So, with that in mind we have made our list. Our criteria was simple as becoming too complex would never get the job done. And of course we don't think we have nailed it. We never will. Nor would be self indulged enough to think that we could have the definit
Criteria:
Times
Number of big performances
Records
Wins
10) Javier Gomez - Gomez showed us the class of his run at ITU Sydney this season where he ran through the 40+ athletes ahead of him after crashing his bike. There was the question of his toughness. Not now. The 2008 World Champion has a list of stellar results in the run dominated ITU scene. He is a threat because of the fact he never counts himself out of a race.And when he burst onto the ITU scene no one had an answer to his speed.
9) Emma Carney - There was a time when Carney was an unstoppable force in the World Cup scene. 19 World Cup wins were mostly laid by the back end. ie. the run. Carney's history in the sport was always, swim to get through, ride to make some ground, run to win. One of the most successful triathletes ever. In 1994 she won the World Title race by an astounding 2+ minutes. As a competitor she was near manic. Only her health was the barrier between her and a record that would have been untouchable.
8) Erin Baker was as fierce off the course as she was on it. With a brilliant run leg that saw her overhaul the likes of Paula Newby Fraser and a fiery disposition (she was outspoken on topics like apartheid) Baker was a fire cracker. She had speed to burn in the marathon and was so tough to overtake. Her win in Hawaii raised the bar on women's racing (1987) but it was the fact that she was never ever out a race that made her one of the early greats.
7) Mark Allen - The Grip, Zen Master, call him what you want but Mark Allen's run leg was fluid, graceful, unhurried and fast. He owns the fastest run time in Kona (2:40:04 official) and we use the term owns because people have got close to it (Pete Jacobs last year went 2:41:06) but it has yet to be conquered. But it was not just on the Big Island where he excelled. A 10 time winner at Nice, a World ITU Champion in Avignon all complimented the amazing career of one of the best that's ever been. Few could match what he had going. From 1988 -1990 he was unbeaten in 20 races.
6) Greg Welch - Greg Welch makes this list because he was so deadly over any distance. An ITU World Champion and Kona winner (1994) Welchy was a brilliant runner. The ease with which he won races was astounding. The speed at which he went about sprint racing was remarkable. A threat anywhere in the world he went.
Click HERE to read the rest of the Top Ten 10 tri runners list of all time, and to visit our friends at Firstoffthebike.com who created this Top Ten list.
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