BEST LONG DISTANCE RUNNER OF ALL TIME

Bekele definitely overshadows Lopes, with 3 x Double World Cross Country Champion, Gold Medalist in the 10,000, Silver Medalist in the 5,000, World Record Holder in 5K (in/out), 10K, and he's just getting started. Now admittedly, Lopes couldn't have been double cross country champion, because there wasn't the short course then, but Keninesa undoubtedly will be more successful.

But that is only the current best, it's forgetting some of the famous ones like Paavo Nurmi, Lasse Viren, Emil Zatopek, etc...

I don't think so. Lopes was a great runner. But is he even close to the great Zatopek who pulled the distance triple (5000, 10000, and marathon) in just one olympics(1952). He held 18 world records in his career. He was the first person to break 29 minutes in the 10K. Success in distnace running is all based on consistency and the abaility to run different events fast. Zatopek was the first and the greatest of all disatnce runners. He was more consistent than Lopes and he will probably hold the olympic triple record for a very very long time. Emil Zatopek is the greatest of all time.

Haile Gebreselassie. No one is even on his planet. Bekele? Please. When Bekele runs SIGNIFICANTLY faster than Geb and defends his Olympic 10000m title (while going undefeated between Olympics), then he might have a prayer of being compared to the Emperor. If you don't already get why Geb is the greatest ever, there is no reason for me to explain it. Look at the stats, it's as obvious as it gets.

zatopek ran in a time where, did not have too much competitions and the africans were't around. Carlos lopes, was the only non african that beat all the africans. VERY COMPLETE RUNNER, from 5k to the marathon. CARLOS IS THE GREASTEST EVER!!! WE CAN NOT HIDE!!

Salvatore Antibo

I agree. It is Geb hands down. Viren and Zatopek don't compare. The numbers point to Geb...

1500m: 3:31i

3k: 7:25

5k: 12:39

10k: 26:22

Half-Marathon: 59:40

Marathon: 2:06:35

17 world records, in a time when records don't fall easily. Ranging from 2k indoors to 10k on the roads.

World and olympic titles as a junior, and from 1500m indoors to half marathon. He was nearly invincible over any distance he raced for 8 years, and is still one of the very best more than a decade after his career started...

Geb transcends his sheer numbers though. He is more than his wins and records, people still revere him even after he is no longer the fastest man, he is the one everyone wants to see. Geb has that hugeass smile, win or lose, record or no. He is track and field world's Ali.

stud800runner152 wrote:

I don't think so. Lopes was a great runner. But is he even close to the great Zatopek who pulled the distance triple (5000, 10000, and marathon) in just one olympics(1952). He held 18 world records in his career. He was the first person to break 29 minutes in the 10K. Success in distnace running is all based on consistency and the abaility to run different events fast. Zatopek was the first and the greatest of all disatnce runners. He was more consistent than Lopes and he will probably hold the olympic triple record for a very very long time. Emil Zatopek is the greatest of all time.

What did someone say?

"Saying that the greatest runner in history is someone that ran before the Africans came out is like saying the greatest bascketball player is someone who played before blacks were allowed in the NBA."

how about forgetting the numbers (i.e times) and focusing on the other numbers - big wins and gutsy performances. one athlete comes to mind and that is zatopek. another runner could be viren. geb too fits in there with his gutsy 10k wins in 96 and 00, being forced by the kenyans and tergat to run 4:00 for the final mile to beat them. tergat for his complete domination in world xc and i think he would be able to handle bekele in his hey day of winning all those 12k titles. frank shorter for his efforts in the 72 and 76 olympic marathons. there are so many great distance runners out there that have run awesome races, whether they hold or ever held world records does not make any athlete the greatest of all time. look at komen, his PR's are impressive, even the 7:20, but i don't consider him the greatest distance runner of all time, not even close. all he did was run time trials and never won any big global titles.

i think this topic can be open to debate and it can be based on different opinions too.

CARLOS LOPES!!!!

GOOD POINT. 27'17 IN THE 10K, 2'07 12 IN THE MARATHON. OLIMPIC CHAMPION,CROOSCOUNTRY CHAMPION. KICKED ALL THE AFRICANS ASSES IN THE EARLY 80'S. LOPES! LOPES! LOPES!

I don't know who the best long distance runner of all time is, because time hasn't finished yet.

Geb is the best long distance runner because of his range, world class at every distance from the 1500 to the marathon. No one includes Lopez,Tergat,Coe,Bekele,Nurmi,and Zatopek has had quite that range at that level. I mean think about it Geb could race with anyone from the 1500 to marathon at his peak. Can you say that about anyone else in history?

Lopes performances were all considered suspicious and tainted as he was mentored by notorious banned substance abuser Jos Hermanns.

lopes was a hard work-with lots of talent. many years of high mileage. NO DRUGS!!

Viren. He won when it counted. Every time.

Calling me stupid won't make your argument more persuasive. Those who have no real ammunition resort to ad hominem (personal) attacks.

Yes, I believe Lopes was using drugs. Lopes was suspected of drug use by some of the best competitors in his event in his era. Jos Hermanns was as dirty as they come and Lopes was under his tutelage.

Also, 2:09 American marathoner Benji Durden (who was at his best during Lopes' prime years) posted on this site earlier this week indicating he strongly suspected that Lopes was a drug cheat. So does marathon WR holder Steve Jones of Wales. Most insiders knew that Lopes was a drug cheat as were many of the Portugese runners in the 1970s-80s. They were able to beat the tests then, as they were much more lax than they are now.

It has to be stember. What a fast race this weekend.

trackhead wrote:

stud800runner152 wrote:

I don't think so. Lopes was a great runner. But is he even close to the great Zatopek who pulled the distance triple (5000, 10000, and marathon) in just one olympics(1952). He held 18 world records in his career. He was the first person to break 29 minutes in the 10K. Success in distnace running is all based on consistency and the abaility to run different events fast. Zatopek was the first and the greatest of all disatnce runners. He was more consistent than Lopes and he will probably hold the olympic triple record for a very very long time. Emil Zatopek is the greatest of all time.

What did someone say?

"Saying that the greatest runner in history is someone that ran before the Africans came out is like saying the greatest bascketball player is someone who played before blacks were allowed in the NBA."

Nothing lasts forever. The supremacy of the black basketball player is on the wane.

THE best in my opinion: Haile and Derartu

1. HAILE GEBRSELASSIE (Eth)

2. Lasse Viren

3. Kenenisa Bekele-possibly later become the greatest

4. Emil Zatopek

5. Henry Rono/Said Aouita

Women?

1. DERARTU TULU (Eth)

2. Ingrid Kristansen

3. Gete Waitz

4. Tatayana K.

5. Paula Radcliffe-no Olympic gold hurt her in my opinion

VIPAM