Galen Rupp is the best distance runner in US history. On his best day he can run with any US runner ever at any distance from the mile to the marathon. No one can claim this but Rupp. You can argue about what greatness is, you cannot argue about the times.
Such parochialism in Letsrun.
Khalid Khannouchi is the greatest American distance runner ever, by far.
Frank. Oly gold & silver. Great 10K man. Get rid of that east german cheat, and you have 2 golds.
For my generation, Pre. Yeah, I know all the criticisms. To be in high school when Pre was the man, it was awesome! I'm sure Pre had a lot to do with Al Sal's ball busting front runner style.
Love ya, Meb.
Came here from the Sioux Nation.
Somewhere down in Texas wrote:
Collateral Damage wrote:He is not even the greatest U.S. immigrant runner. That accolade goes to Billy Mills.
0/10.....how do you define Mills as an immigrant?
mlcollll wrote:
absolutely not.
Go back to Billy Mills. Have a look at Frank Shorter.
etc etc.
Meb is a nice human interest story. He's a footnote
I agree with this.
let's also not forget Rodgers
4x NYC champ
4x Boston champ
Shorter won other marathons after the Olympics and is the real winner of the 76 Olympics, since everyone knew the winner was a drug cheat.
San Diegan Meb has Top 3 finishes in 5 major marathons and one Olympic marathon which more than any other US distance runner, that's for sure.
We still talk excitedly about Frank and Bills exploits 40+ years later. Who here thinks any but the most geeky will even remember Meb 10 yrs after he retires?
Great guy, but barely top 10.
why is everyone just talking about marathoners? why does a long career matter?
Meb - 10k record (27:13), 2nd place, 4th place, major wins = very impressive, very compelling
Frank Shorter. bling bling. basically started USA running movement
Galen Rupp - High School record (13:37!), junior records, ncaa records, olympic trials record, current american records. see wikipedia for PBs and accomplishments. Has a silver medal and more Olympics to come. fast fast PBs, amazing range who knows what he does in marathon. he's always been amazing
Bernard Lagat. jesus, he ran 3:26. Silver, bronze. Look at his calves! Meb wasn't born in the USA either...
Billy Mills
Mike Rossi
Call me "Donald" if you must - and perhaps I deserve it - but I will never call a naturalized citizen the greatest American anything. They might love the country...they might even be "a" great American...but they were not born into it. Same goes for Lagat and the like.
But aside from that, Meb doesn't even make the top 10 in terms of great U.S. distance runners.
I can't believe no one has pointed out how much tougher it is to do what Meb has accomplished in his era than Shorter's or Rodgers. The marathon is the premier distance event today as that is where all the money is, with a few exceptions like Farah. Also Meb has had to deal with the dominance of the East Africans which wasn't the case 40 years ago.
People like to knock Men for his slow(relatively) PR but that's because he has focused on New York and Boston which are usually slower races. Definitely a 2:06 guy or better if he went to a place like Berlin in his prime.
There were absolutely other Americans who were more accomplished for their era. But I think a reasonable argument can be made for Meb based on how much tougher competition was for him than Frank or Bill.
Bill is at the top of my list
Shorter for the men, Benoit for the woman......end of story
Disagree and false.
I'm not saying Meb's not a great guy and not awesome. He has my complete respect from the running standpoint. But he is ineligible for this particular honor.
Hall, Ritz, Bob Kempainen, Alberto, Dick Beardsley, Frank Shorter and soon Rupp. Take your pick. Shorter's birth in Munich is where the divide lives. He was born to U.S. citizens while one served the U.S. Army over there.
No Abdi.
No Meb.
No Khalid Khannouchi.
Take your racist garbage somewhere else. Meb came to this country when he was 10 or 11 years old, just like my grandparents came here from Ireland. Believe me, I'm far more proud to call Meb my countryman than you. I don't know where you came from, but I wish you'd go to Africa or someplace far from the U.S. I don't like living in the same country you inhabit.
Frank is the best. Longevity is fine and all, but Frank did so much more overall.
themanontherun wrote:
or Rupp, who has astounding range, OG hardware, an all time top-20 mark in the 10k, and competes in the strongest era of running to date (barring the EPO-era).
Rupp has won nothing of international significance, nor has he set any world records.
You can't be the greatest American distance runner with 0 wins. Sorry.
Ralen mutter pupper Gupp wrote:
Galen Rupp is the best distance runner in US history. On his best day he can run with any US runner ever at any distance from the mile to the marathon.
There are many American runners who would have dusted him in a mile.
Ralen mutter pupper Gupp wrote:
No one can claim this but Rupp.
Neither can Rupp claim this. See above.
Ralen mutter pupper Gupp wrote:
You can argue about what greatness is, you cannot argue about the times.
Get back to me when he wins something of international note.
Primo Numero Uno wrote:
I can't believe no one has pointed out how much tougher it is to do what Meb has accomplished in his era than Shorter's or Rodgers. The marathon is the premier distance event today as that is where all the money is, with a few exceptions like Farah. Also Meb has had to deal with the dominance of the East Africans which wasn't the case 40 years ago.
People like to knock Men for his slow(relatively) PR but that's because he has focused on New York and Boston which are usually slower races. Definitely a 2:06 guy or better if he went to a place like Berlin in his prime.
There were absolutely other Americans who were more accomplished for their era. But I think a reasonable argument can be made for Meb based on how much tougher competition was for him than Frank or Bill.
Meb is east african.
Oh now, Tony is becoming more the provocateur than the Brojos.
Got to get me some clicks.
Meb, c'mon, that's just silly.
Hell no the guy isnt even american. Dirty foreign carpet bagger