The “Best of 2018” continues today. This time, we look at the top men’s professional athletes of the year. 

5. Sergey Shubenkov: 110 Hurdles

Amidst the world records and all-time performances, Shubenkov’s high hurdle success flew under-the-radar. The Russian won 11 of the 15 hurdle finals and ended the season with the top-seven marks of the year.  

Of the four races he didn’t win, two came in the first two races of the year, one was a disqualification for a false start at the Paris Diamond League and the other was a photo-finish loss to Pascal Martinot-Lagarde at the European Championships.

4. Noah Lyles: 200m, 100m

Lyles had no equal in the 200m, going undefeated and dropping his personal best down to 19.65. He was rarely challenged in the event and was especially dominant in the final straightaway. 

Lyles also established himself as a player in the 100m. He won the U.S. title in a personal best 9.88 and finished third in two Diamond League meets. 

3. Abderrahman Samba: 400m Hurdles

Most didn’t know his name at the beginning of the year. Now, after a perfect season, he’s one of the all-time best in the event. 

The 23-year-old ran under 48 seconds nine times, his best mark of 46.98 coming at the mid-summer Lausanne Diamond League. That time moved him ahead of Edwin Moses for No. 2 all-time and exactly .20 off Kevin Young’s world record.  

2. Kevin Mayer: Decathlon

Like marathoners, multi-event athletes don’t get many opportunities to compete during the season. Grading them against sprinters, field eventers and mid-distance folks is difficult because their appearances are so much more important. 

That’s what a decathlon world record looks like. pic.twitter.com/CitxjRfTjB

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) October 9, 2018

Within that high risk, high reward context, Mayer thrived. He dropped out of the European Championships after he failed to record a mark in the long jump, but then he broke the world record. More specifically, he broke Ashton Eaton’s world record. 

1. Eliud Kipchoge: Marathon

Kipchoge continued his reign in the marathon and made especially sure that nobody would confuse him for anything other than the best ever in the event. His 2:01:39 in Berlin knocked 1:18 off the world record. That’s still remarkable to think about.

What's next? Run 2:02 so Eliud Kipchoge can get the 2:01, 2:02, 2:03, 2:04, 2:05 sweep ? pic.twitter.com/OEKBNarbox

— FloTrack (@FloTrack) September 17, 2018

Earlier in the year, he won the London Marathon by 32 seconds. Beating the best field in the world by half a minute is anyone else's best accomplishment of the year. For Kipchoge, it’s filler.