Most courageous distance running efforts.

[Guest]

Most Courageous Distance Running Efforts

One has to include Garry Bjorklund in the 1976 Olympic Trials 10K, where he lost a shoe about three-quarters of the way through the race and had to continue on barefoot. I've been told that the Hayward Field track at that time had a very high "sand" content, to help keep it from being beaten up by the rain too badly, and by the end of the race Bjorklund's bare foot was ripped to shreds. He did come from far back to pass Bill Rodgers and get the final OG spot too!

[larwood]

Re: Most Courageous Distance Running Efforts

Of the many races I witnessed at Hayward Field, including Pre in 75, that 10,000 final was the loudest crowd noise I ever heard in the place.
When BJ came back on the last lap to catch Rodgers, the whole place just went bonkers.

[Guest]

Re: Most Courageous Distance Running Efforts

Two immediately pop into my mind. The first would be Kip Keino in the 1968 Olympic 1500m. Running 3:34 while suffering from an infection is going above and beyond.

The second is Geoff Smith, in one of the big US marathons some years back (I believe it was Boston). He had definitely started out a bit fast and was enjoying a large lead in the last few miles. Large enough that he not only stopped to walk a bit, but actually laid down on the pavement for awhile, also. As the announcer on TV said that meant he was truly out of it, he rose, resumed running (of sorts), and ended up with the win.

[john1022]

Re: Most Courageous Distance Running Efforts

US-Russian meet, 1959, 10km ... Bob Soth

Most incredible thing i ever saw ...

I met him a couple of yrs later... he was a nice man

[eldrick]

Re: Most courageous distance running efforts.

>I agree with kuha1. I was there at that race and still believe that it is
>still the greatest road running performance ever. On his own after 2 miles on
>a flat course with splits that are still unmatched today: 10 miles 47:01, half
>1:01:42 (when the american record at the time was 1:01:47)and 20 miles in
>1:35:22. According to Jones he probably would have run faster than 2:07, if he
>had a clock in front of him.

well, he had splits of 61'42 / 65'31

i've got a model that gives fairly good predictions for what this represents as an even pace race & it comes out as

2'05.53 !!

i reckon he could have gone sub 2'06 that day & likely held the WR until KK's run 14y later !

i'd be interested to know if anyone has got clayton's splits from his 2'08.34 back in '69, to see if he could have gone any faster that day
(BTW, trivia question: seeing as salazar's WR was nullified due to the course being short - who actually broke clayton's WR ?)

[eldrick]

Re: Most courageous distance running efforts.

BTW, i need to add that dacosta's 2'06.05 was intrinsically a lot better than jones

ron had something ridiculous like 64+/61+ splits which i remember coming out as

~ 2'04.55

(tergat's current WR splits ->

~ 2'04.30)