"(The absence of Asian and African analysts has provoked legitimate complaints.)"

No. Just no. I was being sarcastic two months ago when I typed that. In the fifty or so replies to posts EXACTLY like yours, I pointed out that I was being sarcastic, and that you're wrong, no elite runners in Africa or anywhere else wear those shoes or train barefoot.

He was also a 4:07.9 miler, at a time when the world record was 4:06.4. Amazing that that's probably not in the top-10 most notable things about him.

There are approximately seven women in the entire world that would look good in that piece of clothing. And they would look better in a pair of running shorts and a sports bra.

Ugh shut the fuck up. They don't drink water polluted with parasites and bacteria, and they don't wear stupid barefoot shoes, or run barefoot at all. I was being sarcastic. I have pointed out that I was being sarcastic for two months, but assholes like you decide to make shitty comments on topics they know nothing…

You're the worst kind of person.

No, no, no, no, no. Read the hundred or so other responses- I was being sarcastic. None of them run barefoot or in barefoot-type shoes. Jesus, I posted that two months ago.

I was being sarcastic- read the dozens and dozens of comments below. No elite runners wear those shoes or run barefoot.

How are you commenting on this two months later? Amazing.

Hi there, MikeMikeMike! I'm so glad you took the time out of your day to respond to a post that was well over a month old. Unfortunately, not only did you ignore every other comment on this post explaining that I was being sarcastic, but you also know absolutely nothing about the topic on which you are commenting.…

Ok. They are bogus and silly looking, but if you like them, awesome!

Mr. O'Toole has a great view of himself- "O'Toole said that he's taking a long-term approach to his development and that sub-4:00 is a possibility but he won't let it consume him. "I'm not going to put a lot of pressure on myself to break 4:00," he said."

Realistically?

He's almost two seconds short- his time was 4:01.89. When the world record was about that (4:01.6), it took another 10 years before someone lowered it below 4:00. It's a big, big deal. And on top of that, he ran his 4:01.89 in a race full of professionals who had run well under 3:55 before- he had great pacers and…

I was being sarcastic. No elite runners, no Kenyans, and no Ethiopians actually wear FiveFinger shoes, or run barefoot. None of them. Zero.

People are still commenting on this!? It was sarcastic. I was being sarcastic. I pointed out that I was being sarcastic dozens of times below, if you bothered to look at the other comments.

Top 3% of all marathoners, yes. Most people who run marathons do not run them to race them, they run them to complete them. Thus, the average time at the LA Marathon or similar races is around 5:30. The top 3% of people actually training and racing hard would be much faster than 2:38.

Eh- he's a mediocre marathoner and he won a bunch of endurance races that few people enter. He's an elite spokesperson and book-seller, and I guess an elite ultra-marathoner, but not marathoner, at all. I'm really impressed with ultra-marathoners and I would love to do one some day, I just don't think the competition…

None of the major marathons will put you in their "elite" field with a 2:30, and he ran a 2:38. Chicago's "elite development" minimum is 2:30- their "elite" is probably below 2:20. Just because you're in the top 3% does not make you elite in the marathon.

2:38 puts him nowhere near the border of "elite"- he needs to cut 30 minutes to compete in a big marathon, or 20 minutes to qualify for the US Olympic trials. 2:38 isn't anywhere near elite. So yes, it is a fringe sport with low participation. I love trail running and I think the best ultra guys are incredible…