If Mo Farah's career were to end today, would he be a legend?

Salazar doesn't think times matter, but Farah's legacy will depend on him throwing down a world record or two (to reach all timer status), or dropping into the 26:20s and low 12:40s to be a second tier great.

Optimus wrote:

Hypothetical doesn't count. If he didn't run a 12:45, then he didn't run a 12:45. It doesn't matter if he could have, he didn't.

Farah isn't in the top 10 fastest all time in either the 5k or 10k. Does that sound like a legend to you?

Once you're fast enough to win medals, and actually do win medals, times don't matter. A legend can certainly be someone who can't be bothered with merely running fast times, instead only showing up to crush all the "faster" people into submission.

Non legend. Happened along at the right time, his rivals spit the bit in the big race.

I'm willing to revisit, but for now, no.

A legend must have LOTS of times, medals and scalps. Farah has a few medals and a few scalps but no times therefore he doesn't qualify in any category and he needs all three. Therefore he is not a legend.

iussjkdjhsj wrote:

Once you're fast enough to win medals, and actually do win medals, times don't matter. A legend can certainly be someone who can't be bothered with merely running fast times, instead only showing up to crush all the "faster" people into submission.

This is wrong. Stefano Baldini has a gold medal but not one single rational person would classify him as a legend among marathoners.

Times do matter when talking about legends. Farah's double was interesting because Bekele wasn't at full strength and the distance races were less dramatic than 04/08.

TLW wrote:This is wrong. Stefano Baldini has a gold medal but not one single rational person would classify him as a legend among marathoners

i was trackside last 2k

it was hot, but weather was tolerable once there for 1/52

tergat lacked kenyan support & claimed he got a stitch ( level with baldini 'til late on )

he looked unconfident from start

i just don't think he had the squad

if the selectors had given him felix/evans ( best 2 M guys on planet ), you can bet your bottom $ it wouda been a kenyan win

probably evans

he was a tough guy back then - granite

He's already a Legend in England, which is all that matters. He's made so much freaking money so fast, and the Legacy Income value of his two golds in London, is insane.

He'll probably make 20-30million USD over the next 30 years in the UK.

He's a legend without doubt in the UK.

Right now he's got the best of both worlds. He gets to live in the US and not be hassled by his fame and the public in the UK...and he gets a massive fortune out of the UK.

He is nowhere close to legend status. 2 gold medals in the 5k and 10k at the weakest olympics in years means shit. Unless he repeats or lays down "legend caliber times" as in 12:40, 26:20 he'll be forgetten by 2020. He's terrific now don't get me wrong, but legend status? Come on, gimme a break. That term is reserved for the GOATS like Bekele, Geb, El G. Even Rudisha is sill solidifying his status as a legend, its a career process

He beat 'The Cube'.

No, he is now appearing desperate and wanting adoration . Truth be told most people see him as a likeable African immigrant but not British by a long shot . What he achieved was pretty amazing , but him a legend a big N O .

No Haway wrote:

No, he is now appearing desperate and wanting adoration . Truth be told most people see him as a likeable African immigrant but not British by a long shot . What he achieved was pretty amazing , but him a legend a big N O .

Only the bigots of Britain view him as an 'African immigrant but not British'.

He has already secured his status as a legendary runner in GB, but still needs to do more to be recognised as a legend globally. If he does another 5/10 double at Rio, or wins gold at the marathon, that should seal it. A few marathon majors would help too.

I don't think he is capable of WRs but winning big races is a more important factor when considering someone's legacy.

Brennan has a mangina wrote:

His double gold at the olympics alone is enough to cement his status as a legend.

Both Kelly Holmes and Svetlana Masterkova won two gold medals on the track at the Olympics - the 800 and 1500.

Are they legends?

I think the marathon will make him a legend.

ventolin^3 wrote:

he's quoted after road win coupla days ago that he values his unbeaten outdoor record since daewoo 10k in '11 as ~ very precious

with that in mind, it's hard to see him chasing fast times on the circuit ( unless low key meet ) & risk blowing up

still, his 12'53pb off a totally crap 4th k of something like 2'40 ( & some other rubbish at 2 or 3k ) indicated a 12'45 guy

he's shown damn fast 5k theoretical capability despite "only" a 12'53 ( i don't rate his 10k that good - a 26'30/26'35 guy couda run away from him in london )

overall, golds + theoretical 5k ability in '11 =

legend

Daewoo is a Korean COMPANY, venti. The WCs were in DAEGU.

If you'd stop making up your "math" junk and educate yourself a bit maybe you'd stop making this place so awful with your posts.

And here you go again with your "theoretical" bs, as if that has anything to do with anything in the first place.

Joe Binks.

Both Kelly Holmes and Svetlana Masterkova won two gold medals on the track at the Olympics - the 800 and 1500.

Are they legends?

they are legends in the same mould as farah

definitely not a legend. He's been very good for two years, which coincided with an Olympics in which he obviously accomplished something great. The only legend in the distance races had been injured. He needs to drastically improve his times. His 5k so far is nothing special at all. His 10k is very good but so far from the World Record he is nothing special against it. If he drops 10 seconds in the 5k and 15 seconds in the 10k AND (because those times still don't get him legendary status alone) continues winning through the next Olympics then he'll have legendary status. Basically if he gets down to being roughly in the top 5 all time 5k and 10k and is the top track distance runner in the world for the span of two olympics then yeah. Even then he still wouldn't be a legend like Geb, Bekele unless he runs right around their times. Winning alone doesn't make a legend. Running unbelievably fast is needed.

"He is nowhere close to legend status. 2 gold medals in the 5k and 10k at the weakest olympics in years means shit. Unless he repeats or lays down "legend caliber times" as in 12:40, 26:20 he'll be forgetten by 2020. He's terrific now don't get me wrong, but legend status? Come on, gimme a break. That term is reserved for the GOATS like Bekele, Geb, El G. Even Rudisha is sill solidifying his status as a legend, its a career process"

+1

Legends break world records.

The fact that a white American won the silver in the 10,000 shows that race alone was sub-standard in terms of quality.

All the good Africans these days run the big prize money marathons.

For my money, he is the 12th best 5000 runner of all time (isolating just 5k performances). He has Olympic gold. He has World Championship Gold. He also had the fastest time in 2011 for 5k. No one has beaten him since 2011 WC 10k. Yes the times aren't speedy, but they have been better than anyone else in recent years. Winning double gold in Moscow will cement him as a legend.