ALL THE CONTENDERS for top-end consideration followed the same pattern: a quick win and a not-so-quick backup. Benson Kipruto had the best pairing: a 2:02 Tokyo win and an Olympic bronze. Oly gold medalist Tamirat is next, with an NYC 4th as his backup…
THE BEST 3-RACE sequence belonged to Deresa Geleta: a 2:03 win in Seville, a 2:02 runner-up in Valence and a 5th in the OG… John Kipkosgei had a 2:02 win in Chicago after finishing 4th in Boston…
OVERALL, 5 men broke 2:03, with 2:02:55 performer Timothy Kiplagat not even making the Top 10… Not even remotely in consideration for the first time in more than a decade was 7-time No. 1 Eliud Kipchoge, now 40, whose 2:06:50 left him floundering at =94 on the yearly list.
| JUMP TO U.S. RANKINGS | VIEW WORLD TOP 50 LIST | VIEW U.S. TOP 50 LIST |
| 1. BENSON KIPRUTO (Kenya) (3/17/91, 5-5¾/115) (1.67/52) | |||||
| 2:02:16 | … | 1)Tokyo | 3/03 | ||
| 2:07:00 | … | 3)Olympic Games | 8/10 | ▷ | 1. Tola; 2. Abdi |
| 2. TAMIRAT TOLA (Ethiopia) (8/11/91, 5-11¼/130) (1.81/59) | |||||
| dnf | … | )London | 4/21 1. Mutiso; 2. Bekele; 3. Cairess; 4. Mahamed; 5. Chahdi… | ||
| 2:06:26 | … | 1)Olympic Games | 8/10 | ||
| 2:08:12 | … | 4)New York | 11/03 | ▷ | 1. Nageeye; 2. Chebet; 3. Korir |
| 3. DERESA GELETA (Ethiopia) (1/14/96) | |||||
| 2:03:27 | … | 1)Seville | 2/18 | ||
| 2:07:31 | … | 5)Olympic Games | 8/10 | ▷ | 1. Tola; 2. Abdi; 3. Kipruto; 4. Cairess |
| 2:02:38 | … | 2)Valencia | 12/01 | ▷ | 1. Sawe |
| 4. JOHN KIPKOSGEI (Kenya) (12/2/96) | |||||
| 2:07:40a | … | 4)Boston | 4/15 | ▷ | 1. Lemma; 2. Esa; 3. Chebet |
| 2:02:43 | … | 1)Chicago | 10/13 | ||
| 5. SABASTIAN SAWE (Kenya) (3/16/95, 5-5¼/110) (1.66/50) | |||||
| 2:02:05 | … | 1)Valencia | 12/01 | ||
| 6. ABDI NAGEEYE (Netherlands) (3/2/89, 5-5/119) (1.65/54) | |||||
| 2:04:45 | … | 1)Rotterdam | 4/14 | ||
| dnf | … | )Olympic Games | 8/10 | ▷ | 1. Tola; 2. Abdi; 3. Kipruto; 4. Cairess; 5. Geleta; 6. Akasaki; 7. Ramakongoana; 8. Mantz; 9. Young; 10. S. Amare… |
| 7. MOHAMED ESA (Ethiopia) (9/11/00, 5-7/115) (1.70/52) | |||||
| 2:06:58a | … | 2)Boston | 4/15 | ▷ | 1. Lemma |
| 2:04:39 | … | 2)Chicago | 10/13 | ▷ | 1. Kipkosgei |
| 8. EMILE CAIRESS (Great Britain) (12/27/97, 5-10¾) (1.80) | |||||
| 2:06:46 | … | 3)London | 4/21 | ▷ | 1. Mutiso; 2. Bekele |
| 2:07:29 | … | 4)Olympic Games | 8/10 | ▷ | 1. Tola; 2. Abdi; 3. Kipruto |
| 9. BASHIR ABDI (Belgium) (2/10/89, 5-10/123) (1.78/56) | |||||
| 2:06:47 | … | 2)Olympic Games | 8/10 | ▷ | 1. Tola |
| 2:10:39 | … | 9)New York | 11/03 | ▷ | 1. Nageeye; 2. Chebet; 3. Korir; 4. Tola; 5. Kamworor; 6. Mantz; 7. Young; 8. Kipchumba |
| 2:07:39 | … | 1)New York | 11/03 | ||
| 10. MILKESA MENGESHA (Ethiopia) (4/16/00, 5-8/121) (1.73/55) | |||||
| dnf | … | )London | 4/21 | ▷ | 1. Mutiso; 2. Bekele; 3. Cairess; 4. Mahamed; 5. Chahdi… |
| 2:03:17 | … | 1)Berlin | 9/29 | ||
| US RANKINGS | ||||
| 1. | Conner Mantz (Nike) | 6. | Elkanah Kibet (Asics) | |
| 1)Olympic Trials, 8)Olympic Games, 6)New York | 4)Olympic Trials, 14)Boston, 19)New York | |||
| 2. | Clayton Young (Asics) | 7. | Leonard Korir (Nike/US Army) | |
| 2)Olympic Trials, 9)Olympic Games, 7)New York | 3)Olympic Trials, 19)Rotterdam, 63)Olympics | |||
| 3. | CJ Albertson (Brooks) | 8. | Biya Simbassa (Under Armour) | |
| 5)OT, 7)Boston, 7)Chicago, 10)NYC, 2)CIM | 11)Olympic Trials, 17)Valencia 2:06:53 | |||
| 4. | Zach Panning (Hansons) | 9. | Colin Bennie (Brooks) | |
| 6)Olympic Trials, 10)Chicago | 10)Olympic Trials, 12)New York | |||
| 5. | Reed Fischer (adidas) | 10. | Brian Shrader (Saucony) | |
| 9)Olympic Trials, 12)Chicago | 10)London, 13)Chicago | |||