Greatest front runner of all time?

willis is fastest ever non-african/mediterranean 1500 ever at

3'29.66

????

what time do you think willis wouda run, even fresh :

a) ran Ryun's race to bell ?

b) ran Keino's race to bell ???[/quote]

????

test2 wrote:

I'll say it's Ron Clarke for the men and Almaz Ayana for the women.

hicham el guerouj from 600 meters out.

Bayi again for a world record:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvKX22TOCCA

Happy Birthday Morceli wrote:

test2 wrote:

I'll say it's Ron Clarke for the men and Almaz Ayana for the women.

hicham el guerouj from 600 meters out.

I said that too and Ventolin yelled abuse at me and then had my reply deleted. Why do they let that idiot post here?

Bring Back the 880 again4 wrote:

test2 wrote:

Huh?

test2 is correct Lasse Viren was not a front runner. In fact he was

influenced by the great Arthur Lydiard whose runners almost never

were front runners. Front running is stupid in any event longer than the

1500.

No, you are both wrong. Pre himself once reluctantly acknowledged that Viren was the only other legit front-runner of that generation of runners. Trying learning about history one day and it might save you from posting something stupid on here.

YOU ARE ONLY GREAT IF YOU WIN. END OF STORY.

This is nonsense. Viren was many things, including my childhood hero, but he was never a front runner. Consider his four signature races:'72 10,000m he led the last maybe 4k. Granted he fell earlier in the race but he still wasn't front running even here.'72 5000m he took the lead with 800m to go.'76 10,000m Lopes did all the work until Viren buried him with 450m to go.'76 5000m he took the lead with 1100m to go. He had led briefly a few times before but not at all front running.Certainly he won other races but he doesn't belong in this discussion.

prethemachinefontaine wrote:

No, you are both wrong. Pre himself once reluctantly acknowledged that Viren was the only other legit front-runner of that generation of runners. Trying learning about history one day and it might save you from posting something stupid on here.

Mo front runs? Every race I've seen he sits and kicks.

Robo. wrote:

Mo Farah is a pretty handy front runner.

Never saw Pre run but how overrated was he? Seems like he was a mental midget and couldn't understand there was more than just running your guts. Didn't really prove much to run your guts out if lost in every major race.

test2 wrote:

Other notables: David Rudisha, Pre, the recently retired Kim Smith.

Honorable mention to Juma Ikangaa.

Respectfully disagree with that assessment. Viren definitely belongs in any discussion of front-running, as one of the premier practitioners of that technique in his era. Many actually think that pre developed his own front-running style by emulating the tactics of Viren. I believe pre himself has acknowledged that and there is a quote on that in "Bowerman and the Men of Oregon"

Didn't multiple people already establish that Viren is the correct answer here?

Really nothing more to say on this topic as that is the one and only answer.

Let's end this thread now.

eh ?

you have no clue about 800 history if you didn't know this

Bayi wrecked himself trying to challenge 2 of all-time great 800 runners that meet but still somehow recovered to run that incredible 1500WR, solo, in windy meet !

is this a joke ?

Bayi killed himself trying to win 800 gold in utterly outrageous attempt v coupla legends !

jogging around in 1'47/1'48 maya offered some warm up for 1500 as walker did in '76 when on paper he was threat for 800 gold but offered nothing in the 800s & got busted early

Bayi, in contrast in '74 ran like a maniac in 800-final trying to duke it out with coupla all-time greats in Kipkurgat/Boit & still held on for 1'45.1, which woud probably been at worst a 1'43-flat/low if sensible "walker"-type running on a 0 wind day, all after rounds

he then found energy to solo 3'32.16 in windy meet ! off too-quick 54+ !

is this a joke ?

neither of you have clue about era from your posts ?!

eh ?

word or warning woud be that you have no clue about sport if you didn't know Bayi was in '74 final

why didn't you watch it like I did with huge family around the tv ?

eh ?

only "dreaming" is your ignorance of '74 800 & Bayi's outrageous bid for gold but still hung on magnificently for 1'45.1 but beaten by walker who ran like a mouse that race, hoping all ahead woud collapse

eh ?

offer...

Randolph Carter wrote:

Honorable mention to Juma Ikangaa.

I loved Juma. He always ran from the front. I still have that great NY Marathon win on a VHS tape.

I really dislike your style of posting. Go away. Thanks.

Good lord, how do we deal with such an idiot?

The 10,000m was on the first day of track. That event was effected by the Norwester, which really is a weather phenomena of cold air from the southern seas that swings below Tasmania an then swoops into the West Coast (dubbed the Wet Coast because it is the wettest place on earth) dropping heavy rain and then drifts over Canterbury Plains and Christchurch bringing gusterly winds and temperatures above 30°Celsius in Summer.

The 800m was on a separate day and was less windy, as the easterly can light or heavy. That day was light. Hence everyone in the race ran a pb. That commentator was wrong.

Sitterkicker wrote:

the best wrote:

Usain Bolt.

Hardly! He spends most of the race dawdling in the mid-pack. It isn't until the last 30 meters that he blows the doors off the competition.

Total sit and kick style.

This is stupid. Look at his splits compared to the best splits from everyone else. He destroys them at every pbase.

What The Hey wrote:

Ngugi and Bayi are the ones who come to mind. And elliott in Rome.

Good call on Ngugi. His close to 4 minute mile at the in the OG 5000m is the definition of front running.

Liz Mccolgan front ran to be world 10,000 champion.

Geb could front run or sit and kick but of course most races pacer by then. Still had front run once it got hard.

Zatopek also.

Kutz 10000m. He only let Pirie lead briefly to check he'd finished him off.

Kenyan runners have lost the bottle to front run and Farah has taken full advantage.