If Mo Farah ..

Sure, I'd think he'd be in top 10 lists, maybe even top 5. Certainly NOT the GOAT. To be the goat, you have to knock of the current placeholder(s) of geb and possibly soon-to-be bekele. They have a block of credentials that Farah cannot sniff.

Farah needs to break a world record or at least run

Geb and Bekele both broke 2 world records and were unbeatable for a period of time. They could win any style of race and for the most part, when everyone lined up, they knew they were lining up unless they were named Paul Tergat or Daniel Komen.

The truth is the competition hasn't been as stiff for Farah as it was for Bekele racing against Geb, Kipchoge, Tadese, etc. It also wasn't quite as stiff for Bekele as it was for Geb racing against Tergat and Komen. I honestly still give the edge to Geb in discussions like this, but I think there is an argument for Bekele, particularly if he eventually has the type of marathon success that Geb had. There is no argument for Farah until he proves he can run in the 12:30s or 26:20s.

douglas burke wrote:

tony the tiger wrote:

Continue to be a world beater :

China 2015 2 golds

Rio 2016 2 golds

London 2017 2 gold

But no world record

Can he considered to be a GOAT ?

Maybe, but he can not get into the Track hall of fame unless they change their standards.

To be considered for the hall of fame, he must meet 2 criteria's.

1. Win 2 Golds at Worlds/Olympics (He has accomplished this)

2. Break 1 outdoor world record at a standard distance.

Times he needs to beat in at least 1 of these events.

1500-3:26

3000-7:20

5000-12:37

10000-26:17

Half Marathon 58:23

Marathon 2:02.57

I do agree that he NEEDS to break at least one of these WR's in addition to the 2M (7:58) and the 2k (4:44), if he even wanted to be CONSIDERED as being a GOAT... CONSIDERED.... He also does need to win some more global champiobships, but also he needs to be WIN XC AND INDOOR WORLD TITLES... but the problem is, it seems as though Salazar will never let him do that... He hasn't expressed much interest in it at all... AND he needs to break 59 and 2:04 in the HM and Marathon respectively... If these aren't met, I'm not really sure we can consider him a GOAT...

ukathleticscoach wrote:

El G would not even run an 800m for fear of being beaten.

What fear of being beaten? Is this documented anywhere or did you make it up?

Also, El G raced much more than Farah and frequently went after records. He also dominated the diamoind league. There is no comparison.

Mo Farah is in a generation where the competition is less difficult compared to other generations. If he was in a race with Beleke, Viren, El Gerrouj, Gabresalessie then he wouldn't do so good. Farah has the potential to break records, it just might be harder because of the Generation he's in.

At this point, Farah is a long way off from the GOAT discussion. If he wins double-gold in Rio, he'll be much closer, but even then he's not quite a contender. He would need to accomplish the following additional goals:

1). At least one WR.

2). Excellence in an event other than 5k or 10k on the track. (Geb set a WR in the marathon after years of dominance on the track. Bekele set WRs and won golds on the track, but he is also arguably the greatest XC runner of all time.)

3). Win against better competition. This is out of Farah's control, but it affects his legacy regardless. Ever since the prime years of Bekele's career ended, distance running on the track has been somewhat less competitive, and Mo Farah has benefited.

Lately, I've been thinking Mo was smart to take it easy last year. He'll be hungry and motivated for the nest three year cycle. Many great athletes in the past took it sort of easy before Olympic years, for example.

We'll find out soon enough if he's still got the wheels for gold.

Could the 2012 Mo have beaten the 2009 Bekele?

Worth thinking about.

Horst Girth wrote:

Could the 2012 Mo have beaten the 2009 Bekele?

Worth thinking about.

2009 wasn't even Bekele's best year and the answer is still absolutely not. Bekele ran 26:46 in a championship race in 2009.

Honestly, if he can run sub 12:45 (or 12:40 maybe?) in a race, I wouldn't oppose putting him in that lofty pantheon called the Hall of Fame. The man's career is far from over.

v6 wrote:

Horst Girth wrote:

Could the 2012 Mo have beaten the 2009 Bekele?

Worth thinking about.

2009 wasn't even Bekele's best year and the answer is still absolutely not. Bekele ran 26:46 in a championship race in 2009.

So? Farah did a 26:46 in 2011. A sit and kick against 2009 Bekele would be very close. Both can close in 52-53 seconds. It would be a lot closer than farah haters think.

Prefontaine Fan boy wrote:

Mo Farah is in a generation where the competition is less difficult compared to other generations. If he was in a race with Beleke, Viren, El Gerrouj, Gabresalessie then he wouldn't do so good.

I don't get people keep saying this. Farah has had to face Gebremeskel, Gebriwet, Alamirew, Longosiwa, Kipsiro, Lagat, Soi, Merga, etc... 5 of those being proven sub-12:50 guys. How is that weaker competition compared to other generations? Viren never had guys like that, Geb only had Komen and Tergat. Besides Soi once, since 2010 he has beaten them every time they've raced outdoors. Maybe the 10k competition is weaker, but come on.

Farah could certainly go toe to toe with those guys. Farah would destroy Viren. As far as I know Geb never closed a 5k in 53 seconds. Farah, Bekele, and El G would all be about the same.

TAA wrote:

I don't get people keep saying this. Farah has had to face Gebremeskel, Gebriwet, Alamirew, Longosiwa, Kipsiro, Lagat, Soi, Merga, etc... 5 of those being proven sub-12:50 guys. How is that weaker competition compared to other generations? Viren never had guys like that, Geb only had Komen and Tergat. Besides Soi once, since 2010 he has beaten them every time they've raced outdoors. Maybe the 10k competition is weaker, but come on.

Because those guys have horrible tactics. They give Farah the same race every time. Competitors of Bekele, Geb, etc were world record caliber runners and employed a variety of tactics. Farah never had to face anyone running sub13 for the 2nd half of a 10k. Also, those current guys cant stay healthy so they arent really always sub12:50 runners.

TAA wrote:

So? Farah did a 26:46 in 2011. A sit and kick against 2009 Bekele would be very close. Both can close in 52-53 seconds. It would be a lot closer than farah haters think.

No. Bekele can run sub 55 at 26:20 pace. Bekele also has more tactical range than "wait until the last lap to kick". It would not be close at all.

No/thread

no no and no wrote:

[quote]TAA wrote:

So? Farah did a 26:46 in 2011. A sit and kick against 2009 Bekele would be very close. Both can close in 52-53 seconds. It would be a lot closer than farah haters think.

No. Bekele can run sub 55 at 26:20 pace. /quote]

No he couldn't. Bekele's last lap in his WR was a 57.

no no and no wrote:

TAA wrote:

I don't get people keep saying this. Farah has had to face Gebremeskel, Gebriwet, Alamirew, Longosiwa, Kipsiro, Lagat, Soi, Merga, etc... 5 of those being proven sub-12:50 guys. How is that weaker competition compared to other generations? Viren never had guys like that, Geb only had Komen and Tergat. Besides Soi once, since 2010 he has beaten them every time they've raced outdoors. Maybe the 10k competition is weaker, but come on.

Because those guys have horrible tactics. They give Farah the same race every time. Competitors of Bekele, Geb, etc were world record caliber runners and employed a variety of tactics. Farah never had to face anyone running sub13 for the 2nd half of a 10k.

Have you forgotten the 2011 Monaco 5k when the pace was fast and Farah still beat them? Fast or slow Farah wins. Geb never had to face anyone running a 53 last lap. None of the 5k guys Bekele faced were world record caliber runners. They weren't touching 12:37. Geb didn't face the depth Farah had to deal with.

TAA wrote:

v6 wrote:

2009 wasn't even Bekele's best year and the answer is still absolutely not. Bekele ran 26:46 in a championship race in 2009.

So? Farah did a 26:46 in 2011. A sit and kick against 2009 Bekele would be very close. Both can close in 52-53 seconds. It would be a lot closer than farah haters think.

Not in a championship race. He did it in a rabbited affair. Bekele destroyed Tadese. And again, 2009 wasn't even Bekele's best year.

hdh wrote:

Farah's best event is the 1500 and he avoids it.

When the eff will people stop spouting this nonsense.