Guess I’m sold it’s either Gebrselassie or Kipchoge. Bekele just lacks World Records or any significant 1500m results.
slight bias his girlfriend allegedly died of EPO use in his care. Most gloss over that and that’s when he separated from Sihine and became a lone wolf.
This is such a futile debate. Gebrselassie, Bekele and Kipchoge are all GOATs depending on how you look at it.
However, I love how Kipchoge is in the conversation whilst active and winning, not as a nostalgia take. People understand they're witnessing greatness in the present. The two exhibitions helped him reach a wider audience than anyone in this sport save Usain Bolt. He's the only current star of the sport who's actually selling shoes, because I know no one is buying Nikes because of Sha'Carri.
I'd say Bolt is our Michael Jordan, Kipchoge is LeBron, Bekele is maybe Kobe and Gebrselassie is perhaps Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. See? There's room for everybody.
This is such a futile debate. Gebrselassie, Bekele and Kipchoge are all GOATs depending on how you look at it.
However, I love how Kipchoge is in the conversation whilst active and winning, not as a nostalgia take. People understand they're witnessing greatness in the present. The two exhibitions helped him reach a wider audience than anyone in this sport save Usain Bolt. He's the only current star of the sport who's actually selling shoes, because I know no one is buying Nikes because of Sha'Carri.
I'd say Bolt is our Michael Jordan, Kipchoge is LeBron, Bekele is maybe Kobe and Gebrselassie is perhaps Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. See? There's room for everybody.
You are right, we should all sit back and enjoy the EK show while it lasts. Arguments like these are just an expression of the thrills these all time greats have provided to all of us over the years.
Guess I’m sold it’s either Gebrselassie or Kipchoge. Bekele just lacks World Records or any significant 1500m results.
slight bias his girlfriend allegedly died of EPO use in his care. Most gloss over that and that’s when he separated from Sihine and became a lone wolf.
What significant world records does Gebrselassie hold at this point? And what do 1500 results have to do with this, given that none of these athletes specialized in the event? (Bekele's PR in it is better than either Kipchoge's or Geb's anyways, for what little it's worth.) And of course, like many in this thread, you're pretending that Bekele's XC dominance never happened.
I'm not sure what argument you're trying to make here -- more likely you're just trolling -- but whatever it is, it makes no sense.
Guess I’m sold it’s either Gebrselassie or Kipchoge. Bekele just lacks World Records or any significant 1500m results.
slight bias his girlfriend allegedly died of EPO use in his care. Most gloss over that and that’s when he separated from Sihine and became a lone wolf.
What significant world records does Gebrselassie hold at this point? And what do 1500 results have to do with this, given that none of these athletes specialized in the event? (Bekele's PR in it is better than either Kipchoge's or Geb's anyways, for what little it's worth.) And of course, like many in this thread, you're pretending that Bekele's XC dominance never happened.
I'm not sure what argument you're trying to make here -- more likely you're just trolling -- but whatever it is, it makes no sense.
Seems like TomasSense is either trolling or grasping at straws. I stopped taking him seriously when he stated earlier that the reason Gebrselassie didn't succeed at his attempts to win world cross was that he didn't care. He forfeited all credibility with that comment.
This is such a futile debate. Gebrselassie, Bekele and Kipchoge are all GOATs depending on how you look at it.
However, I love how Kipchoge is in the conversation whilst active and winning, not as a nostalgia take. People understand they're witnessing greatness in the present. The two exhibitions helped him reach a wider audience than anyone in this sport save Usain Bolt. He's the only current star of the sport who's actually selling shoes, because I know no one is buying Nikes because of Sha'Carri.
I'd say Bolt is our Michael Jordan, Kipchoge is LeBron, Bekele is maybe Kobe and Gebrselassie is perhaps Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. See? There's room for everybody.
Thank you for sharing this perspective. You're correct that we'll never all agree on who is #1, so I like your approach of appreciating all of them. For some reason, American culture is big on ranking (not sure if this is the case elsewhere). Even with those basketball legends you mentioned, there are fierce ongoing debates over who is #1. In fact, ESPN recently ranked the top 76: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33297498/the-nba-75th-anniversary-team-ranked-where-76-basketball-legends-check-our-list
Personally, I find the debates to be fun and informative, as long as participants are being genuine and not trolling.
This is such a futile debate. Gebrselassie, Bekele and Kipchoge are all GOATs depending on how you look at it.
However, I love how Kipchoge is in the conversation whilst active and winning, not as a nostalgia take. People understand they're witnessing greatness in the present. The two exhibitions helped him reach a wider audience than anyone in this sport save Usain Bolt. He's the only current star of the sport who's actually selling shoes, because I know no one is buying Nikes because of Sha'Carri.
I'd say Bolt is our Michael Jordan, Kipchoge is LeBron, Bekele is maybe Kobe and Gebrselassie is perhaps Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. See? There's room for everybody.
Thank you for sharing this perspective. You're correct that we'll never all agree on who is #1, so I like your approach of appreciating all of them. For some reason, American culture is big on ranking (not sure if this is the case elsewhere). Even with those basketball legends you mentioned, there are fierce ongoing debates over who is #1. In fact, ESPN recently ranked the top 76: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33297498/the-nba-75th-anniversary-team-ranked-where-76-basketball-legends-check-our-list
Personally, I find the debates to be fun and informative, as long as participants are being genuine and not trolling.
Bolt remains the sports overall #1. We all agree on this point, correct? Of course, he only dominated two events and not three….😉….well if you count relays….
First, they are not truly contemporaries in the way you suggest. Peak Bekele was 2000-10 and peak Kipchoge was 2010-present. Also, this win counting is just a stupid way to compare them. When your dominant event is the marathon of course you can’t wrack up as many wins and titles as you can in the 5/10/xc. Head to head match ups are dumb too. Bekele seems incapable of beating Kipchoge in the marathon. That Kipchoge did not get more chances to prove this is not on EK. I’ll say it again, Kipchoge’s dominance in the marathon is greater and more remarkable than Bekele’s at the shorter distances. If you are the fastest 5000 runner in the world, you generally win. That’s just not the history of the marathon. To win with the consistency of EK over this many years is a freakish accomplishment not even hinted at by the other great marathoners. Let’s not discount the 1:59:40 either. I know all the purists hate it, but it was a significant achievement. Yes, KB popped a great run in Berlin, but yes, EK took him down in 2003. These are one offs. Tell me, would you rather have won 2 marathon majors, a silver and two bronze majors and have the 2nd fastest time ever, or win a WC 5000, WC silver, world junior xc gold, Olympic silver and bronze. Close call. I’ll take Kipchoge.
Also not mentioned in my other reply. How many more times will kipchoge run Berlin, London, or science fair races?
Of his 12 marathons 7 of them are London/Berlin and 2 are olympics
Lol. Another Berlin race pending
Surprised we haven't seen him sign up for that fast course in California
Guess I’m sold it’s either Gebrselassie or Kipchoge. Bekele just lacks World Records or any significant 1500m results.
slight bias his girlfriend allegedly died of EPO use in his care. Most gloss over that and that’s when he separated from Sihine and became a lone wolf.
Yes, people here do gloss over the fact that Bekele the GOAT's JB teenage girlfriend dropped dead likely of EPO abuse. But hey, this is LetsRun.
Guess I’m sold it’s either Gebrselassie or Kipchoge. Bekele just lacks World Records or any significant 1500m results.
slight bias his girlfriend allegedly died of EPO use in his care. Most gloss over that and that’s when he separated from Sihine and became a lone wolf.
Yes, people here do gloss over the fact that Bekele the GOAT's JB teenage girlfriend dropped dead likely of EPO abuse. But hey, this is LetsRun.
Guess I’m sold it’s either Gebrselassie or Kipchoge. Bekele just lacks World Records or any significant 1500m results.
slight bias his girlfriend allegedly died of EPO use in his care. Most gloss over that and that’s when he separated from Sihine and became a lone wolf.
Yes, people here do gloss over the fact that Bekele the GOAT's JB teenage girlfriend dropped dead likely of EPO abuse. But hey, this is LetsRun.
It has nothing to do with letsrun. Bekele is regarded by almost everybody as the GOAT.
I’ve got Gebrselassie as GOAT. Much greater impact on the sport; all the world records at the time all the gold medals. We ignore he beat Tergat three times in XC and we consider Tergat on par with Bekele for XC. Then his transition to world record half marathon and marathon were unprecedented.
Yes, people here do gloss over the fact that Bekele the GOAT's JB teenage girlfriend dropped dead likely of EPO abuse. But hey, this is LetsRun.
Get some help
This place is a moral cesspit. Being called names by the degenerates here is like waking up in hell and being called wicked by the likes of Jeffrey Dahmer and Adolf Hitler.
Yes, people here do gloss over the fact that Bekele the GOAT's JB teenage girlfriend dropped dead likely of EPO abuse. But hey, this is LetsRun.
It has nothing to do with letsrun. Bekele is regarded by almost everybody as the GOAT.
Most people don't know that his teenage girlfriend died suddenly, very likely from EPO abuse. I wasn't questioning the fact that he is or is not the GOAT, more pointing out the moral depravity of this forum. Bekele is certainly for me ahead of Kipchoge and Geb as king of the EPO greats.
Athletics fans are like none other that I know of. No other sport I know of proclaims obvious EPO users, all of whom competed in a relatively brief window of no testing for EPO, as undoubtedly the greatest ever, and are ridiculously dismissive of the best in their sport only a few decades previously.
Though it's probably just LetsRun. I know in Facebook groups, and at Athletics Weekly and such, the ordinary fan is far more respectful of people such as Zatopek, and a bit more sceptical of some of the EPO era performers.
It has nothing to do with letsrun. Bekele is regarded by almost everybody as the GOAT.
Most people don't know that his teenage girlfriend died suddenly, very likely from EPO abuse. I wasn't questioning the fact that he is or is not the GOAT, more pointing out the moral depravity of this forum. Bekele is certainly for me ahead of Kipchoge and Geb as king of the EPO greats.
My brother died suddenly at the age of 18. I can assure you he was not on EPO.
I’ve got Gebrselassie as GOAT. Much greater impact on the sport; all the world records at the time all the gold medals. We ignore he beat Tergat three times in XC and we consider Tergat on par with Bekele for XC. Then his transition to world record half marathon and marathon were unprecedented.
Um, no one considers Tergat "on par" with Bekele in XC. You can have a good debate about which of Bekele and Geb is the GOAT, but no one seriously disputes that Bekele is the greatest ever at XC.
Bekele ran 2:04 at 41 in a pair of offbrand supershoes. He also was 2 seconds away from holding the 5000, 10000, and marathon record simultaneously. He also is a 3x Olympic champion, 5x world champion compared to 2x Olympic, 1x world.
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