Daniel Komen is overlooked by so many because he only competed in a small time-frame 1996 - 1998 but he got world records in that time that are still held today. This man was a rare human specimen in the sport of distance running. I dont believe we will ever see a distance running talent/monster like Komen ever again he ran for his family and not for fame and glory like most in the sport. This man deserves nothing but respect from the distance running world and a hall of famer for sure with the IAAF. Keep these vids coming you are my one stop shop when it comes to the sport of running.
East African athletics are very poor. They run to feed their family and as a consequence they tend to overrun and once they make money they start partying which leads to their downfall. Daniel Komen was truly a great runner
I agree, he was a total animal despite the short career, people that deny his greatness just need to look at the times honestly, third fastest 5k in history, a sub 3:30 1500 for a long distance runner, even crazier, then a world record in the 3k, beyond anyone else by three whole seconds, bekele couldn't even do that for the longer 5k
Geb achieved those times training for 10,000. The fact that he actually ran a 3:31 1500m indoors shows that he could have surely gone sub-3:30 outdoors if he'd chosen to specialize there.
Wow, East African dominance...Ethiopia and Kenya are something else. Shout out to the Algerian and Moroccan as well. A truly impressive time throughout.
You are very smart because that's what I always say. Those two records may not be broken for another generation. Let me ask you though, I'm still debating which is tougher to break.........3000m or 100m record.
@@trackrapper3604 Can't deny that's a solid record as well, but I don't think it's at the same level of untouchability. Bernard Lagat actually ran a 3:26 in a sprint finish with El G, and Noureddine Morceli's former record was a 3:27. There was also another 3:27 runner like 6 years ago. Meanwhile other than one run by El G which seems like an impressive outlier itself, everyone else in history is at least 5 seconds behind Komen's record.
@@mwasie Man, I can't decide which is harder, but I'd bet on the 100m being broken first, simply because the 100m has more fame, glory, and therefore more athletes and coaches dedicating their lives to it, and more programs spending big money on scholarships and prize money, etc. I'd agree it could be decades though. Only Blake and Gay have even broken 9.7 (9.69), and Bolt's setting the bar at 9.58. Insane.
The problem for the 3000m is that it is not an Olympic distance and you can't win a gold medal at this most important event nor the World Championships. Therefore many guys contentrate and attempt more on 1500m or 5000m. But I agree, the 3000m record is still the strongest and most untouchable one!
Komen was interviewed recently in a Kenyan radio station and the guys interviewing him were honestly Abit disrespectful, it was like they didn't really know how good he was.
After his world record 5000m, Joshua Cheptegei would land at number 6! 1500m: 3:37.82 3000m: 7:33.26 5000m: 12:35.36 Total: 23:46.44 And there’s no reason to think he couldn’t take a few seconds off the 3000m, especially when ran a 7:35.1 3000m split during his 5000m record run!
Daniel Komen’s story which you had highlighted in another video shows what a lightening bolt he was...an extremely powerful four short flash of unmatched brilliance!
Thank you Total Running Productions. Komen was my No.1 pick. Great to see his short lived running days honoured and recognised in this way. To put some perspective on Daniel Komen's epic achievements he is the only runner who ever ran sub 4 minute mile back to back (i.e. 2 miles under 8 minutes). He did this twice and was on target a third time to smash his record when he ran the record breaking 7:20.67 3000 metres. I believe he broke the 2000 metre record during that same run. Thank you,
I completely agree with the distances he has chosen because distance running includes middle distances as well and middle distance runners have a clear disadvantage to long distance runners when it comes to shaving total aggregate time from a race. For example, it is much harder to shave 5 seconds off of your 1500 meters than 5000meters.
I'm at number two and I think Daniel Komen is #1 Yes I was right! What separates Komen from others is that 3000m record. I think still it's the hardest distance record in history. Even the great Hicham was 3 seconds behind.
Military fitness tests can be passed by healthy individuals.................breaking world records on the other hand......................ummm big difference.
Hey Andrew,it's obvious YOU make the very best running focused videos,barring no one(attention TO detail is why I never miss an upload)...keep them coming!!
Komen's times are amazing and I was really surprised to hear about him, having heard much more about the other runners on this list in recent years. For example, as I'm from the UK I tried comparing his times against Mo Farah, double Olympic gold medallist in 2012 for 5k and 10k. His 5000m beats Sir Mo Farah's PB by nearly 14 seconds, and his 3000m by around 12 seconds, while his 1500m is about the same (just slightly slower than Mo's).
Bekele and Haile were fast over 1500m, but not world class. El Guerrouj definitely has a world class 5000m PB, but is still far way from 12:37. Komen has it all!
El Geuerrouj ran the 5000 after kick n butt in the mile. If he ever opened up all the gears it would have been lights out. You guys are wrong. Geuerrouj is the best. Just watch when he ran a national road relay race was the best split ever run on the road he virtually caught up and passed another elite runner. The most amazing split ever. I made my case and El geuerrouj reigns the best
@@kaismithley6173 Name once that komen ever beat el geourrj ....come on really...be realistic komen cant beat him. Never could. Ridiculous to call komen better. I think Mo farah should have been top 5. ..2 time double olympic champion and he doesnt get on the list total running production cant always go by time.....Races are sometime tactical but doesnt mean that komen could beat mo farah in any race under 10 k
Wonderful to watch the composition and analysis! Jakob Ingebrigtsen is poised to enter the list after his next 5000. When the same comparison is made in 5 years, with the distances weighted differently as discussed by others, Ingebrigtsen will be number 1.... and we can throw in the 800 and 10000 for good measure.
Komen ran with abandon and was a fierce competitor. Yes all of these guys were, but he was next level. You hear his story and it makes sense, but maybe it was a little too much. It would have been nice to see what he could do if he didn't run himself into the ground, but when he was at the top, he was amazing.
I completely agree with the distances he has chosen because distance running includes middle distances as well and middle distance runners have a clear disadvantage to long distance runners when it comes to shaving total aggregate time from a race. For example, it is much harder to shave 5 seconds off of your 1500 meters than 5000 meters.
First off, I really liked this video. I found it to be a very interesting thought exercise. There are two problems for me: one, the distances he has chosen skew more toward middle distance than long distance, and two, his methodology (simply aggregating the times) privileges the longer distances. Perhaps that was intentional, as a way of making up for the fact that the distances are on the shorter end of the spectrum. However, I just don’t think it’s compelling to call someone the fastest distance runner ever without considering races over 5000m!
“Middle Distance” -noun 1. the part of a real or painted landscape between the foreground and the background. 2. a race distance of between 800 and 5,000 meters. "middle-distance runners" Definitions from Oxford Languages
Very well done! One note I had is that the list benefits runners who are stronger in the 5000m and partially the 3000m. Because these are inherently longer events, the percent difference is 2-3x that of a favored 1500m runner. Ex: someone who runs 3:28 compared to a 3:34 has a six second advantage has a 2.9% edge over the other. Whereas a 12:50 5000m runner compared to a 12:56 runner has a 0.8% advantage, while still only being 6 seconds of difference. I think if you were to make each category weighted the same that would make the scoring system fairer.
How could everyone who was trying to figure out #1 not realize it's Komen?? He's the thumbnail of the video! haha I'm not sure if this is a true distance running ranking, though. 1500 and 3000 are hardly distance events. It would be interesting to see the 5k, 10k, half, and full marathon ranking list. Regardless, great video and it was fun to see the PRs of these legends!
i think your math is flawed. the way your doing it makes the longer distances more important. if you want to make them all equal you should just do their avg lap pace for each distance and add them together. pretty sure daniel would still be the best but im betting el G or some of the people with under 330 1500m times would probably move up the list a little.
That still wouldn’t be favorable. A better, but not necessarily the best, method would be to utilize the point system created by the IAAF / World Athletics and use those.
If you read all the complaints on here about how 1500-5k are actually middle distance, I think you'll see why he _didn't_ use a weighting system. I'm fine with the methodology, and this system.
Every single person on this group is African, so, what I am hearing is that Africans, especially east Africans are the greatest long distance runners of all time. It truly is amazing how much faster they are compared to any other people groups in the world!
One can certainly talk about the "right" metric for rating, but what really surprises me is that on this very simple metric (sum of 3 times) there is a winner by such a large margin!!
It's about time that they should make a video game 'The Legends of Distance Running'. I would buy it. It would be a good educational game for newbies to running as well. :)
Another great video, although I have a slight question mark over your assessment of the 3000m. The 1500m and 5000m are recognised championship events, but the 3000m is really only a championship event for female and age group athletes. Perhaps you should consider the 1500m, 5000m and 10000m or just the 1500m and 5000m. Otherwise, very impressive research.
@Total Running Productions He would be in second place with a total time of 23.32.73. - 1500 - 3.26.73 - 3000 - 7.17.55 - 5000 - 12.48.45 Jacob Ingebrigtsen needs to run a 5000 meter in 12.44.91 or faster to topp this list.
Komen, Bekele, Gebrselassie, El Guerrouj, Kipchoge - nobody today is anywhere close to their level, except of course that Kenenisa Bekele is still running marathons, as is Kipchoge. Left off of this list was Paul Tergat, probably because he did not run the 1500. Tergat was very close to the level of Gebreselassie during their career.
great content as usual. However - I would weight the times according to the distance. ie multiply the 1500 time by 10/3 and multiply the 3000m time by 5/3 and add these times to the 5000m time
@Total Running Productions-- I would love to see your data tables and how you keep track of all performances of all the greats. Pretty impressive with the shear number of videos you produce.
I enjoyed the video but I think this isn’t really a good way to rank the athletes. It would be easier for athletes who are stronger in the 5k to be ranked higher on the list due to the fact that it’s easier to take larger chunks of time off on longer distances
That’s why he has included 1500 AND 3000 to compensate for mid distance runners. Having any other than this specific combination would favor more to either mid distance runners or long distance runners
Given improvements in track surfaces, shoes, training and diet, etc., the accomplishments of runners from 20 years ago are more impressive than those of more recent track stars.
We just had one poster in our locker room - and it was GOAT Daniel komen. We were also a school for science and tech so I take it one of us had also done the math on that one
This was an interesting breakdown. You can see that Gebrselasse and Bekele are 3 and 2 because of their 10k strength and speed. Komen was amazing over 3k and 2 miles. He still is the only guy to go under 8 minutes for 2 miles. However, I think El Guerrouj could also have done that, rather easily, if he cared to. I think El G. could have jogged 60.00 second laps for 7 laps and then thrown down a 57, 56, even 55 second last lap. Similarly with 3k. He just wasn't focused on those races. Respect to Komen for impressive 1500m and 10k times.
Honestly wasnt even aware of Komen until this vid. Outside of his short career I think another disadvantage is the record he currently still holds in the 3000m event is not done at the Olympics by men.
Very entertaining and enlightening comparison of these athletes to see just how fast they were on the track! An exclusivity here is inherently flawed, but could more accurately be defined were it to include all distances beyond the 5k. And to that end, the “Sub 24 Club” list dwindles in recognition of a marathon range, which for many, would have meant risking career detriment were they to dare achieve. To put Bekele 2nd only works if distance running comes to an abrupt halt at the 5k distance, which isn’t the case. For a nonsubjective rating, inclusion of all the long distances with all the fastest times incurred, will be rather essential. The structuring of a completely new database could utilize formulas for algorithms, in order to create a point system, within an IAAF rating format. This would likely prove a more robust and accurate method, eliminating many issues, such as the disparities in classification or disciplines and the consequential tendency for over simplification when categorizing “distance running” in general. All relevant data could then be input, purely objectively, and in terms of its factorable value. “The question almost impossible to answer” may well be answered once we finally decide to set records straight. So, while sub 24:00 is very elegant, we could see it fall flat on its face. Reducing these middle and long distance times to mere aggregations is incongruous and nearly antithetical. Naming “the fastest” seems biased, if one is fixated on 3 selected events to make the elusive determination. Rhetoric rife in audacious spin, throws us hard hitting jabs, like: “Today’s video is not an opinion, it’s simply a fact.”; then, at the end: “...and this clearly makes Daniel Komen the fastest distance runner ever to compete.” “Uncharted territory” aptly describes this “speed breakdown”, as approaching the problem needs refinement. Perhaps we’ll see “full range” distance runners, such as Gebrselassie and Bekele, recognized similarly with a combined time totaled from each event they competed in. Who has the fastest total? All steeplechasers too. Many sincere thanks to Andrew and TRP for putting these creatively informative discussion videos out there.
The only problem I think is that a lot of 1500-5000 runners in the conversation haven’t run the marathon yet, and also that since the marathon takes so long to run it would dominate the calculation. Ex: Mo farah runs like a 2:05 so anyone with a 2:03 would be ranked higher than him since it’s virtually impossible to make up 2 minutes over 5k and 10k
@@Bonobopantherienbionique 5K is not Mid Distance, and the 3K is arguable. Plus Komen and El Guerrouj have never ran the 10K or above and they are some of the greatest distance runners of all time.
It's interesting that Komen had a faster 1500m than both Haile and Bekele...but, he didn't have a kick like they did (i.e., 52 sec last laps). He could keep that fast pace going perhaps better than them (55-57sec) but they had more pure speed imo. Also, not to take anything away from Komen but I do think Bekele had it in him to go sub 3:30 under right circumstance (i.e., his 2mile indoor WR shows he did have speed and that his outdoor PR 1,500m time is weak relatively)
@Total Running Productions Jacob Ingebrigtsen would be in second place with a total time of 23.32.73. - 1500 - 3.26.73 - 3000 - 7.17.55 - 5000 - 12.48.45 He needs to run a 5000 meter in 12.44.91 or faster to topp this list.
This rating is flawed. Where is Morceli? Only because he never run 5000m. Other middle non olympic distances such as the mile, 2000m has not been considered! Another point is the broadness i.e number of best performances vs. consistency and length of career. How can you compare a man who run 33 times (El G) under 3:30 in 1500m with somebody who barely achieved one time 3:29:46 (Komen) under 3:30. In this ranking athletes who run frequently 5000m are favored. The margin in 5000m is bigger! You should have added a factor e.g. 3.3 between 1500m and 5000m. A difference of 3.4 sec in 1500m is similar to 11.2 sec margin in 5000m. ....etc.! My ranking: 1. Bekele 2. El G. 3. Gebreselassie 4. Kipchoge 5. Aouita 6. Morceli 7. Komen....etc.
Yep I agree with this! Komen was an absolutely incredible runner. Particularly with his 2 mile world record. Like back to back sub 4 min miles is out of this world
I'm a big Lagat fan, but for those that grew up in American system, I think Galen Rupp is #1 with a 24:03 (3:34.16, 7:30.15, 12:58.9). Several people were done in by never putting together a great 3000, like Webb or Ritzenhein. Mo Farah (speaking globally now) would be just outside the top 10 with a 23:53 or so (going from memory here). Said Aoiuta should get an honorable mention here as he is around 23:58, and was at least 10 to 15 years prior to Geb setting his times, AND is an Olympic medalist in the 800 (bronze) and 5000 (gold). I doubt anyone else will ever do such a thing.
I think many would say that the 1500 is mid d. That being said a good stat would be a cumulative 5k 10k and half or marathon. Although adding a marathon would honestly skew the list massively in favor of recent marathoners. I say adding the outdoor championship distances up 1500-10k would be a good metric. Guys like El g might have never run a real 10k though
Just adding up the total time gives the 5000 too much weight and makes the 1500 almost insignificant in the total. It would be interesting to see the list if you added the IAAF scoring table marks for each event
Its just a matter of time before Jakob Ingebrigsten runs a solid 5000M and his name is gonna be on this top 10 list. Already has a 3:28:68 1500M, and a 7:27:05 3000M. His 5000M time of 13:02:03 is his problem for now, but I think everyone believes he is capable of going low 12:50s in 5000M. He will likely lower both his 1500M and 3000M times a bit as well. Dude just turned 20 years old a few weeks ago. Watch out! I bet Selemon Barega has a chance as well if he ever chooses to run a 1500M.
I did this little calculation, because I'm an 8th grader and I need to flex on my friend, and I got a time of 26:07, beating all my friends by more than a minute. My 5k time was 14:50, 3k in 8 minutes flat, and for my 1500m of 3:57 all in a month time period. I would like to see your guys time in these 3 distances as I know many of you are blazing fast and it would be cool to be able to compare my times to other people.
Love it; BUT the TITLE IS WRONG: you're describing TRACK races which are MIDDLE-DISTANCE races. "Distance Runner" would HAVE to include the 10K, 1/2 Maratahon & Marathon; and perhaps NOT include the 1500.
You should weight your total time for racing distance, i.e divide 1500m by 1.5, 3000m by 3 and 5000m by 5. Then just add up the three 1k times for a total time. Would be fairer for the 1500m specialists This way the ranking would look like: 10 - Alamirew 7:26.23 9 - Kipchoge 7:24.66 8 - Kejelcha 7:24.42 7 - Songok 7:23.97 6 - Gebrselassie 7:22.72 5 - Saidi-Sief 7:22.17 4 - Lagat 7:21.95 3 - Bekele 7:21.63 2 - El-Guerrouj 7:19.08 1 - Komen 7:18.48
It's an unfair comparison. Obviously the seconds of difference about the 5000m are 10 times more heavy then the seconds of difference about the 1500m. For example, a difference of 10s in a 5000m race is not so important like a difference of 5s in a 1500m race. That's why you can't simply sum all the time, because each time has a different weight for each discipline.
It's sad Komen's career was so short. I wouldn't necessarily say he is the greatest, but definitely the most talented and he still holds the 3k and 2-mile wr.
Ah... Alamirew... probably THE runner who ought to have beaten Mo Farah on several occasions more than anyone. He was a formidable distance runner at his peak, but unfortunately succumbed to playing Farah's game of jogging 3/4 of the race + late race kickdown. A true shame.
Very nice, just not too fair for Emil Zatopek ... for 5000 m and higher. This is years ago, so we could change this rating by adding some annual coefficient. Look at Emil in London 1948 and especially Helsinki 1952. Good man.
How does the list change if you take the 1500 out and add 10k? This feels more like a list of the upper end of Mid-D, not truly Distance running. I think a Distance list should be 10k + 1/2 Marathon. Also, did you always go with outdoor personal bests?
Wouldn't it be better to compare average paces for these distances rather than adding up the times? Naturally, this puts more significance on the longer races in the rankings
Went back and watched El guerrouj run right past komen and destroy that dude winning by over 100 yards . Didnt even looked tired. Dont know how anyone cannot pick EL guerrouj as the best
@@carlogaytan7010 Komen had potential more than anyone but he didn't wish to be legend. Sammy Wanjiru is fallen legend only his Peking Gold and OR keep him our minds. Hopefully Rhonex will make it to the grown age.
For anyone wondering just how fast a sub-24 minute time is for 9,500 m.. There are 1,600 m in a mile. That's 6 MI at a pace of 4 minutes per mile. That's insane! You have to run 15 miles an hour in three races totaling 6 miles. That's hard to do!
Daniel Komen is overlooked by so many because he only competed in a small time-frame 1996 - 1998 but he got world records in that time that are still held today. This man was a rare human specimen in the sport of distance running. I dont believe we will ever see a distance running talent/monster like Komen ever again he ran for his family and not for fame and glory like most in the sport. This man deserves nothing but respect from the distance running world and a hall of famer for sure with the IAAF.
Keep these vids coming you are my one stop shop when it comes to the sport of running.
Lol coincidence that he pull trahan when Ryan was born that year
East African athletics are very poor. They run to feed their family and as a consequence they tend to overrun and once they make money they start partying which leads to their downfall. Daniel Komen was truly a great runner
I agree, he was a total animal despite the short career, people that deny his greatness just need to look at the times honestly, third fastest 5k in history, a sub 3:30 1500 for a long distance runner, even crazier, then a world record in the 3k, beyond anyone else by three whole seconds, bekele couldn't even do that for the longer 5k
Thoroughly agree friend
Geb achieved those times training for 10,000. The fact that he actually ran a 3:31 1500m indoors shows that he could have surely gone sub-3:30 outdoors if he'd chosen to specialize there.
Wow, East African dominance...Ethiopia and Kenya are something else. Shout out to the Algerian and Moroccan as well. A truly impressive time throughout.
Komen's 3000m record is the most untouchable record of all track & field events on the men's side, with the possible exception of Bolt's 100m
You are very smart because that's what I always say. Those two records may not be broken for another generation. Let me ask you though, I'm still debating which is tougher to break.........3000m or 100m record.
It might be the 1500m record tbh. The only person within 2 seconds of it is Absel Kiprop, who got caught doping.
@@trackrapper3604 Can't deny that's a solid record as well, but I don't think it's at the same level of untouchability. Bernard Lagat actually ran a 3:26 in a sprint finish with El G, and Noureddine Morceli's former record was a 3:27. There was also another 3:27 runner like 6 years ago. Meanwhile other than one run by El G which seems like an impressive outlier itself, everyone else in history is at least 5 seconds behind Komen's record.
@@mwasie Man, I can't decide which is harder, but I'd bet on the 100m being broken first, simply because the 100m has more fame, glory, and therefore more athletes and coaches dedicating their lives to it, and more programs spending big money on scholarships and prize money, etc.
I'd agree it could be decades though. Only Blake and Gay have even broken 9.7 (9.69), and Bolt's setting the bar at 9.58. Insane.
The problem for the 3000m is that it is not an Olympic distance and you can't win a gold medal at this most important event nor the World Championships. Therefore many guys contentrate and attempt more on 1500m or 5000m.
But I agree, the 3000m record is still the strongest and most untouchable one!
This was absolutely great Legends of the Distance Running World and I hope to reach up there one day as well
I wish you the best of luck my man 🙏
You will!
Keep your passion, go for it!
Do workouts everyday and stay healthy, drink TONS of water
Good goal to have but a lot of discipline required.
Komen was interviewed recently in a Kenyan radio station and the guys interviewing him were honestly Abit disrespectful, it was like they didn't really know how good he was.
Any place to find recording of this?
Yeah woule be intresting
Most doped.
Mwafrika Halisi amazing thanks for links !
@@mwafrikahalisi2549 that was a different interview
After his world record 5000m, Joshua Cheptegei would land at number 6!
1500m: 3:37.82
3000m: 7:33.26
5000m: 12:35.36
Total: 23:46.44
And there’s no reason to think he couldn’t take a few seconds off the 3000m, especially when ran a 7:35.1 3000m split during his 5000m record run!
Ryan C And the 1500m
Love it! Would also love another vid with a focus on long distance taking times from 10km, half and full. And ranking on a relative scale. Thanks!
Exactly
Daniel Komen is the first and so far only man to run two miles in under eight minutes with a world record 7:58.61.
Komen was one of the first pros that I ever met. He left such a great impression on me as a young athlete. What a legend.
Amazing Daniel Komen. I love how you manage to actually "prove" that he is indeed the fastest distance runner to ever grace this earth.
It's not often mentioned that Daniel Komen also won both 5000m and 10000m in World junior championships in -94 in Lisbon.
Daniel Komen’s story which you had highlighted in another video shows what a lightening bolt he was...an extremely powerful four short flash of unmatched brilliance!
Thank you Total Running Productions. Komen was my No.1 pick. Great to see his short lived running days honoured and recognised in this way. To put some perspective on Daniel Komen's epic achievements he is the only runner who ever ran sub 4 minute mile back to back (i.e. 2 miles under 8 minutes). He did this twice and was on target a third time to smash his record when he ran the record breaking 7:20.67 3000 metres. I believe he broke the 2000 metre record during that same run. Thank you,
By distance running he means track so the way to make Bekele first is add the 10k as well
I completely agree with the distances he has chosen because distance running includes middle distances as well and middle distance runners have a clear disadvantage to long distance runners when it comes to shaving total aggregate time from a race. For example, it is much harder to shave 5 seconds off of your 1500 meters than 5000meters.
yug desai Harder to shave 5 seconds off a longer distance than a shorter one? How do you figure that out?
yug desai you have that backwards
If you factor in the 10k and cross country, there's no question that it's Bekele.
If you add the 10k and marathon
No one comes close to Bekele
I'm at number two and I think Daniel Komen is #1
Yes I was right! What separates Komen from others is that 3000m record. I think still it's the hardest distance record in history. Even the great Hicham was 3 seconds behind.
Lol he would do sooo good at military fitness test
@@hanphilnoffz8827 Right. I was thinking: "Let these guys try the Cooper test"
Military fitness tests can be passed by healthy individuals.................breaking world records on the other hand......................ummm big difference.
@@mwasie Yeah that would be kind of a waste of his talents
But he was using drugs
After his world record Joshua Cheptegei has...
1500m - 3:37.82
3000m - 7:33.26
5000m - 12:35.36
Total of 23:46.44 that puts him at #6
jakob ingebrigtsen have better:
1500 Metres 3:28.68
3000 Metres 7:27.05
5000 Metres 12:48.45
23:44:18
Hey Andrew,it's obvious YOU make the very best running focused videos,barring no one(attention TO detail is why I never miss an upload)...keep them coming!!
Komen's times are amazing and I was really surprised to hear about him, having heard much more about the other runners on this list in recent years. For example, as I'm from the UK I tried comparing his times against Mo Farah, double Olympic gold medallist in 2012 for 5k and 10k. His 5000m beats Sir Mo Farah's PB by nearly 14 seconds, and his 3000m by around 12 seconds, while his 1500m is about the same (just slightly slower than Mo's).
thanks for reminding us of the great Daniel Komen.
Bekele and Haile were fast over 1500m, but not world class. El Guerrouj definitely has a world class 5000m PB, but is still far way from 12:37.
Komen has it all!
El Geuerrouj ran the 5000 after kick n butt in the mile. If he ever opened up all the gears it would have been lights out. You guys are wrong. Geuerrouj is the best. Just watch when he ran a national road relay race was the best split ever run on the road he virtually caught up and passed another elite runner. The most amazing split ever. I made my case and El geuerrouj reigns the best
That was in 1994 in the world road relay ....Watch him blow smoke. This is simply a fact................
In that relay El Guerrouj destroyed the kenyan and ethopian runners.................
@@krakhour2 times don't lie and relay splits aren't official times
@@kaismithley6173 Name once that komen ever beat el geourrj ....come on really...be realistic komen cant beat him. Never could. Ridiculous to call komen better. I think Mo farah should have been top 5. ..2 time double olympic champion and he doesnt get on the list total running production cant always go by time.....Races are sometime tactical but doesnt mean that komen could beat mo farah in any race under 10 k
Wonderful to watch the composition and analysis! Jakob Ingebrigtsen is poised to enter the list after his next 5000. When the same comparison is made in 5 years, with the distances weighted differently as discussed by others, Ingebrigtsen will be number 1.... and we can throw in the 800 and 10000 for good measure.
Komen ran with abandon and was a fierce competitor. Yes all of these guys were, but he was next level. You hear his story and it makes sense, but maybe it was a little too much. It would have been nice to see what he could do if he didn't run himself into the ground, but when he was at the top, he was amazing.
“The REAL Fastest MIDDLE Distance Runner...”
There, fixed it! ;)
5000 is middle distance? 3000 maybe, for some people, and 1500 is undoubtedly mid distance, but this list heavilly favours 5000 over 1500.
I completely agree with the distances he has chosen because distance running includes middle distances as well and middle distance runners have a clear disadvantage to long distance runners when it comes to shaving total aggregate time from a race. For example, it is much harder to shave 5 seconds off of your 1500 meters than 5000 meters.
First off, I really liked this video. I found it to be a very interesting thought exercise. There are two problems for me: one, the distances he has chosen skew more toward middle distance than long distance, and two, his methodology (simply aggregating the times) privileges the longer distances. Perhaps that was intentional, as a way of making up for the fact that the distances are on the shorter end of the spectrum. However, I just don’t think it’s compelling to call someone the fastest distance runner ever without considering races over 5000m!
800 is the only real middle distance. 1500 is a distance race. You have to train for it like a distance runner. 10k plus is „Long“ distance.
“Middle Distance”
-noun
1.
the part of a real or painted landscape between the foreground and the background.
2.
a race distance of between 800 and 5,000 meters.
"middle-distance runners"
Definitions from Oxford Languages
Me trying to figure out who is faster than Bekele: 👁👄👁
Me when I realize it’s Daniel Komen: 🤦🏻
I don't think you realize how insane daniel komen is
EPO in his veins
Robin KH Prove it, or stop lying
@@unsungzero787 I'm with you, either everyone is on it or noone is, some people just have better preparation and training and coaching than others
I love how no one understands how insane fast this is, it's pretty much super human. Simply put Komen will whip yo ass!
Very well done! One note I had is that the list benefits runners who are stronger in the 5000m and partially the 3000m. Because these are inherently longer events, the percent difference is 2-3x that of a favored 1500m runner. Ex: someone who runs 3:28 compared to a 3:34 has a six second advantage has a 2.9% edge over the other. Whereas a 12:50 5000m runner compared to a 12:56 runner has a 0.8% advantage, while still only being 6 seconds of difference. I think if you were to make each category weighted the same that would make the scoring system fairer.
How could everyone who was trying to figure out #1 not realize it's Komen?? He's the thumbnail of the video! haha
I'm not sure if this is a true distance running ranking, though. 1500 and 3000 are hardly distance events. It would be interesting to see the 5k, 10k, half, and full marathon ranking list.
Regardless, great video and it was fun to see the PRs of these legends!
I had Komen at number 1 from the beginning. But I'm trying to break your list and so far I've failed, so good job on this one!
Thank you sir! If you find any flaws definitely let me know. Appreciate the fact check!
Legends.
I grew up watching them through UA-cam.
They're a real inspiration
❤️
Love them till i grow old
Definitely a great video but would also like another video weighting the 3 events differently. Again LOVE what you do though. Always super engaging.
i think your math is flawed. the way your doing it makes the longer distances more important. if you want to make them all equal you should just do their avg lap pace for each distance and add them together. pretty sure daniel would still be the best but im betting el G or some of the people with under 330 1500m times would probably move up the list a little.
That still wouldn’t be favorable. A better, but not necessarily the best, method would be to utilize the point system created by the IAAF / World Athletics and use those.
If you read all the complaints on here about how 1500-5k are actually middle distance, I think you'll see why he _didn't_ use a weighting system. I'm fine with the methodology, and this system.
Every single person on this group is African, so, what I am hearing is that Africans, especially east Africans are the greatest long distance runners of all time. It truly is amazing how much faster they are compared to any other people groups in the world!
One can certainly talk about the "right" metric for rating, but what really surprises me is that on this very simple metric (sum of 3 times) there is a winner by such a large margin!!
It's about time that they should make a video game 'The Legends of Distance Running'. I would buy it. It would be a good educational game for newbies to running as well. :)
ZATOPEKS 1952 OLYMOICS WAS BEYOND BELIEF AND IS TRAINING ROUTINE WS INSANE
Another great video, although I have a slight question mark over your assessment of the 3000m. The 1500m and 5000m are recognised championship events, but the 3000m is really only a championship event for female and age group athletes. Perhaps you should consider the 1500m, 5000m and 10000m or just the 1500m and 5000m. Otherwise, very impressive research.
I would like to see a revisit of this with Jakob ingebrigtsen's current times
@Total Running Productions
He would be in second place with a total time of 23.32.73.
- 1500 - 3.26.73
- 3000 - 7.17.55
- 5000 - 12.48.45
Jacob Ingebrigtsen needs to run a 5000 meter in 12.44.91 or faster to topp this list.
Do another video adding the 10k and marathon! Those are more of a distance event than the 1500 is!
Just what I needed before going on my long run 🏃♂️
Komen, Bekele, Gebrselassie, El Guerrouj, Kipchoge - nobody today is anywhere close to their level, except of course that Kenenisa Bekele is still running marathons, as is Kipchoge.
Left off of this list was Paul Tergat, probably because he did not run the 1500. Tergat was very close to the level of Gebreselassie during their career.
great content as usual. However - I would weight the times according to the distance.
ie multiply the 1500 time by 10/3 and multiply the 3000m time by 5/3 and add these times to the 5000m time
@Total Running Productions-- I would love to see your data tables and how you keep track of all performances of all the greats. Pretty impressive with the shear number of videos you produce.
As of 24-10-2021, Jakub Ingebrigtsen has a total of 23:43.82, placing him 5th! Amazing, since he is still only 21!
I enjoyed the video but I think this isn’t really a good way to rank the athletes. It would be easier for athletes who are stronger in the 5k to be ranked higher on the list due to the fact that it’s easier to take larger chunks of time off on longer distances
That’s why he has included 1500 AND 3000 to compensate for mid distance runners. Having any other than this specific combination would favor more to either mid distance runners or long distance runners
Given improvements in track surfaces, shoes, training and diet, etc., the accomplishments of runners from 20 years ago are more impressive than those of more recent track stars.
The 3000m record is ridiculous. This will never be beaten.
Daniel Komen... calling it before I even watch the video 😂
Update: just finished the video... I WAS RIGHT :D
I hope he does this same type of video but with the 5000, 10000, and Marathon as the events instead.
Joshua Cheptegei's 12:35.36WR in the 5000 shot him up to number 6 with a total time of 23:46.44
Yomif Kejelcha and Jakob Ingebrigsten have better values now and they both might improve further. The same can be said about Jacob Kiplimo.
We just had one poster in our locker room - and it was GOAT Daniel komen. We were also a school for science and tech so I take it one of us had also done the math on that one
This was an interesting breakdown. You can see that Gebrselasse and Bekele are 3 and 2 because of their 10k strength and speed. Komen was amazing over 3k and 2 miles. He still is the only guy to go under 8 minutes for 2 miles. However, I think El Guerrouj could also have done that, rather easily, if he cared to. I think El G. could have jogged 60.00 second laps for 7 laps and then thrown down a 57, 56, even 55 second last lap. Similarly with 3k. He just wasn't focused on those races. Respect to Komen for impressive 1500m and 10k times.
Honestly wasnt even aware of Komen until this vid. Outside of his short career I think another disadvantage is the record he currently still holds in the 3000m event is not done at the Olympics by men.
Very entertaining and enlightening comparison of these athletes to see just how fast they were on the track!
An exclusivity here is inherently flawed, but could more accurately be defined were it to include all distances beyond the 5k. And to that end, the “Sub 24 Club” list dwindles in recognition of a marathon range, which for many, would have meant risking career detriment were they to dare achieve. To put Bekele 2nd only works if distance running comes to an abrupt halt at the 5k distance, which isn’t the case. For a nonsubjective rating, inclusion of all the long distances with all the fastest times incurred, will be rather essential. The structuring of a completely new database could utilize formulas for algorithms, in order to create a point system, within an IAAF rating format. This would likely prove a more robust and accurate method, eliminating many issues, such as the disparities in classification or disciplines and the consequential tendency for over simplification when categorizing “distance running” in general. All relevant data could then be input, purely objectively, and in terms of its factorable value. “The question almost impossible to answer” may well be answered once we finally decide to set records straight. So, while sub 24:00 is very elegant, we could see it fall flat on its face. Reducing these middle and long distance times to mere aggregations is incongruous and nearly antithetical. Naming “the fastest” seems biased, if one is fixated on 3 selected events to make the elusive determination. Rhetoric rife in audacious spin, throws us hard hitting jabs, like: “Today’s video is not an opinion, it’s simply a fact.”; then, at the end: “...and this clearly makes Daniel Komen the fastest distance runner ever to compete.”
“Uncharted territory” aptly describes this “speed breakdown”, as approaching the problem needs refinement. Perhaps we’ll see “full range” distance runners, such as Gebrselassie and Bekele, recognized similarly with a combined time totaled from each event they competed in. Who has the fastest total? All steeplechasers too.
Many sincere thanks to Andrew and TRP for putting these creatively informative discussion videos out there.
5k, 10k, and Marathon would be more relevant.......and Bekele would be #1.
The only problem I think is that a lot of 1500-5000 runners in the conversation haven’t run the marathon yet, and also that since the marathon takes so long to run it would dominate the calculation. Ex: Mo farah runs like a 2:05 so anyone with a 2:03 would be ranked higher than him since it’s virtually impossible to make up 2 minutes over 5k and 10k
@@superlicorice3658 yeah but the title is fastest distance runners. 1500, 3000 and 5000 are all middle distance events.
Just lmao
@@Bonobopantherienbionique 5K is not Mid Distance, and the 3K is arguable. Plus Komen and El Guerrouj have never ran the 10K or above and they are some of the greatest distance runners of all time.
@@Bonobopantherienbionique You want to check your facts on 5000 meters being middle distance?
@@semansco ok mb 2 middle distance events and the shortest wc/olympic distance events.
You good?
Notice a 'sir'tain runner missing from this list of great runners 😏
It's interesting that Komen had a faster 1500m than both Haile and Bekele...but, he didn't have a kick like they did (i.e., 52 sec last laps). He could keep that fast pace going perhaps better than them (55-57sec) but they had more pure speed imo.
Also, not to take anything away from Komen but I do think Bekele had it in him to go sub 3:30 under right circumstance (i.e., his 2mile indoor WR shows he did have speed and that his outdoor PR 1,500m time is weak relatively)
How is Daniel Komen not on that top 10 ever list? Crushes half of them at least in outright ability.
@Total Running Productions
Jacob Ingebrigtsen would be in second place with a total time of 23.32.73.
- 1500 - 3.26.73
- 3000 - 7.17.55
- 5000 - 12.48.45
He needs to run a 5000 meter in 12.44.91 or faster to topp this list.
This rating is flawed. Where is Morceli? Only because he never run 5000m. Other middle non olympic distances such as the mile, 2000m has not been considered! Another point is the broadness i.e number of best performances vs. consistency and length of career. How can you compare a man who run 33 times (El G) under 3:30 in 1500m with somebody who barely achieved one time 3:29:46 (Komen) under 3:30. In this ranking athletes who run frequently 5000m are favored. The margin in 5000m is bigger! You should have added a factor e.g. 3.3 between 1500m and 5000m. A difference of 3.4 sec in 1500m is similar to 11.2 sec margin in 5000m. ....etc.!
My ranking: 1. Bekele 2. El G. 3. Gebreselassie 4. Kipchoge 5. Aouita 6. Morceli 7. Komen....etc.
Awesome video, these athletes are unreal fast! I'm curious, do you plan to cover professional trail runners in the future?
Yep I agree with this! Komen was an absolutely incredible runner. Particularly with his 2 mile world record. Like back to back sub 4 min miles is out of this world
Not that I am a pundit in this subject, but I use to follow these races. And I have to admit that I had never heard of Alamirew, Songok or Kegelcha
I'm a big Lagat fan, but for those that grew up in American system, I think Galen Rupp is #1 with a 24:03 (3:34.16, 7:30.15, 12:58.9). Several people were done in by never putting together a great 3000, like Webb or Ritzenhein. Mo Farah (speaking globally now) would be just outside the top 10 with a 23:53 or so (going from memory here). Said Aoiuta should get an honorable mention here as he is around 23:58, and was at least 10 to 15 years prior to Geb setting his times, AND is an Olympic medalist in the 800 (bronze) and 5000 (gold). I doubt anyone else will ever do such a thing.
Could you look at these events compared to the World Athletics scoring table to see how they measure up
Very interesting analysis
I think many would say that the 1500 is mid d. That being said a good stat would be a cumulative 5k 10k and half or marathon. Although adding a marathon would honestly skew the list massively in favor of recent marathoners. I say adding the outdoor championship distances up 1500-10k would be a good metric. Guys like El g might have never run a real 10k though
Just adding up the total time gives the 5000 too much weight and makes the 1500 almost insignificant in the total. It would be interesting to see the list if you added the IAAF scoring table marks for each event
Should have been done as per *lap pace* average of 1500, 3000 and 5000....in this case, 5000m matters far more than 1500m as it's 3x+ as long.
Great channel keep it coming.you know your running
Its just a matter of time before Jakob Ingebrigsten runs a solid 5000M and his name is gonna be on this top 10 list. Already has a 3:28:68 1500M, and a 7:27:05 3000M. His 5000M time of 13:02:03 is his problem for now, but I think everyone believes he is capable of going low 12:50s in 5000M. He will likely lower both his 1500M and 3000M times a bit as well. Dude just turned 20 years old a few weeks ago. Watch out! I bet Selemon Barega has a chance as well if he ever chooses to run a 1500M.
Hey i love your vids man keep it up!! I think u should start doing more videos on women runners gotta give these incredible athletes there spotlight
Great video as well...thank's from an ex 1500m runner.
Great video!
I did this little calculation, because I'm an 8th grader and I need to flex on my friend, and I got a time of 26:07, beating all my friends by more than a minute. My 5k time was 14:50, 3k in 8 minutes flat, and for my 1500m of 3:57 all in a month time period. I would like to see your guys time in these 3 distances as I know many of you are blazing fast and it would be cool to be able to compare my times to other people.
so you were by far the fastest 8th grade middle distance runner in the world? those times are by FAR faster than the records for that age group
Such a shame that Daniel Komen had a short running career
Barega has 3:32 for 1500m 7:26 for 3.000m and 12:43 would he make the listt?
Love it; BUT the TITLE IS WRONG: you're describing TRACK races which are MIDDLE-DISTANCE races. "Distance Runner" would HAVE to include the 10K, 1/2 Maratahon & Marathon; and perhaps NOT include the 1500.
Komen’s 3000 meter outdoor world record is going to be the longest standing world record in man’s track and field history
You do tha same for the sprints- 100m, 200m and 300m . Then the shorter middle distance 800m, 1500 and 2000m
You should weight your total time for racing distance, i.e divide 1500m by 1.5, 3000m by 3 and 5000m by 5. Then just add up the three 1k times for a total time. Would be fairer for the 1500m specialists
This way the ranking would look like:
10 - Alamirew 7:26.23
9 - Kipchoge 7:24.66
8 - Kejelcha 7:24.42
7 - Songok 7:23.97
6 - Gebrselassie 7:22.72
5 - Saidi-Sief 7:22.17
4 - Lagat 7:21.95
3 - Bekele 7:21.63
2 - El-Guerrouj 7:19.08
1 - Komen 7:18.48
Maybe there could be a video about kipchoge running a sub 4 minute mile?
It's an unfair comparison. Obviously the seconds of difference about the 5000m are 10 times more heavy then the seconds of difference about the 1500m. For example, a difference of 10s in a 5000m race is not so important like a difference of 5s in a 1500m race. That's why you can't simply sum all the time, because each time has a different weight for each discipline.
Precisely
It's sad Komen's career was so short. I wouldn't necessarily say he is the greatest, but definitely the most talented and he still holds the 3k and 2-mile wr.
kejelcha also ran 3:31.25 en route to his indoor mile world record
Ah... Alamirew... probably THE runner who ought to have beaten Mo Farah on several occasions more than anyone. He was a formidable distance runner at his peak, but unfortunately succumbed to playing Farah's game of jogging 3/4 of the race + late race kickdown. A true shame.
I love how you kinda tricked us with the first thumbnail of geb and bekele.
Very nice, just not too fair for Emil Zatopek ... for 5000 m and higher. This is years ago, so we could change this rating by adding some annual coefficient. Look at Emil in London 1948 and especially Helsinki 1952. Good man.
It's a good gauge. But I think the scoring table would be a little better way to do this...
How does the list change if you take the 1500 out and add 10k? This feels more like a list of the upper end of Mid-D, not truly Distance running. I think a Distance list should be 10k + 1/2 Marathon.
Also, did you always go with outdoor personal bests?
Was wondering where Jakob Ingebrigtsen was currently in this 24 mark... And the answer: 24:32. He needs to improve his 3000 and 5000 times.
Now do this for 10k half and marathon or 10k an marathon
that's right you cant answer because i was never timed
To me finishing the last 4 laps of a 5000m in under 4:00 was numerous uno
Wouldn't it be better to compare average paces for these distances rather than adding up the times? Naturally, this puts more significance on the longer races in the rankings
Went back and watched El guerrouj run right past komen and destroy that dude winning by over 100 yards . Didnt even looked tired. Dont know how anyone cannot pick EL guerrouj as the best
Danielle Komen's career is so depressing...
Why? He wanted to run out of poverty and he certainly did it.
@@19Kamau79 the way it ended, he had so much potential.
@@carlogaytan7010 Komen had potential more than anyone but he didn't wish to be legend. Sammy Wanjiru is fallen legend only his Peking Gold and OR keep him our minds. Hopefully Rhonex will make it to the grown age.
@@19Kamau79 Yes!! I believe in Rhonex!
He should have been mentored and protected by govt,like haile and bekele.Ran away from poverty,he paid school fees,earned scholarships for relatives.
For anyone wondering just how fast a sub-24 minute time is for 9,500 m..
There are 1,600 m in a mile. That's 6 MI at a pace of 4 minutes per mile. That's insane! You have to run 15 miles an hour in three races totaling 6 miles. That's hard to do!
a better way to calculate it would be time divided by distance and then add them together. This ranking is slightly biased towards the 5000m