 14:33 Bill McGrath Cleveland State

14 14:33 Tom Marino Southern Methodist

15 14:34 Steve Placescia Minnesota

16 14:35 Michael Sawyer So. Illinois

17 14:56 Jim Flynn Villanova

18 14:57 Dave Fulton Oregon State

19 15:00 Dave Cornwell Maryland

Rono's WRs

13:08.1 Berkeley CA 4/8/78 (2:42.0, 2:36.0, 2:39.5, 2:37.0, 2:33.9)

8:05.4h Seattle WA 5/13/78

27:22.47 Wien, AUT 6/11/78

7:32.1h Oslo NOR 6/27/78

13:06.20 Knarvik, NOR 9/13/81 (2:38.5, 2:38.5, 2:38.0, 2:38.0, 2:33.2)

One of the greatest talents of all time. For a period of several years, he was the greatest. He did some solo things that are epic. I so wonder what his legacy would have been had he run a couple olympics. And, he is humble and nice in person. I have that 1978(i think) SI issue with him running at the NCAA's which he was gracious enough to sign at a hall of fame induction. Asked my name, asked how I came by that issue, was genuinely happy to see that picture I think. Very nice guy. I wish him nothing but the best.

He is definately one of the all time greatest...although I don't know how we can pick just one.

Malmo, I'm glad u put those NCAA 5k heat splits on there ... I"ve never forgotten that race or how fast it was or how he was doing the fartlek thing ...

But I HAD forgotten about the way he ran that first mile. Reading it just now I almost had a heart attack - 61-59 for the 2nd and 3rd laps!!!! GAAHHH!!!! MAN! Anyone who was at that meet and watching it, and realizing how insanely fast he was running (to the standards at the time) must have felt like they had suddenly entered a parallel universe!

Whether we can say Henry is the greatest talent ever is maybe questionable ... but how about the greatest talent relative to his era? No doubt, bro.

It's also hard to imagine ... how much faster might he have done if at that fitness level in rabbitted European races? The 7:32 was rabbited? Not the others, obviously.

Also of note from 1981 was Rono's late-season sequence of races leading up to the record ... 27:40, and 3 13:12s in a few weeks, I think. At least one of the 13:12s was non-winning.

1981, by the way, was a really, really great distance year! 1982 was pretty great, too.

Compare Henry's lap splits for 440 yards to his 400m splits in his record run at Berkeley!

1978 NCAA heats (1 hr after running 8:18)

13:21.79 (all splits 440 yards)

1:05 (65)

2:06 (61)

3:05 (59)

4:08 (63) 1 mile

5:15 (67)

6:17 (62)

7:27 (70)

8:33 (66) 2 miles

9:41 (68)

10:50 (69)

11:55 (65)

12:56 (61) 3 miles

13:21.79

Finish (58.3, 202.9, 4:18.2)

WR Berkeley (all splits 400 meters)

1:07 (67)

2:10 (63)

3:14 (64)

4:15 (61) 1600m

5:18 (63)

6:20 (62)

7:24 (64)

8:28 (64) 3200m

9:31 (63)

10:35 (64)

11:38 (63)

12:09 (31) 4600m

13:08 (59.4)

a few serious questions wrote:Anyone who was at that meet and watching it, and realizing how insanely fast he was running (to the standards at the time) must have felt like they had suddenly entered a parallel universe!

I sat at the south end of the East Grandstands behind two cackling Princeton athletes. They were completely bewildered by Rono's running, gleefully pointing out to anyone who'd listen how stupid he was to run so 'recklessly.' I sat thinking to myself, 'These two knuckleheads aren't understanding what they are privileged to see.

Over the years we've all heard many athletes declare themselves to be "artists." Rono never claimed anything; he just ran. But if ever there were a 'performance artist' in our sport, he was Rono. His performances were ephemeral. The only record left is the spoken (and written) word. So far as I know, there is no video record of his world records, nor of the joyous romps in Eugene. If there were, I could sell thousands of "The Rono Tapes" from the trunk of my car.

After his 8:18.63 in the steeplechase heats, when the curtain came up again for the 5000 heats, Rono wasted little time. On each straight Rono sprinted, each turn he'd cruise. Rono had this special way of cocking his head back, he'd lean forward, push his chest way out, pump his arms -- and whooosh -- it looked like he had his own personal wind carrying him down the track.

On the turns he'd float like he was walking on air. He'd hit another straight, push that button of his, and the crowd would respond. You could hear the crowd on the other side of the track erupt as he flew down the track. He'd float the turn, push that switch again, and it was our turn to roar.

Rono had taken running to a new level. He wasn't simply running, he was performing.

It has been said that on the West Grandstand straight Rono even passed NCAA long jump champion Larry Doubley as he ran down the runway. I believe it.

Over the years we've all been privileged to see some great runners -- Kipketer, El Guerrouj, Gebrselassie, Tergat. All great runners, all with silky-smooth strides, and yet they all could be described as being mechanical. Rono was a 'runner's runner' who ran for the sheer joy of it, and left anyone so privileged to see his 'work' awestruck.

Let's put it this way: could Gebrselassie ever run 13:22 in a Spokane blizzard? Could an EPO-induced Brahim Boulami ever run 8:05 in a rainstorm in Seattle in front of 200 shivering fans? I don't think that anyone knows what could have been with Rono. It doesn't matter to me. What I saw was enough.

Without a doubt, my memories of Rono got me through many a rainy winter training run. I'd cock my head back, lean forward, push my chest out, pump my arms and let my body follow my imagination down the road.

I even think there were a few times that I felt what it must have been like.

The question, as others have pointed out, was whether Henry was the greatest distance "talent" ever. Of course, we have no idea whether there is some greater "talent" out there -- perhaps someone who has never bothered to run competitively -- but when I think of great runners of the past, Henry is the one who stands out as the greatest talent. I don't know whether he was more talented than Geb or Bekele, but I am confident that he could have gone head-to-head against anyone in the history of the sport from 3K to 10K (and probably beyond). And I'm fairly confident that he would have crushed Geb and Bekele in the steeple.

Avocado, do you know Mike Long?

Malmo,

that has to be the best post ever on letsrun!!!

Malmo, thanks for your account of these races, I really enjoyed reading this.

In my opinion (which does not mean anything), Rono is the best pure running talent ever.

Now it is so hard to know what is real and what is drug aided, not only in running, but all sports.

I look forward to reading Henry's book "Olympic Dreams".