Eliud Kipchoge

[Javelin-dave]

I have a few questions that I'd like to see peoples response to...

1) Would Kipchoge have finished on the podium in the 10,000m at Doha?

2) With 8 World marathon majors, Olympic marathon champion, marathon WR holder, world 5,000m champion famously out sprinting Bekele and El Guerrouj in their prime. Where does Kipchoge rank among the GOATS of distance running?

[26mi235]

It has been too long for him currently to do that. Of course if he ran the 10,000 he would have switched his training some time before - two months, six months, 12 months? The longer back the more likely it would be, but still a stretch.

I think that he is widely viewed as the GOAT, having only been second once, and that narrowly to a world record. Is 5000 victory over the two giants of the time boaster his non-marathon credentials. We can wonder what Abebe Bikila would have done in EK's world with years of high-level training, shoes, coaching, nutrition etc. but he did not have it and it is not close on what has been done.

[bobguild76]

In the marathon, I think he is the co-GOAT with Bikila ... maybe a notch ahead. Interestingly, his 5k credentials are far superior to his 10k. OG silver & bronze. WC gold, silver, with his 2003 victory one of the epic finishes in WC 5k history.

When I think of 5/10/Mar greats, I begin with Zatopek, even though he ran only one marathon. Clarke ran all three, but has only a 10k OG bronze to show. Shorter comes to mind, but he never medaled in the 5 or 10. Viren, likewise, never medaled in the marathon. In recent times, we have Geb, Tergat, and Bekele, none of whom medaled in the marathon, although WMM's have been their greater focus. So I would lump Kipchoge in a group with the above named athletes, and probably come up with a top 4 of Zatopek, Geb, Bekele, and Kipchoge in any order.

I have probably left out others (intriguing to think what Nurmi might have done in the marathon), but those are my initial thoughts.

[Powell]

I begin with Zatopek, even though he ran only one marathon

Certainly more than one. He finished sixth in Melbourne. Not sure how many others he might have done.

[bobguild76]

Certainly more than one. He finished sixth in Melbourne. Not sure how many others he might have done.

Thank you, Powell. I suspected he had run more than one, but didn't do the research.

[LopenUupunut]

So I would lump Kipchoge in a group with the above named athletes, and probably come up with a top 4 of Zatopek, Geb, Bekele, and Kipchoge in any order.

I have probably left out others (intriguing to think what Nurmi might have done in the marathon), but those are my initial thoughts.

That's a pretty hard top 4 to argue with. Nurmi clearly had the speed and endurance to win the marathon in '32, his 2:22:03.8 for 40.2K at the Finnish trials showed that; but he was pretty banged-up at the time of the '32 Oly marathon, unfortunately we'll never know if he'd have managed to stay in one piece to the finish line if allowed to run.

Hannes Kolehmainen did win all three Oly golds (5K/10K/marathon), although not at a single Olympics like Zátopek.

[Master Po]

Certainly more than one. He finished sixth in Melbourne. Not sure how many others he might have done.

His career competition list on ARRS shows just the two marathons, Helsinki and Melbourne.

https://more.arrs.run/runner/9251

PS. I agree w most of what I am reading here, especially bobguild76's post. And w that noted, for me Bikila is still slightly the GOAT because, imo, the historical significance of those OG marathons is greater.