Not surprisingly, if you use 5k WR's to compare against instead of Marathon (now roughly 1 minute slower than 5k WR pace) you end up with the same approximate time for men (right around 5:00 pace).
I don't understand how this doesn't register with you.
No one is picking on anyone here, it's simple fact. If I can be an equal opportunity realist for a second, I'll also say American men's Marathon also suffers from a lack of depth. The fact that you can be nearly 15 minutes slower than the top American man and auto qualify for the trials is pretty absurd. We don't let 14:30 guys into the trials on the track. Our depth at 5k is far superior.
Numbers don't lie, that's what makes track beautiful. "Grading" performances just brings our sport one step closer to synchronized swimming.
Sorry this thread has been derailed, I do actually commend performances like this (and if you read between the lines it's actually praise for women/masters who do perform, not calling them slow or lazy), I think we just need to be realistic about how "good" they are.