Who's the most talented middle/long distance runner ever?

"Most talented?"

IMO,

800-Toss up btw Coe or Rudisha (maybe Snell)

1500/Mile-Ryun if healthy

3000-El G if he had focused on it.

5000-Komen

10,000-Haile G

Half- Tadese

Full Marathon- Sammy Wanjiru

GOAT? On the track only, I would say a toss up between Said and Geb. Taking road racing into consideration as well, I say Haile hands down. World class ability at 1500-Marathon, and better speed than his still respectable 800 PR decries.

I dismiss anything from mid 90s to early 2000s (EPO era).

800-mile: Jim Ryun, Honorable Mentions: Ovett, Bannister

3000-10,000: Haile G, Honorable Mentions: Komen, Bekele

Half-Marathon: Geoffrey Mutai, Honorable Mentions: Wanjiru, Kimetto

maybe i didn't express myself well - when we talk about 'greatest runner of all time' Haile Gebrselassie will get many honors, as a multiple WR Beater and Multiple Olympic/World Champion, it's hard to top that. But when we talk about raw talent, i don't think for example Haile was better than Komen. He was more focused, more driven, etc, etc. But in terms of raw talent i think Komen was the best, as i think Ovett was the most gifted 800/mile runner and Da Costa the best marathon runner. We're talking more about potential here.

Said Aouita. His range was unmatched. Put him today with modern tracks, better training methods, better pacing, and lighter shoes. And wham! No doubt he would have come very close to 1:42 800m and run a 26:40 10k. I have a training book on him by Peter Coe. Aouita's speed was unrivaled, and it says here that as a junior athlete, they thought of him as a sprinter; he could pull off a 22 & 46. Like Coe, he had major fast twitch muscle fibers. Which is why no one would have come close to him when it came time for the kick. If he had not got injured in '88. There's no doubt he would have been the first athlete to take three golds in the 800, 1500 & 5000 (something that no athlete would even dare to consider).

Rudisha

El G

Bekele

Mike Honcho wrote:

Said Aouita. His range was unmatched. Put him today with modern tracks, better training methods, better pacing, and lighter shoes. And wham! No doubt he would have come very close to 1:42 800m and run a 26:40 10k. I have a training book on him by Peter Coe. Aouita's speed was unrivaled, and it says here that as a junior athlete, they thought of him as a sprinter; he could pull off a 22 & 46. Like Coe, he had major fast twitch muscle fibers. Which is why no one would have come close to him when it came time for the kick. If he had not got injured in '88. There's no doubt he would have been the first athlete to take three golds in the 800, 1500 & 5000 (something that no athlete would even dare to consider).

I can agree with this. However Aouita in the 1500 didn't have the finishing speed of the top runners or he wouldn't have moved to the 5000. His legs were freakishly long for a shorter runner and he never had the power of Coe at the end of a 1500.

In a 1500 going out at 3:00 for 1200 against Coe, Ovett, and Cram, Aouita would not have been able to wait.

He could sprint but he couldn't accelerate like Coe and Ovett instantly. Cram couldn't either and had to kick at 300 to get his long legs moving too.

However none of those runners ever jumped into a 10,000 race with middle distance training and tore off a 27:26 and only Aouita did. I can't imagine even Ovett who periodically trained high mileage during his base breaking 28:00.

Paavo Nurmi

George Atlas wrote:

However none of those runners ever jumped into a 10,000 race with middle distance training and tore off a 27:26 and only Aouita did. I can't imagine even Ovett who periodically trained high mileage during his base breaking 28:00.

Alan MF Webb could

And unlike Aouita, he was clean

Webb, the guy who was bald at 19, had freakishly large biceps? I doubt webb was clean. Maybe towards the latter part of his career yes, but during his prime of 07. No. Not a chance. He has all the signs of a doper. Low key meets where he runs super fast & minimal testing? Under preformed at major competitions (ala Tim Montgomery...and others). Aouita was in an era were drugs were a common. I know of two famous Irish men, who were world class milers, and they took testosterone. Everyone in the 80s did. It was just part of the track world. Those that didn't were the ones coming across 4th or so on. Not defending drug use at all, but understand that it was just a way of life; part of the training. Like the 90s fuelled EPO.

Mike Honcho wrote:

Webb, the guy who was bald at 19, had freakishly large biceps? I doubt webb was clean. Maybe towards the latter part of his career yes, but during his prime of 07. No. Not a chance. He has all the signs of a doper. Low key meets where he runs super fast & minimal testing? Under preformed at major competitions (ala Tim Montgomery...and others). Aouita was in an era were drugs were a common. I know of two famous Irish men, who were world class milers, and they took testosterone. Everyone in the 80s did. It was just part of the track world. Those that didn't were the ones coming across 4th or so on. Not defending drug use at all, but understand that it was just a way of life; part of the training. Like the 90s fuelled EPO.

Webb's always been stocky, even in high-school, I'm the same way. When Webb went to Salazar Alberto had him lay of the weights to slim down and we did eventually see a much less stocky looking Webb as a result. The hair loss is simple genetics, I know non-athletes who started balding earlier than Webb.

Skinnier Salazar influenced Webb above

He looks exactly like his dad, who, surprise surprise. is also bald

rofl

relevance?

means nothing

no

what the sh!t are you talking about

he won the prefontaine classic mile in 2004 in 3:50, good drug testing there

he won the olympic trials 1500m in 2004, good drug testing there

he won the ostrava 1500m in 2004 in 3:32, a world leading time. that was a golden league race and had pretty much all the big names there, good drug testing there

he ran another 3:50 mile at the london grand prix in 2004, good drug testing there

he ran an 8:11 2 mile at the prefontaine classic in 2005, good drug testing there

he won the USA championships 1500m in 2005, good drug testing there

he ran a 3:48 mile at the bislett games dream mile in 2005, good drug testing there

he ran a 3:32 1500m at the rieti meeting in 2005, good drug testing there

he ran a 13:10 5000m at the berlin meeting in 2005, good drug testing there

he ran a 3:52 mile at the reebok grand prix in 2007 over motram and lagat, good drug testing there

he ran a 3:34 at the USA 1500m championships in 2007, good drug testing there

he ran a 3:30 1500m in the paris meeting in 2007 over lagat, baala, and many others, good drug testing there

he ran a 3:46 mile in 2007 and broke the american record, required to be drug tested for ratification of record

he ran a 1:43 800 at the KBC meeting in heusden over gary reed, good drug testing there

as opposed to all the drug cheats who win medals?

No

Many did, not everyone.

Aouita likely did

Not always

bullsh!t

it is exactly what you're doing

and no

the choice was and is simple - cheat or don't

Male

Miler- El G

Mid- Bekele

Long- Geb

Female

Miler- Aregawi (This may sound premature, but there has been a real absence of legendary talent in the history of this event. Most of the records are held by '80's and/or Chinese dopers who weren't really that talented)

Mid- Defar

Long- Tirunesh

Honourable mentions

Ron Clarke

Henry Romo

Joaquim cruz

Loot wrote:

Male

Miler- El G

Mid- Bekele

Long- Geb

Female

Miler- Aregawi (This may sound premature, but there has been a real absence of legendary talent in the history of this event. Most of the records are held by '80's and/or Chinese dopers who weren't really that talented)

Mid- Defar

Long- Tirunesh

Great post. I completely agree. You nailed it.

Gots to mention Craig Virgin. Stud HSer, collegian, track, xc, and road warrior. Me thinks.

Facts are not welcome on LRC.

Herb Elliot

There ya go. /Thread