We know a few things for a fact.
Kenya has statistically the fastest runners in the world
At least SOME Kenyan athletes have, over the last two decades, maxed out their performances with PEDs of all kinds.
The dilemma begins because we have to decide if those cheating Kenyans were on top or beaten by clean counterparts. Some runners, like Asbel Kipropn show that cheaters CAN reach the top of Kenyan athletics.
IF you believe that generally the best athletes are also clean athletes beating dopers, a world record doesn't bother you.
But if you believe that there's no way to beat an (already ridiculously good) runner who cheats, then anyone beating that person's times must be on the sauce.
If every record is doing. As many believe, the needle CANNOT be moved because beating a WR is a sure sign that the runner is doping.
I choose to look at it like this. Either Kipchoge OR Bekele is clean right now, possibly both. Kipchoge ran faster than anyone ever, Bekele ran faster than anyone but Kipchoge. Either way, if one is clean, then they just beat every doper in the world. Therefore the record is clean, and we can expect marginal improvements over the next decade without immediate suspicion.
The ridiculous shoes, however, complicate this. Is someone actually faster than _______, or was it the pretty much spring-loaded shoes. Ambiguity will always be there with shoes and drugs now. Which sucks.
Three questions we can never answer.
Who was the most talented runner who cheated?
Would they have been in the same spot historically without cheating?
Did the best runners ever cheat?