There were one or two topics on a couple of Facebook pages talking about Colin Donnelly and his Welsh 3000 record. I mentioned that in my opinion he was the 4th "great" and should be remembered as much as Joss Naylor, Kenny Stuart, Billy Bland.

But who of the era 2000-present could be thought of in the same way?

Ian Holmes quite probably?
What about Simon Booth? Didn't he win Borrowdale 11 times?
Simon Bailey? an extraordinary amount of championship wins.
Rob Jebb?

Seems to me that it's easier to pick contenders from the long challenges...
Jasmin Paris
Nicky Spinks
Steve Birkenshaw
Jim Mann

Will any of the above be rembered in such reverence as the past greats? Is there anyone else I've missed?

What about the current crop of runners? Carl Bell could possibly be of that standard if he keeps knocking out those performances in the Lakeland Classics... i watched him run up Pillar in the Wasdale race last year on a scorching day, and it was unlike anything i'd seen before.