Farah - track GOAT?

Tactically yes, put him in a slow race and I think that he beats Bekele.

However Bekele and Geb are better in almost every other aspect.

Agree. Interesting to see if he can step up to win championship medals in the marathon when he can't control the race.

Think he could still run sub 26:30 on the track.

He wouldn't beat bekele in a tactical race

Bekele is faster over the last K and 400, plus if he wasn't he'd just drop a nice sub 5 last 2k or 3:56 mile at the end of a sub 13 5k

Ukclubrunner wrote:

After winning in London tonight surely Farah has earned the right to be considered as the GOAT, at least on the track?

Different story on the roads and country obviously but triple 10k track Worlds gold. A true track legend.

Certainly one of the greatest distance runners on the track, not THE greatest.

I think he's been operating in a slightly weak decade. Would have loved to see him go against a fit Geb, Kenny B, Tergat, Hissou, Mourhit, etc.

Farah v Geb in their prime would be some race.

It is a weaker decade but he can only beat the opposition on the track. In 30 years not sure there will be many other triple 10k track world champions. It's his track champs consistency that has earned him the right to be mentioned as a possible track GOAT, even though he doesn't have the quickest times.

He did beat Haile's age 34 world best of 26:52.81.

Mo now has the age 32, 33 and 34 best.

Haile was still running 26:51.20 at age 35. That record will go untouched since this is Mo's last year on the track.

hjsakhadskj wrote:

He did beat Haile's age 34 world best of 26:52.81.

Mo now has the age 32, 33 and 34 best.

Haile was still running 26:51.20 at age 35. That record will go untouched since this is Mo's last year on the track.

At age 34 (and in his last race), his second fastest 10,000m ever...

Why stop now?

Seems weird, he was so much slower than that when he was younger than 28 y.o.

Ukclubrunner wrote:

It's his track champs consistency that has earned him the right to be mentioned as a possible track GOAT, even though he doesn't have the quickest times.

No, no it doesn't.

Long ago people invented a consistent, objective measuring tool that controls for weak fields and tactical scenarios. It's a callous little gadget that requires no interpretation. It just spits out a number. Some brave athletes consider its feedback to be a motivational component for their career, or even legacy. But others do not. And that's ok too. ☺️

XY wrote:

Ukclubrunner wrote:

After winning in London tonight surely Farah has earned the right to be considered as the GOAT, at least on the track?

Different story on the roads and country obviously but triple 10k track Worlds gold. A true track legend.

Certainly one of the greatest distance runners on the track, not THE greatest.

I think he's been operating in a slightly weak decade. Would have loved to see him go against a fit Geb, Kenny B, Tergat, Hissou, Mourhit, etc.

You are forgetting the ABP which limits the levels of EPO that these guys can get away with.

That was probably Mo's best performance (and I don't even like him) though the 3:28 was impressive.

Gotta bee wrote:

He wouldn't beat bekele in a tactical race

Bekele is faster over the last K and 400, plus if he wasn't he'd just drop a nice sub 5 last 2k or 3:56 mile at the end of a sub 13 5k

Bekele 2004?

800ftw. wrote:

Gotta bee wrote:

He wouldn't beat bekele in a tactical race

Bekele is faster over the last K and 400, plus if he wasn't he'd just drop a nice sub 5 last 2k or 3:56 mile at the end of a sub 13 5k

Bekele 2004?

That was Bekele in 2008 Olympic 5,000m final

No. Not close. He is the best "racer" but not the GOAT on the track. No world records never challenges anyone. Sits and kicks. AND he's probably doped to the gils

Absolutely. The way he confidently executes his game plan perfectly time after time while others desperately scramble to team up and figure out any way to defeat him is breathtaking to behold. I can't say I remember anything like it while following this sport since childhood in the late '60s with Jim Ryun.

These are Kenyans and Ethiopians he is outmaneuvering and sprinting past. Waves of them. I'm not buying the weak field argument. Big picture it makes no sense that those countries would be down as a block over an extended period. Farah is likely defeating guys who would otherwise be celebrated champions of their own.

In the brief time I've been on this site I have to say the animosity toward Mo Farah is the most unexpected and laughable thing I've encountered. It's like a parody of a track and field forum. Apparently it would be more impressive for Farah to break the world record in a meaningless Diamond League race 5 or 6 years ago with multiple rabbits and ideal conditions, and to otherwise be lazy in training and stupid in strategy while losing to inferior runners time after time, than to have managed all the brilliantly tactical gold medal doubles. And just imagine if he threatened that world record again in another Diamond League race later this year, despite blowing everything meaningful in August. Well then definitely we'd have to crown him.

It reminds me of the ignorance surrounding Seattle Slew when I was a teenager. That horse was a freak. But he controlled the race from the front end and generally eased to the wire. Since his times were not always special due to that style the speed figure morons led by Andy Beyer frantically denounced him as overrated. A year later Affirmed and Alydar battled in the 3 year old division while Slew was sick and didn't race for a year. Those were nice colts but from a sheer brilliance perspective it seemed obvious they weren't close to Slew's caliber. However the genius speed guys and strength of schedule guys had a common simpleton focus in favoring Affirmed. After all, he not only ran faster but had a dramatically superior foe in Alydar. What else could matter? Affirmed was a 1/2 favorite over Slew in the first meeting ever of Triple Crown winners in fall 1978.

I still laugh at that outcome, and the reaction to it. Slew toyed with Affirmed and nearly broke the world record for a mile and an eighth, despite being led out wide into the center of the track instead of on the rail where the record might have fallen. I collected while the speed guys were completely helpless to explain it. Nearly 40 years later I still see some of them trying to rationalize it. Bias and lousy application of probability dies hard and slowly.

I suspect the same would hold true if Mo Farah ever had raced against some of these guys who he is supposedly slower than. They would leave with their world records and fancy times while the other guy is doing the victory lap.

Ukclubrunner wrote:

After winning in London tonight surely Farah has earned the right to be considered as the GOAT, at least on the track?

Different story on the roads and country obviously but triple 10k track Worlds gold. A true track legend.

whats most annoying about this whole debate is that you f#ckers always b i t c h and complain about how everyone is against mo farah, yet when you want to call him the best track athlete ever... you ask for permission?

"Surely, we can call him that now, right?"

what, are you not certain about it anymore? why do you have to check with us about it?

if you believe in something, f#cking believe in it. Take ownership of the fact that you think Farah is the best ever. Christ

Generally posting an 'open' question is a sensible way to start a forum conversation.

As it happens I think he is the GOAT on the track, although there will always be a debate, that's the beauty of our sport.

See if you can post a response without expletives and with some reasoned argument.

No idea what any of that means.