Has Centro SURPASSED Webb???????

ctrlaltdel wrote:

douchelin^3 wrote:

If Webb's mile record is so weak, then list all the names of people who have run faster since then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aTRTvo2ouo

Here is Webb's AR. Could Centro run this fast if he was set up with great pacing and conditions? Who knows? But maybe winning major meets in July and setting records took too much out of him because he did not appear to have anything left in by the time WC came around.

OTOH, Lagat lost to Webb in U.S. champs and in Paris, but he delivered when it counted.

Love that video. I'll mark you down for "0 people have run faster since"

Rupp has range

3:34

12:58

26:44

100:30

2:11:13

I would also argue that his mile time converted puts Webb under 3:30.

Try this: subtract 17 seconds from the world's best and you get there 1500 time. Works for El G, Morceli, Cram.....So, 3:29.91 which Centro hasn't done yet. Of course he might accomplish it this season or next season. Right now he's in his best shape ever.

Another point for Webb are really that he won against international fields, which Centro hasn't done apart from World Indoor's.

Yes, I agree. While I don't think times, especially world and national records, are totally meaningless, they are not the main thing. In cycling, they have a nice tradition in the hour record. The UCF recently changed the hour record rules so they keep current with track racing rules, rather than trying to keep things exactly the way they were in 1970. Some think that sucks, as you lose a bit of the idea of competing on even terms with the greats of the past. But you can't truly compete with athletes from the past anyway, only with those out there on the field/court/track with you.

But Webb won several races when it mattered - he won multiple US championships which included beating Lagat. Doesn't that matter?

Centrowitz hasn't won any outdoor world titles, either. He had medaled. He "placed," as you put it. Is Centro also "not a man" in your mind? Silver and bronze medals are pretty arbitrary, really. He hasn't won any.

Ah, yes, runners like Jim Ryun and Wilson Kipketer were good but not real men because they couldn't put it together when it counted. Right.

Also, as was said by someone else, all medals aren't equal. Tergat's silvers are worth more than a lot of others.

If racing is really everything, then the ultimate comparison between Centro and Webb would be for them to race in their primes. Unfortunately, this will never happen, but most people seem to agree that Webb would win at this point.

Really good thread boys, both sides have some really good points.

I'm leaning towards Webb, but using his AR Mile as a point against Centro is dumb imo. No one runs (or cares about) the mile anymore. Take it from a young guy, the only people who care about the mile are the old white guys voting for Trump in November.

Uhhuuhhhuhhhu wrote:

Webb is a better person

^this

Webb always looks and acts like a nice guy. He's someone you would always root for and wish well. Centro not so much.

Bornin95 wrote:

Really good thread boys, both sides have some really good points.

I'm leaning towards Webb, but using his AR Mile as a point against Centro is dumb imo. No one runs (or cares about) the mile anymore. Take it from a young guy, the only people who care about the mile are the old white guys voting for Trump in November.

We're the ones with the money.

embarrassing you wrote:

Webb was facing much better competition, and those guys were most likely doping too.

Centro is racing against much weaker opponents.

Webb ran 3:30.5 and lead the world for that year.

Centro ran 3:30.4 and was 10th in that race.

Explain how your statements make any sense.

Centro all the way. Centro from MD, Webb from Va. MD will always be better than Va.

Centro's medals trump Webb's record performances.

Webb had two great races in what, 2007? Won the big 1500 in Paris, and then he burned up an 800 too in like 1:43. Sorry to be a bit weak on facts. My point is, Webb was a great racer at times, and super fast.

Big Red wrote:

Centro's medals trump Webb's record performances.

Webb had two great races in what, 2007? Won the big 1500 in Paris, and then he burned up an 800 too in like 1:43. Sorry to be a bit weak on facts. My point is, Webb was a great racer at times, and super fast.

Why do Centro's medals trump Webb's records???

None of Centro's medals are gold. He never won. Webb's records mean he was #1. Webb has also won several international races against very good runners. Again, Webb has actually won races and set records. Centro has only won indoor worlds and the best weren't even there.

karmaking wrote:

of course he did wrote:

webb is a much better/gracious athlete and person, but centrowitz has had, by far, the better career. there's no argument.

And you have come to his conclusion based on what you have seen of these people on TV? If you (and anyone else) like Alan Webb for whatever reason, good for you, but that does not make him a better person than Centro or anybody else for that matter. Unless you know them both personally, I don't see how you're able to make that sort of judgment. That would be like me saying you're the worst kind of idiot just because you made one idiotic post on letsrun.

I've never met centrowitz, but I did meet Webb. In January or February of 2009, he ran an indoor meet at GMU. I was in high school, and went to watch. He ran poorly, like 4:04 and second or third place. Afterword, I asked for his autograph. He was clearly frustrated and disappointed, but signed his bib number and talked to me for a few minutes. As a teenage trying to break 5:00, he made my week. I'm sure other people have had similar experiences. Webb sure seemed like a gracious, classy guy to me.

Let's break it down here.

Centro has clearly already had the better career. He's got a couple outdoor world championship medals, and an indoor gold (for what that's worth). He's also got a very good 1500 PR.

Webb is better in every other way, that is to say, Webb is by far the superior runner. He only had three healthy season's as a pro, which means Centro's pro career has already been much longer than Webb's. Webb was just starting to hit peak years when injuries sapped him over those long post-2007 years. Webb had massive talent and massive range. Based on his times he could compete globally in any event from 800 to 10k. He's got the AR in the mile. He's got a DL win and several other big international wins. In the three healthy seasons he had he dominated the US championships every year. Every time he stepped on the track he was a favorite to win, and often he was dominant. Oh and not to mention he was the best middle distance runner in the world in 2007 - fastest 1500, fastest mile, 2nd fastest 800, and absolutely destroyed any challenges in the final 100 that year, seriously insane kick. He also inspired a generation of runners and single handedly put America back on the map in the distance running world.

If you ask me which career I'd rather have I'd say Centro because Webb's career was brought down by injuries so early, he should had probably 10 more years of good international level running in him.

But if you ask me who the BETTER, more dominant, more talented, more inspiring, more memorable runner is, well that is Webb by a mile.

I'm not too familiar with Centro's PRs. As far as I know Webb still has the American record and had some amazing high school runs.

Webb captured the public imagination and did a couple things (break the HS record, run sub-4 indoors) in HS and in the pros that really left an indelible mark in history. but I think he (along with a couple of his peers to a lesser extent) inspired people including Centrowicz (particularly DC area natives).

Also, I'm not the biggest track and field insider (I've never been the Olympic trials or anything like that), but as a D.C. area native, I've met both of them in various capacities, and they're both legitimately good and nice guys in different ways. I would caution against anyone talking smack about their personalities.

ctrlaltdel wrote:

Here is Webb's AR. Could Centro run this fast if he was set up with great pacing and conditions? Who knows? But maybe winning major meets in July and setting records took too much out of him because he did not appear to have anything left in by the time WC came around.

OTOH, Lagat lost to Webb in U.S. champs and in Paris, but he delivered when it counted.

I have always thought that Alan Webb's problem was being too good at too early of an age. The guy never really learned how to handle a 1500m RACE. In high school he was always in front. He skipped out on college. And he always performed great when it was a time trial effort but never ran well in tough, World Class, World Championship type, competition. Many people think it was because he "couldnt hack it" or something of the sort, but I believe he just didn't know how to deal with running in a crowd, with pace changes, etc....He never learned, so he just couldnt handle changing pace, judging when and where to place yourself in the pack, etc.

And he never did learn. I remember back in his early college days Manzano used to drive me nuts bouncing around from front to back, making unnecessary moves and such, but he quickly learned how to race and you don't see that out of him anymore.

Webb disappeared after the bio passport came out. His fast times are all tainted.

I think if you asked Webb if he could trade his American Records (HS & Pro) for the performances Centrowitz has had at championship events (indoors and out) he would say yes.

If think if you asked Centrowitz if he could trade his championship performances (indoors and out) for the times Webb has run (HS & Pro) he would say no.

In my opinion Centrowitz has surpassed Webb.