This includes everything, from grade school through the present.
This includes everything, from grade school through the present.
Rupp.
Hall. Stanford education. Good wife. Briefly the GOAT American HM/Marathon guy
Ritz for two perhaps odd reasons. First, because the guy has had so many injuries, yet he keeps coming back, each time wiser, humbler, happier. Second, because of his 2009 12:56 5,k in Zurich. That race was an occasion of someone getting as close to the best race out of their body as is possible. Ritz is probably the "slowest" person ever to break 13, which makes what he achieved that day all the more special. So, Ritz is my vote, with all the ups and downs.
Ritz has physical proof that he has had made the sweet-sweet-love, not once, but twice. That's more than the other guys, or any Letsrunner with less than 2 kids, can say. I vote Ritz.
Ritz:
- Great prep career and world junior cross medal.
- NCAA XC champ, fastest American born collegiate 10,000 at the time.
- Great range: 8:11, 12:56, 1:00:00, 2:07
- Three time Olympian, finishing higher than Hall in the marathon.
- Three time national cross champ.
- Still going strong. Potential 4th Olympic team.
Ritz also has a bronze from World Half marathon Champ.
Ritz easily.
Easily Webb, despite the ups and (mostly) downs. His ups were just so good. He's still the high school and American record holder for the mile and had insane range (1:43, 3:46, 13:10, 27:33).
Easy.... wrote:
Ritz has physical proof that he has had made the sweet-sweet-love, not once, but twice. That's more than the other guys, or any Letsrunner with less than 2 kids, can say. I vote Ritz.
Webb also has two kids.
Webb wins because his AR will stand a long time and he is one of the best ever in any country, not just the US
Ritz. Seems to be the most content of all of them with his career that's still going fairly strong.
I like Ritz but Webb's top performances were better. I also think Hall 's achievements get underrated. He really attacked the HM and marathon and had some great performance
Webb
hall
ritz
REIrealist wrote:
Hall. Stanford education. Good wife. Briefly the GOAT American HM/Marathon guy
He said running career, not life.
No doubt I'd pick Ritz. He's had an amazing career with great range from the 2 mile to the marathon and he's still going. I hope to run my whole life so I think that's the biggest thing for me, he's still going.
All four of them have had their share of serious injuries, but Ritz has managed to come back each time while the other three either got too injured or too burned out to get back to their best (although I'll note that Hall and Solinsky are still trying).
I think if we look at the very best performance of their careers (so maybe Webb's mile, Solinsky's 10K and Hall's 2:04 or 2:06), Ritz is last out of the group, but his overall body of work is by far the best.
Ritz. Although the other guys all had more talent, he got more out of his talent than they did, despite his injuries. When all is said and done, Ritz can retire satisfied. The other guys won't be able to say that.
great question. i know no one is going to agree with me, and my gut reaction was ritz too. BUT it has to be RUPPSILVER MEDAL - Olympic Games26:44 AR3:343:50 mile (indoor)7:30 3k (indoor)8:07 (indoor)12:581:00:30SILVER effing MEDALand he's certainly still kicking'
pin racer wrote:
This includes everything, from grade school through the present.
Les wrote:
Ritz. Although the other guys all had more talent, he got more out of his talent than they did, despite his injuries. When all is said and done, Ritz can retire satisfied. The other guys won't be able to say that.
This is a good point. The other guys are probably going to look back with some regrets and "if only's" while Ritz will not. This isn't a knock on the other three, but a testament to Ritz. It's not many who get to retire satisfied.
come on now wrote:
great question. i know no one is going to agree with me, and my gut reaction was ritz too.
BUT it has to be RUPP
SILVER MEDAL - Olympic Games
26:44 AR
3:34
3:50 mile (indoor)
7:30 3k (indoor)
8:07 (indoor)
12:58
1:00:30
SILVER effing MEDAL
and he's certainly still kicking'
Rupp wasn't an option. Neither was Usain Bolt, Derek Jeter or Tiger Woods, otherwise some would probably be picking them too.
Webb
pin racer wrote:
This includes everything, from grade school through the present.
I would choose hall, he's got that whole god thing on lock down, which helps pressure his sponsors to keep investing in his failures.
webb
REIrealist wrote:
Hall. Stanford education. Good wife. Briefly the GOAT American HM/Marathon guy
Agreed. But his run at the top between his Houston half (January 2007) and his Boston 2:04:58 (April 2011) was not that brief.