Kenenisa Bekele back in training, want to double at Daegu

Exactly derp Tadese this year will have more chance to destroy Bekele.58:30 HM time,given bekele's injury Tadese and 2007,2009 experience Tadese will figure out how to destroy the giant Bekele.

I'm sorry, but Geb never faced Lagat, Kipchoge etc in a 5km when doubling back..

Bekele's run in Beijing is the most impressive distance race of all time, he led over 90% of the race, and pushed the pace and still just skipped away from the best in the world. After the 10km!!!!

Somthing Geb would not even take on.

real kill wrote:

Exactly derp Tadese this year will have more chance to destroy Bekele.58:30 HM time,given bekele's injury Tadese and 2007,2009 experience Tadese will figure out how to destroy the giant Bekele.

Tadese is not Bekele's biggest threat. Bekele CANNOT beat Merga at 10,000 this year. Bekele will not be able to run away from him and he cannot outkick him. Not anymore. If Merga is in 26:45 shape, then Kenenisa has no chance. Not this year.

chet wrote:

Tadese is not Bekele's biggest threat. Bekele CANNOT beat Merga at 10,000 this year. Bekele will not be able to run away from him and he cannot outkick him. Not anymore. If Merga is in 26:45 shape, then Kenenisa has no chance. Not this year.

Merga has been in fantastic shape, but i doubt if he can maintain his strength all the way to August in Daegu. I have more faith in Tadese showing up fit and ready to roll in August.

Uh, how did this become a Geb vs. Bek thread? Bekele is certainly the better 10000 meter runner but Geb is far more accomplished overall: World Class 1500m to Marathon. Bekele may be able to better that one day, maybe not. Only time will tell.

It is very optimistic of Bekele to talk about doubling up at WC when he is running 75mpw right now and had been injured for a year. I wish him luck but am very doubtful.

Nutella1 wrote:

Uh, how did this become a Geb vs. Bek thread? Bekele is certainly the better 10000 meter runner but Geb is far more accomplished overall: World Class 1500m to Marathon. Bekele may be able to better that one day, maybe not. Only time will tell.

It is very optimistic of Bekele to talk about doubling up at WC when he is running 75mpw right now and had been injured for a year. I wish him luck but am very doubtful.

This ^.

Bekele = Best 10k and XC runner of all time (Daegu and London won't change that regardless)

Geb = Best distance runner all time

KB's body isn't going to let him overtake Geb for best all time. No way he handles marathon training after 2012. And he's tried the 1500 but is slow, relatively speaking. If he suddenly dominates either of those I'll give it to him.

Nutella1 wrote:

Bekele is certainly the better 10000 meter runner but Geb is far more accomplished overall: World Class 1500m to Marathon.

You are only focused on time I take it. Bekele rocks Geb's shit in terms of winning important races outside of 10000m. 10000m I say is pretty much even with a slight nod to Bekele because of his undefeated streak and the WR.

Nutella1 wrote:

Uh, how did this become a Geb vs. Bek thread? Bekele is certainly the better 10000 meter runner but Geb is far more accomplished overall: World Class 1500m to Marathon. Bekele may be able to better that one day, maybe not. Only time will tell.

It is very optimistic of Bekele to talk about doubling up at WC when he is running 75mpw right now and had been injured for a year. I wish him luck but am very doubtful.

When he is training optimally, he still only does 80-110 mpw you know... So he's not very far from that.

You can't make the argument that Geb is better because he has more range. Geb has never won olympic or world's gold outside of 10000m, whereas Bekele has a world and olympic gold outside of 10000m. Bekele has yet to try anything over 10000 so you can't rub in his face that geb is "the better marathon runner". Yes, Geb ran a pretty time at 1500 but Bekele has done more at 5000m.

alyosha wrote:

I really don't understand this argument at all. How can anyone say Geb is better at the 10k when Bekele has never lost? Geb has lost, Bekele hasn't... simple. Until he loses don't write him off. He's still the favorite.

Oh, the undefeated argument again.

So if Bekele runs for the next 5 years and never wins does Geb become the best again?

If so, then he would rank higher by quitting now rather than running a number of years.

Geb took on everyone from 1993-2000 winning every major and broke the WR multiple times.

8 years straight of dominance.

Bekele had a similar streak from 2003-2009.

7 years straight.

2001-2008 Geb hangs around for another 8 years picking up medals and top finishes but doesn't win races.

And apparently these 8 years of world class running diminish his overall achievemnts.

It will be interesting to see how Bekele does this year.

He is right at the point where Geb lost a step (and a championship).

I didn't say that Bekele was better than Geb, I just said that you can't make an argument that Geb, or anyone else, is better than Bekele, because he has beaten everyone and has the world record. So maybe Geb and Bekele share similar greatness at the 10k, but you can't say Geb is better.

Unbeaten as a professional over 10000m. What more do you want?

toro wrote:

2001-2008 Geb hangs around for another 8 years picking up medals and top finishes but doesn't win races.

He didn't win any races between 2001-2008? That's news to me.

Anyway, irrelevant discussion. Their prime in the 5000/10000 didn't really overlap so we will never know. Sure we can compare times. When I compare their times I see that both are superior to everyone else who ever lived. Leave it at that.

What I believe will never be matched is the longevity of Gebs career. Also, no one has ever won major races (I include world marathon major races here) from 1500 to Marathon.

haha YO wrote:

You are only focused on time I take it.

Thy registers and thee I both defy,

Not wondering at the present nor the past,

For thy records and what we see doth lie,

Made more or less by thy continual haste.

This I do vow and this shall ever be;

I will be true, despite thy scythe and thee.

Such folly, have you humans.

Chris Solinsky is also unbeaten as a professional over 10000m.

how fast can Merga close? is he really that fast?

In 2008 I was there at the Pre Classic when KB ran a 26:25 and won by more than 45 seconds. His form and strength were so amazing to watch in person, and he lost the last rabbit so early (two 13:12s in a row, essentially, imagine that!) that I would never ever count him out completely. Maybe when he is 45, certainly not now. And don't forget he had major personal tragedy in there, which may have stolen his motivation for a while. Make him an underdog if you wish, but this is one underdog you had best be wary of!

Anyone else attend that race and want to comment? I had seen some amazing running in my time, but that run was incredible. And no, he did not get the WR he was after. Are some of you not aware that world records are amazingly difficult to break no matter who you are? Attempting is one thing, breaking is quite another. Had he had someone with him that day, to push him a bit more, I don't doubt he would have come closer still.