well, he give us hope not only in racing but in everything that we do, like WAR ,HUNGER,ECONOMY ,EDUCATION, that life has no limit . No matter what we go through , life is there to show it it out not to be seen to fight it out.
well, he give us hope not only in racing but in everything that we do, like WAR ,HUNGER,ECONOMY ,EDUCATION, that life has no limit . No matter what we go through , life is there to show it it out not to be seen to fight it out.
Rupp is a good runner but Haile is an extraordinary human being who is also the greatest runner of all time. I think we all can agree that we appreciate all that Geb has done for people and on the track.
27:20 at 39 years old. What a stud.....can we make him a USA citizen and then he can run for the USA.
oldoldrunner wrote:
27:20 at 39 years old.
M40 WR (according to wikipedia) is 28:30. He can slow down 1:09 min in one year and still get the new Masters WR. Crazy.
5000 is 13:43 - can probably get that one en route.
HM 1:02 and M 2:08 are a bit more difficult but doable if he remains healthy.
What a range Haile had: 3:31.76 for the 1,500 up to 2:03:59 for the marathon!!
Haile was one of those runners who caused a paradigm shift in what runners thought was possible. When he took nearly 11 seconds off of the world record for the 5,000 meters at Zurich in 1995, Steve Ovett said he never thought he would see a time like that in his adult lifetime....and yet, only a year later, Daniel Komen came within one second of Haile's WR. Haile kept raising the bar for what people thought possible, thus making people rethink how fast they could run. In that sense, Haile helped everyone run faster.
Also impressive was Haile's ability to break his OWN WR's: he did it in the 2 mile, 5,000, 10,000, and the marathon (and for the 3,000 and 5,000 meters indoors).
Also impressive were his championships in different venues: Olympics, World Champs, Indoor World Champs, and Road (World 1/2 marathon champs).
He only lacked a World Cross Country title (sadly abandoning his quest for it during his fastest years - 1997-2000). It would also have been nice to see him take on the 25K and 30K world records on the track - easily within his reach - or the 8K road best, also easily within his reach.
In all, what a career - a very LONG career and quite successful.
I hope he sticks around for a while and takes a shot at the masters records on both the track and road: they are his for the taking.
DaveW wrote:
Let's start a Galen Rupp appreciation thread. He will be the American with the best chance for a medal in 2012. We are not sure of the circumstances of HB in the past, but all is not lost since Galen has 10 years left and some of those will be on the roads.
Perhaps Rupp could hold the 2 mile, 5k and 10k American records at the same time. That would be something.
bernard lagat is the american with the best chance at medaling in the 10,000 but sadly he won't be running it
Running South wrote:
What a range Haile had: 3:31.76 for the 1,500 up to 2:03:59 for the marathon!!
His range was even greater: he started and very directly oversees multiple successful businesses in Ethiopia. That is an impressive accomplishment on its own, but to do that while you are also still a world-class distance runner is mind-boggling. Plus he still finds the time/energy to be a super-nice guy, at least by all accounts. (I mean, he's human, so I'm sure he has his flaws, but his graciousness with fans and the public in general is well-known.)
I hope he has some more great races left in him, but it's never a bad time to appreciate Haile G. He has earned it by being both a world-class runner and a world-class person. That's a truly impressive double.
Nutella1 wrote:
Wasn't the track race rather tactical while the road race was a time trial - maybe he could have run a bit better with equal pacing...?
No, Manchester was in no way a time trial. He went head-to-head against the marathon world record holder, the fastest marathoner of 2012 and an Olympic medalist, all far younger than him, and ground them into the pavement. Fast.
Haile is one of the most wonderful (famous) athletes out there. Always humble, always smiling, always happy to run, always giving the best... what more can one ask? I just hope that he keeps running and we will see him winning races well into his 40s and 50s!
ethiopian wrote:
I just hope that he keeps running and we will see him winning races well into his 40s and 50s!
You already have.
I really hope he comes back to NYC in November. If not this (probably Berlin) then next year. This is unfinished business and I'd love to see him take on Manhattan and the Bronx also, which he didn't get to enjoy last time around.
I remember hearing about his first world record in the 5000. It bounced off my skull as barely possible. I did a quick calculation of the pace per mile and it floored me.
His achievement made me realize that human potential is more open than I'd thought--and that we needlessly limit our ideas of what we can accomplish in all our endeavors.
I've met him once and I have to say he was the nicest most down to earth person, I've ever met in my life.
He truly is the GOAT!
His perseverance is inspiring, I also love the fact that he wasnt another nationally ranked high school super star, just a guy who ran alot and became amazing.
Highlights of each year:
1993 - World Champ at 10,000m, Silver at 5,000m
1994 - Breaks Aouita's 7 year old 5,000 WR, becoming the 2nd man under 13 with a time of 12:56.96
1995 - Takes 9 seconds off 10,000m WR with a 26:43.53, loses his 5K record to Kiptanui (12:55.30) then takes the 5,000 record back with a 12:44.39, I believe the greatest distance performance ever. World Champ at 10,000m
1996 - Olympic Champ at 10,000m (Hissou takes 10,000m WR at 26:38)
1997 - Drops 5,000 WR down to 12:41.86 (later that year Komen runs 12:39.74). Takes back 10,000m WR at 26:31.32 (later loses record to Tergat at 26:27.85). World Champ at 10,000m. Indoor World Champ at 3,000m.
1998 - Retakes 10,000m WR down to 26:22.75. Retakes 5,000m WR down to 12:39.36
1999 - World Champion at 10,000m. Indoor World Champ at 1,500m and 3,000m
2000 - Olympic Champion at 10,000m
2001 - Bronze Medal at 10,000m at WC's. World Half marathon Champ
2002 - Debut at marathon, 3rd in London - 2:06:35
2003 - Silver at 10,00m behind Bekele closing final 5,000 in 12:58. Indoor World Champ at 3,000m. (His final medals)
2004 - 5th in Olympic 10,000m. Ran 26:41.58 in Hengelo
2005 - World lead in the marathon at 2:06:20
2006 - World lead in the marathon at 2:05:56
2007 - World Record in marathon at 2:04:26
2008 - World Record in marathon at 2:03:59. 6th in Olympic 10,000m. Ran 26:51.20 at Hengelo
2009 - Won Dubai marathon in 2:05:29. Won Berlin marathon in 2:06:08
2010 - Won Dubai marathon in 2:06:09
2011 - Ran 1:00:18 for half marathon
2012 - Ran 2:08:17 for marathon, 27:20.39 for 10,000m
Plus a bunch of indoor world records and other world best performances.
Pretty good runner.
And there is some irony that Geb will miss the Olympics this year not because he is so slow but because he has inspired his younger country mates to run so fast.
His times, records, wins, and records speak for themselves.
His greatness and will to win, for me, is best summed up by his gold medal kick against Tergat in Sydney 10K.
Also, what a CLASS ACT
a great man for the sport! Keep it rolling!
Haile is simply the best ever! Only 4 American have ever run faster than this 27:20.
He came from such a humble beginning to become the best runner that has ever lived. All while staying true to his roots and helping everyone he could along the way. Haile personifies the Olympic spirit and has set the bar incredibly high for all other athletes.