Why the hell is nobody talking about Bekele and Kipchoge?

It's Monday mang. We'll talk about it probably on Friday. Also, Kimetto stole some of the thunder by breaking 2:03. Bekele and Kipchoge have no chance of breaking the WR now so it's not as exciting.

The Waterboy wrote:

It's Monday mang. We'll talk about it probably on Friday. Also, Kimetto stole some of the thunder by breaking 2:03. Bekele and Kipchoge have no chance of breaking the WR now so it's not as exciting.

This. Be patient. Wait for those threads to pop up. It'll be a fun race to watch, for sure, but let's be honest. No one really thinks Bekele has a shot at the WR this time around.

Bekele should be thinking of breaking Ethiopian Record first which is owned by the great Haile! In my opinion, he is not even going to break that come Sunday! He will be lucky to finish in the top three.

Geb is great yes, but Bekele is better. If fit Bekele runs 2:55/km for however long he can. No other racing objective matters even a fraction as much.

dsrunner wrote:

Geb is great yes, but Bekele is better. If fit Bekele runs 2:55/km for however long he can. No other racing objective matters even a fraction as much.

bekele has the CC titles

but haile trumps him with the global 1500m title and marathon success

haile also smashed the track records

bekele will surpass geb only if he breaks marathon WR

unlikely to happen

Kimetto now holds the WR for a debut marathon (2:04:16).

Kimetto now holds the WR for the marathon (2:02:57).

Kimetto is the first man under 2:03:00.

Kimetto now holds the CR in Berlin (2:02:57 WR), and has won and placed 2nd.

Kimetto now holds the CR in Tokyo (2:06:50).

Kimetto now holds the CR in Chicago (2:03:45).

Really what is left to be the current "greatest of all-time"? Geb seemed to have that nailed, despite no championship medals. Then Wanjiru seemed to inherit that mantle (deservedly so after the OR in 2008), Then Geoffrey Mutai seemed destined for that moving target.

If he could win London and a global Champs race, then I think he is the greatest active marathoner. Wanjiru and Geb are now out of that conversation.

My post should have read: current "greatest of all-time" marathoner. And I was being somewhat facetious, because that title has seemed to shift wildly the last 10 years, or even 15 yrs since Khalid Khannouchi.

I clearly don't believe that Wanjiru or Kimetto are the greatest all-time distance runners.

Crazedseepies wrote:

The Waterboy wrote:

It's Monday mang. We'll talk about it probably on Friday. Also, Kimetto stole some of the thunder by breaking 2:03. Bekele and Kipchoge have no chance of breaking the WR now so it's not as exciting.

This. Be patient. Wait for those threads to pop up. It'll be a fun race to watch, for sure, but let's be honest. No one really thinks Bekele has a shot at the WR this time around.

I think Bekele has a shot at the WR. He ran alone in his debut, not against top flight competition like Kipchoge. I think one of them will force the pace around mile 21-22 and neither will relent. It's going to be awesome.

El G Jepthree wrote:

Crazedseepies wrote:

This. Be patient. Wait for those threads to pop up. It'll be a fun race to watch, for sure, but let's be honest. No one really thinks Bekele has a shot at the WR this time around.

I think Bekele has a shot at the WR. He ran alone in his debut, not against top flight competition like Kipchoge. I think one of them will force the pace around mile 21-22 and neither will relent. It's going to be awesome.

Agreed but I think he will have to wait for a different course to do it.

If Bekele's body holds up I think that the CR is his if they go for an aggressive pace.

newname wrote:

Kimetto now holds the WR for the marathon (2:02:57).

Kimetto now holds the CR in Berlin (2:02:57 WR), and has won and placed 2nd.

Kimetto now holds the CR in Tokyo (2:06:50).

Kimetto now holds the CR in Chicago (2:03:45).

Really what is left to be the current "greatest of all-time"?

I believe Kimetto already argued that he would like to run the World Championships next year. It will be interesting to see if he can resist the $$$ from London - remember last year when none of the London runners could excel at the WC?

I think it will go down like this:

2015:

Tokyo

Beijing (WC)

2016:

Dubai then long buildup

Rio (Olympics)

If he wins all these, surely we will have forgotten about Wanjiru.

neither Geb nor Bekele are that great at the marathon, compared to the Kenyan greats. They were better 10,000 runners and should have stuck there. Bekele hasn't run any race recently to indicate he is in sub 2:05 shape, let alone 2:04.

Lets wait a few more days for a solid weather forecast before we start to predict what Bekele will run. I've run Chicago 4 times with 2 times terribly warm and 2 times good conditions. Weather in Midwest has been generally cool but up and down temps this year so too early to predict.

iowakidscanrun wrote:

Lets wait a few more days for a solid weather forecast before we start to predict what Bekele will run. I've run Chicago 4 times with 2 times terribly warm and 2 times good conditions. Weather in Midwest has been generally cool but up and down temps this year so too early to predict.

Weather forecast is AVAILABLE now. 50 degrees at the start, up to 55 degrees at the finish line.

Perfect conditions. Anything slower than 2:03:xx would be an upset.

newname wrote:

Kimetto now holds the WR for a debut marathon (2:04:16).

Kimetto now holds the WR for the marathon (2:02:57).

Kimetto is the first man under 2:03:00.

Kimetto now holds the CR in Berlin (2:02:57 WR), and has won and placed 2nd.

Kimetto now holds the CR in Tokyo (2:06:50).

Kimetto now holds the CR in Chicago (2:03:45).

Really what is left to be the current "greatest of all-time"? Geb seemed to have that nailed, despite no championship medals. Then Wanjiru seemed to inherit that mantle (deservedly so after the OR in 2008), Then Geoffrey Mutai seemed destined for that moving target.

If he could win London and a global Champs race, then I think he is the greatest active marathoner. Wanjiru and Geb are now out of that conversation.

I don't think winning London (a paced marathon on a fast course - something he has already proven great at) proves a whole lot for Kimetto at this point. A win at a global champs, Boston, or NY, and/or a win at a race with difficult hot conditions would prove much more.

Currently he looks like he is the best, but Kipsang and G. Mutai could still possibly be just as good.

Bring Back the 880 wrote:

I don't think winning London (a paced marathon on a fast course - something he has already proven great at) proves a whole lot for Kimetto at this point. A win at a global champs, Boston, or NY, and/or a win at a race with difficult hot conditions would prove much more.

As pointed out above, the issue is timing.

Running Boston or NYC in 2015 or 2016 seems not to be possible due to the World Championships and the Olympics.

And of course the OG would trump NYC or Boston, no questions asked. The WC, not so much. In 2017 he would be 33 and likely already to old to win London or Berlin, but he could have seasoned to win Boston and NYCM...

Just my 2ct.

It is a great match up, but the current assumption in the marathon is that the guys who go straight to the marathon (Kimetto, Kipsang, Mutais, etc.) are superior in the marathon to the track runners who move up. Chicago may very well prove that assumption wrong as it seems almost inevitable that Kipchoge and Bekele will lead each other to sub 2:04. Bekele ran a 2:05 debut with no help. Kipchoge was just a few second from breaking 2:04 in Berlin in only his second marathon. But the spotlight has been on these guys from the start, whereas Kimetto, Kipsang, etc. started off with far less in terms of debut expectations.

newname wrote:

Kimetto now holds the WR for the marathon (2:02:57).

Kimetto is the first man under 2:03:00.

Kimetto now holds the CR in Berlin (2:02:57 WR).

Amazing coincidences, what are the chances?

knower of knowledge wrote:

neither Geb nor Bekele are that great at the marathon, compared to the Kenyan greats. They were better 10,000 runners and should have stuck there. Bekele hasn't run any race recently to indicate he is in sub 2:05 shape, let alone 2:04.

Yes, when you set the world record, that is not great.