Haile G tells LetsRun.com how he'd beat Mo Farah - "I'd finish him early"

And the thing is - Geb in his prime COULD finish him, easily. I know you guys like to talk about Farah being the GOAT but really he does not hold a candle to Geb.

How many championship races did you ever see Geb finish someone early? He backed his kick as much a Farah does and I'm sure in his prime he would have backed it going head to head with Farah. Leopards don;t change their spots.

So the real question is, who's kick is better?

JRinaldi wrote:

How many championship races did you ever see Geb finish someone early? He backed his kick as much a Farah does and I'm sure in his prime he would have backed it going head to head with Farah. Leopards don;t change their spots.

So the real question is, who's kick is better?

Well, I guess 26:22 and 12:39 might tell us that Geb can enter a territory that Farah could only dream of, but perhaps Geb might need a little help from his mates.

It's about strategy. Geb didn't have to finish anyone early. The Mobat is so full of himself that a runner like Geb could toy with him and teach him about paind and suffering.

JRinaldi wrote:

How many championship races did you ever see Geb finish someone early? He backed his kick as much a Farah does and I'm sure in his prime he would have backed it going head to head with Farah. Leopards don;t change their spots.

So the real question is, who's kick is better?

The 3 guys behind Geb all had better 10000 PB than Farah.

JRinaldi wrote:

How many championship races did you ever see Geb finish someone early? He backed his kick as much a Farah does and I'm sure in his prime he would have backed it going head to head with Farah. Leopards don;t change their spots.

So the real question is, who's kick is better?

Geb's. He tended to run the races faster anyway and then kick.

Please, nobody is as foolish as to think 12:53 is representative of Farah's 5000m pb. This discussion has been had many times before. A runners ability and pedigree isn't all about what times they have run. And the fastest runner doesn't always just win (or athletics would be boring).

I think Mo at his best could have handled that last 500m, it was only 56 point, with the last 1km in 2:31.

We have no idea what Mo's absolute best times over 5/10 really are, but his 3:28 1500 is not something that Geb had to ever face in a championship race.

Metric Miler wrote:

Please, nobody is as foolish as to think 12:53 is representative of Farah's 5000m pb. This discussion has been had many times before. A runners ability and pedigree isn't all about what times they have run. And the fastest runner doesn't always just win (or athletics would be boring).

The prevailing issue with athletics is that it is often boring. Mo being unchallenged is particularly tiring to watch. Would love to see someone at least try to "finish him" early, late, in the middle, or otherwise.

To put Geb's legendary kick in perspective, this is from Renato Canova, the recent coach of Kenenisa Bekele, "About the possibility of Bekele, believe me, he is still very far from his top. In Ostrava was windy, and his first half was normal. I think that in two years is really possible for him running under 26:00.

He has not the change of speed of the young Gebre or of Yifter, but seems to Viren in his final progression. His threshold is the higher all time. He has a natural hematocrite of 49%, while Gebre had 41%. He is technically perfect, and is very strong in his muscles.

But his main quality is his recovery. After a very tough workout, he can have only one day of easy run, then is able to work again two days later."

One question is, would Farah have kept up with Geb and Bekele in the 2003 WC 10,000 where the winning time was 26:49 and they both closed in sub 13?

If anything, that race would finish Farah early.

Or we would know how good Farah really could be.

Metric Miler wrote:

Please, nobody is as foolish as to think 12:53 is representative of Farah's 5000m pb. This discussion has been had many times before. A runners ability and pedigree isn't all about what times they have run. And the fastest runner doesn't always just win (or athletics would be boring).

Please, 12:53 is his PB until he breaks it. A runner's pedigree is his ability. Talk is cheap.

JRinaldi wrote:

How many championship races did you ever see Geb finish someone early? He backed his kick as much a Farah does and I'm sure in his prime he would have backed it going head to head with Farah. Leopards don;t change their spots.

So the real question is, who's kick is better?

You make a good point but then again Geb had Tergat chashing him around. Remember Tergat once cloed a 10k in sub-13 for the 2nd half and lost (to Geb).

One thing about the GOAT talk. Total number of medals isn't a great comparison as when Haile ran some of the times you had to run 5 races to double.Three 5ks. Two 10ks.

rojo wrote:

You make a good point but then again Geb had Tergat chashing him around. Remember Tergat once cloed a 10k in sub-13 for the 2nd half and lost (to Geb).

One thing about the GOAT talk. Total number of medals isn't a great comparison as when Haile ran some of the times you had to run 5 races to double.Three 5ks. Two 10ks.

When did Tergat do that?

Let's face facts here: Geb is the GOAT hands down. Here are a few reasons why:

*27 world records, from distances of 2000m up to the marathon.

*Multiple world records at 2 miles, 5000m, 10000m, and the marathon.

*First sub-59 min half-marathon.

*First sub-2:04 marathon.

Being the GOAT is about more than medals. Mo's record can't hold a candle to what Geb did to the record books, over tremendous range. Once Mo gets the 5K, 10k, and marathon WRs, we can start GOAT talk about him.

Geb is GOAT.

About his speed - he ran 1:46 at high altitude. He ran 3:31 right behind El G's 3:31 WR indoor 1500m run. Geb was more than capable in the speed category.

He woulda taken out Mo either with a strike long way from home or last 600m sprint.

JRinaldi wrote:

How many championship races did you ever see Geb finish someone early? He backed his kick as much a Farah does and I'm sure in his prime he would have backed it going head to head with Farah. Leopards don;t change their spots.

So the real question is, who's kick is better?

Actually the real question is, whose kick is better?

Another valid question is, who's having trouble with the word, whose?

Actually the real question is, who would win?

Geb = winner

Mobot = broken kick

Actua Lea wrote:

Actually the real question is, who would win?

Geb = winner

Mobot = broken kick

And if I recall Bekele closed the last 2k of his 5k WR in sub-5. Solo. That is GOAT.

Bekele. Geb. ........ Mohamad Farah