Running is one of the most basic and ancient sports. Running is a test of the mind and body in which athletes have consistently broken records and lowered times. But who is the best?
The fact that times have consistently gotten faster makes an all-time comparison difficult. This list focuses on recent history, and all runners featured on the list performed at world level at some point during the 20 years prior to 2010.
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt is the current superstar of world running and a fixture in any top-10 list of best runners, either current or all-time. Bolt sent shock waves through the world in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, shattering the world 100-meter record while appearing to slow down and celebrate the last 20 meters. He followed that victory up with the 200-meter and relay gold medals, setting world records in all three events.
Hichan El Guerroj
Having achieved two Olympic, four World Championship and three World Indoor Championship gold medals, El Guerroj is one the great world runners. Hichan was named the IAAF Athlete of the Year in 2001 and 2002 and was honored with the "Cordon de Commandeur" by King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
Haile Gebrselassie
Gebrselassie has broken 26 world records and is the owner of two Olympic, three World Championship and three World Indoor Championship gold medals. The Ethiopian's achievements are made all the more impressive by the fact that he is an asthma sufferer.
Michael Johnson
Wanting to "Be like Mike" took on new meaning in the late 1990s as Texan sprinter Michael Johnson took the sporting world by storm. He became known for his unorthodox "straight up" running style that defied conventional sprinting techniques, and his results were astonishing. Winner of four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championship titles, Johnson would be included in any all-time top 10.
Florence Griffith-Joyner
Florence Griffith-Joyner is a truly magnificent world runner. She is also known as Flo-Jo, and is still the holder of the 100- and 200-meter world records that have stood for more than 20 years. Flo-Jo was the winner of three Olympic and one World Championship Gold medal, she had a world class career, but her life was tragically cut short when she died a tragic and untimely death at the age of only 38.
Tegla Loroupe
A Kenyan native who is a world record holder for the 20 km, 25 km and 30 km events, Loroupe is previously the marathon world record holder. She is a two-time winner of the New York City Marathon and is the first African woman to do so. Loroupe is also a top 10 achiever off the track, successfully pursuing a career as a global spokeswoman for peace, women's rights and education.
Svetlana Masterkova
The glamorous Masterkova is a two-time Olympic gold medal winner and the current world record holder for the mile. Her double gold medal success in 1996 came after a 2-year maternity leave absence.
Mizuki Noguchi
Known as the "Queen of the Half-Marathon," the Japanese runner is world record holder in the 25 km and 30 km events. She also won gold in the 2004 Olympic marathon in a race considered the most brutal of all time, due to the oppressive heat and air pollution in Beijing.
Paula Radcliffe
Radcliffe is a celebrity in her native U.K., having won BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2002 and also been awarded an MBE from the Queen. Radcliffe holds a World Championships gold medal and is the world record holder for the women's marathon.
Toshihiko Seko
A simply magnificent marathon runner, Seko's lifetime commitment to the marathon is illustrated by his quote "The marathon is my only girlfriend; I give her everything I have." Seko has marathon wins at the events in Fukuoka (four), Boston (two), New York City and London.
