marathon all-time by top 5 avg

[Master Po]

I always appreciate Ken Nakamura's stats, and reading just now his lists (posted right now on home page, and after that, probably archived or linked somewhere that I can't think of right now) of all-time marathoners by average of top 5 times, prompted a couple of thoughts and questions.

The top list for men is of course all Ethiopian and Kenyan, with a Moroccan or two (depending on how one counts Khannouchi in this list, as his times are part as MAR citizen, part USA). Who are the fastest top-five averages by non-Africans? If one takes Khannouchi's top-5 as a USA citizen, he is still under 2:07. As for non-African-born, I think it is Ryan Hall, whose top 5 average (assuming my quick math is OK), is 2:07:35 (rounding up to nearest whole second). Toshinari Takaoka's is 2:07:51 (I think).

Who was the first to have a top-5 average under 2:10? (Not a quiz -- I don't know, & haven't tried to look it up & calculate it.)

On the women's side, this top 5 average really illustrates Radcliffe's dominance (by this measure): her top 5 average is more than 2 minutes faster than Ndereba's (2:18:04 to 2:20:11). To contrast, Gebrselassie's top 5 avg is just 6 seconds ahead of G. Mutai's (2:04:57 to 2:05:03). Sometimes I forget how dominating Radclife's fastest performances are, but this shows it again.

[TN1965]

Who was the first to have a top-5 average under 2:10? (Not a quiz -- I don't know, & haven't tried to look it up & calculate it.)

Wasn't it Toshihiko Seko?

Dec.1978 Fukuoka 2:10:21
Apr. 1979 Boston 2:10:12
(Dec. 1979 Fukuoka 2:10:35)
Dec. 1980 Fukuoka 2:09:45
Apr. 1981 Boston 2:09:26
Feb. 1983 Tokyo 2:08:38

Even if you include the times on NYC's "short" course, Salazar did not achieve it until two months later (1983 Rotterdam). And I think de Castella did it in August 1983 (1980 Fukuoka, 1981 Fukuoka, 1982 Commonwealth, 1983 Rotterdam, 1983 WC).

[Master Po]

TN1965 -- thanks for your response -- I can't confirm for certain, as I don't know in any case, but I think you must be correct about Seko (and Salazar & DeCastella as the next ones). I had looked at some others in the late 1970s lists and hadn't found an answer yet -- hadn't gotten up to early 80s, so Seko and these others seem like they must be the first with top-5 avg sub-2:10.