Mo Farah passing Haile, closing in on Kenny for the quest of GOAT

Attacking a world record is enough to break your body down, that's what happened to Bekele, he basically cooked himself running that fast. The brightest lights burn the fastest. Mo wants a long healthy career and he's getting it. It's way smarter to make more money in the long run. Mo will smash the 5/10K records once he's ready.

hole in ocean wrote:

way smarter to make more money in the long run. Mo will smash the 5/10K records once he's ready.

Please go crawl back into that hole in the ocean and never post again.

kmoore wrote:

If Mo can win the 5k here, then come back and win the 5/10 in 2016, then he has a good case.

No, definitely not. And if he wins the 5k/10k doubles until the 2020 Olympics he still would be not in a discussion of GOAT. This is just between Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele.

There are (at least) two parts where an all-time-great should have exceled in some special way: big championships (OG/WC) and times.

At the first, Farah has done very special now (but still behind the two ethiopians who have won Gold 6 (Bekele) and 7 (Gebrselassie) years apart and medals 10 years apart (Gebrselassie). Farah has won Gold (and medals) 4 years apart). But Farah's doubles are also very special for sure.

In the other department (times) Farah still is way behind the other two. The best position he ever has had on an all-time list is 6 (1500m) (3 if you want to include the 2 Miles). The GOAT surely should have been also an WR holder (as absolute minimum should have been very close to an WR). Farah never was close to any WR (beside the 2 Miles indoor). His great range from 1500m to the Marathon run in a short period of time is a strong point for him, yes, but apart from his 1500m mark he still is WAY behind Gebrselassie on every event. So, until he changes this, he definitely is not close to Bekele and Gebrselassie at the moment. No chance. Every double puts him closer to them, for sure, but much more important would be to excel against the clock. 7:23 - 12:40 - 26:20 than we can start this discussion. At the moment it's laughable.

High School High wrote:

Here is a partial list of those defeated by Bekele in his high school cross country races:

Hailu Mekonnen, Craig Mottram, Sammy Kipketer, Abraham Chebii, John Yuda, Richard Limo, Charles Kamathi, Abderrahim Goumri, Jaouad Gharib, Abdi, Meb, Torres, Ritz, Zersenay Tedesse...

oh wait, that's only 2002. Here are some more:

Eliud Kipchoge, Paul Koech, Gebre Gebremariam, Sileshi Sihine, John Korir, Patrick Ivuti, Abraham Cherono, Stephen Cherono (Said Saeef Shaheen), Ben Limo, Isaac Songok, Bob Tahri, Ahmad Abdullah, Dejene Berhanu, Abebe Dinkessa, Moses Mosop, Mo Farah (beat him by over 1:40 in 2005), Adil Kaouch, Rashid Ramzi, Brimin Kipruto, Martin Mathathi, Mike Kigen, John Kibowen, Moses Kipsiro, Ryan Hall, Adam Goucher, Augustine Choge, Edwin Soi, Leonard Patrick Komon, Joseph Ebuya, Moses Masai, Mark Kiptoo

That's a pretty stout high school program there.

This is my favorite post today.

Brianruns10 wrote:

He is great, but he can't truly lay claim to being the GOAT until he sets a real world mark..not a soft mark in a seldom raced indoor distance. I'm talking about a world mark in the 5000 or the 10,000. Because medals can be won by lesser runners who use tactics. But ultimately, to set a world record, you must run alone. THAT is the true test of greatness.

Let's give him the 3000m at least. Not in the Olympics but definitely a legit distance.

world records are everything. Look at the long jump. No way is Carl Lewis the GOAT; he can't be as he never broke the WR.

El Keniano wrote:

Brianruns10 wrote:

He is great, but he can't truly lay claim to being the GOAT until he sets a real world mark..not a soft mark in a seldom raced indoor distance. I'm talking about a world mark in the 5000 or the 10,000. Because medals can be won by lesser runners who use tactics. But ultimately, to set a world record, you must run alone. THAT is the true test of greatness.

Let's give him the 3000m at least. Not in the Olympics but definitely a legit distance.

Danny Kipngetich is still king of that hill.

Mo Farah didn't race a bunch of nobodies. Something like 5 of the top ten fastest 5000 meter runners of all time were in the London 5000 final.

Still, he needs at the very least a world record in either the 5000 or 10000 to even be in the conversation for GOAT.

sarky marky wrote:

world records are everything. Look at the long jump. No way is Carl Lewis the GOAT; he can't be as he never broke the WR.

If Mo Farah wins gold medals in 2016, 2020, and 2024 and runs 12:38 or 26:18 I'll say he is the GOAT.

Zatopek?

A couple of years back the world cross country championship was considered the hardest to win for an athlete. Remember, everyone runs XC; 800-13.1 and steeplers.

Critical Thinking wrote:

Mo Farah didn't race a bunch of nobodies. Something like 5 of the top ten fastest 5000 meter runners of all time were in the London 5000 final.

Still, he needs at the very least a world record in either the 5000 or 10000 to even be in the conversation for GOAT.

List of people Mo has beaten at a major championship

5k:

5th fastest - Gebremeskel = 2011, 2012, 2013

7th fastest - Gebrhiwet = 2012, 2013

8th fastest - Koech = 2012, 2013

10th fastest - Alamirew = 2012, 2013

12th fastest Longosiwa = 2011, 2012, 2013

10k:

1st fastest - Bekele = 2012

8th fastest - Tadese = 2012

15th fastest - Rupp = 2012, 2013 and 2015

According to the morons on letsrun, he's clearly running against nobodies. Quite ironic that they dismiss Mo's Gold's because he doesn't have a super fast time and yet dismiss his achievements of beating guys who have run super fast times.

If Mo is average, those guys should be able to destroy Mo. Remember, especially the 5k guys, they have raced Mo several times now and they still can't beat him. 6 straight golds and a possible 7th next week.

Keep hating trolls

Do you have any idea how important world XC championship is in Kenya?

You're right. XC is exactly why John Ngugi and Paul Tergat are considered legends in Kenya. Not the Olympics and WCs. KB is respected because he was a stud on all surfaces.

After today's 5000, Mo has finally passed Haile.

In terms of (outdoor, the only one that counts) world championships, he is also more successful than Kenny now (same gold but one silver instead of bronze).

Kenny still has the edge in terms of OG but after 2016, there is no way around it. Game, set and match. A British athlete will forever be remembered as the Greatest long distance runner of all times.

Since it is obviously impossible to compare the times run today with the times run during the EPO era, Mo is already the GOAT track distance runner.

El Keniano wrote:

Brianruns10 wrote:

He is great, but he can't truly lay claim to being the GOAT until he sets a real world mark..not a soft mark in a seldom raced indoor distance. I'm talking about a world mark in the 5000 or the 10,000. Because medals can be won by lesser runners who use tactics. But ultimately, to set a world record, you must run alone. THAT is the true test of greatness.

Let's give him the 3000m at least. Not in the Olympics but definitely a legit distance.

I'm a bit puzzled by this. Is Mo really pushing low 7:20s in the 3000?

But what about Paavo Nurmi?

He was able to win multiple golds in an Olympics, he was seriously fast, setting a whole pile of world records, including ALL the real distances (holding them all simultaneously!), and he could also run cross, and dominate it.

In terms of being a guy who could (A) win, win, and win again, and (B) run faster than anyone, it seems like Nurmi is a candidate.

sarky marky wrote:

world records are everything. Look at the long jump. No way is Carl Lewis the GOAT; he can't be as he never broke the WR.

Lewis was likely screwed out of a WR in 1982. He was surely the greatest big-meet long jumper in history. And, if I recall correctly, he didn't lose a LJ competition for something like ten years. If Lewis isn't the LJ GOAT, then there isn't one.