Would Kipchoge winning Oly Marathon Gold #3 in 2024 be enough to surpass Bekele as the Distance GOAT?

Don’t want this to be a pissing match between who’s the “GOAT” as if there is such a thing. But reading this thread I’m going to say this, that BOTH are great at what they do. People who are demeaning XC and Bekele accomplishments in that discipline need to STOP. He dominated that event like no one else and defeated pretty much everyone..including Kipchoge himself on multiple occasions. (And likewise Kipchoge has defeated Bekele in the Marathon on Multiple occasions)And I wouldn’t be so sure to say XC is losing its luster because Cheptegei just won that event years ago and stated that he’s looking to give a another shot. So it’s not like the top runners are unwilling to show up. It’s just the stupid scheduling set up for bi-annual event instead of an annual event. XC didn’t start to diminish until the bi-annual event post 2012 really affected the event.

And one last thing, do we really need to argue and bark with each other about who the GOAT is? There is no GOAT of distance running. Too many variables because you have to account for the era of the super shoes and compared it to previous eras that didn’t have the technology that current runners have today. So with all that being Kipchoge is an ATG ( all time great) in the Marathon (because we can’t forget about past legends in the Marathon and we don’t know who is going surpass him the future) and Kenenisa Bekele and ATG in Track/Cross Country for the same reasons above. I’m going to avoid using the word GOAT. Way overused.

Come on. Bekele can't even win London.

This argument makes no sense, on several levels. World XC's current stature, in 2021, doesn't change the fact that in the years Bekele was winning it it was arguably the toughest race in the world. Back then, it was a major part of distance running. Bekele dominated it. Kipchoge tried and did not. And the idea that it's somehow hugely diminished in prestige is pretty questionable. The last edition, at Aarhus, featured Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo, Geoffrey Kamworor, Selemon Barega, Rhonex Kipruto, and Rodgers Kwemoi -- pretty much a who's who of current global talent. That race was probably at least as hard to win as a number of Olympic finals.

And…? Neither could Geb,Tergat or Farah

bekele was winning on the track/cross country though when all the biggest talent was on the track/cross country.

I am biased towards bekele tho haha. kipchoge absolutely road running goat.

Berlin 2019, he cam back and destroyed Legese and Lemma, two of the "best" current marathoners. The field that is young and supposed to be the elite of the marathon.

Bekele came back and destroyed them.

Paavo Nurmi /thread

Eliud isn’t even in the top 10. One gold medal won’t change that.

Chocabloc wrote:

"what kind of a “Distance GOAT” wins their last major title at age 27?"

A better question might be what kind of a "Distance GOAT" wins no major titles between ages 18 and 31.

Ouch!!

OozmaKappa wrote:

No.

When we talk about "The GOAT of Distance", that refers to not just the marathon but also track and cross country.

In order for Eliud to be in the running for being the goat of distance he would need to improve on 2 aspects of his running career that are behind him now.

Simply put, Bekele edged Kipchoge out in the Track and XC categories by such a wide margin that its not possible for Kipchoge to make up for it in the marathon category.

The public perception ofc is clouded by recency bias and the superior name recognition of Kipchoge. But real ones know just how great Bekele was and why he is the true goat of distance.

+1 And XC is imo the ultimate strength test. Sapping surface, extremely packed fields and KB absolutely smoked Kipchoge there. Kipchoge is incredible, but KB remains the GOAT by far tbh. And while Cheptegei gained a lot of time from shoes and pacing lights, he is the real deal and his XC World Champs against a stellar field and a hard course should get more credit.

''And the idea that it's somehow hugely diminished in prestige is pretty questionable. The last edition, at Aarhus, featured Joshua Cheptegei, Jacob Kiplimo, Geoffrey Kamworor, Selemon Barega, Rhonex Kipruto, and Rodgers Kwemoi -- pretty much a who's who of current global talent. That race was probably at least as hard to win as a number of Olympic finals. ''

And Jakob featured as well - if I don't remember wrongly he was 12th in the junior race. XC is the great equalizer - no super shoes that benefit different runners differently and extremely strength based. Would be fun to see him plus the aformentioned runners square off in XC Worlds 2022.

need more information wrote:

Just a theoretical question, what would Kipchoge have to do in the marathon to be the overall GOAT? 1 more olympic gold + legal sub2 + all marathon major wins and undefeated until retirement in 2026? 2 more olympic golds or 3? Surely of he would do something completely insane from now on you'd reconsider? Just interested in what would it take?

Yeah, I'm thinking if he accomplished the following he would be the distance goat.

- 2024 Olympic gold

- wins in all marathon majors

- sub-2 in a record-eligible race

Another way to clinch it would be winning all marathon majors in the same calendar year. Probably not possible and I know he never would but I'd love to see him try. Realistically he would only need an A race in 2 or 3 of them as London and Berlin tend to have the most depth.

Bekele was a thing of beauty in XC.

He was flying running on mud, it looked like it was track, completely unmoved.