Fastest final laps?

[Daisy]

Re: Fastest final laps?

Now that, youngsters, is an Old Timer. 8-)

[kuha]

Re: Fastest final laps?

DOH!

[TN1965]

Re: Fastest final laps?

Seem to recall a 5K between Lagat and Bekele (Crystal Palace '06?) with a pretty good last lap...?

Are you referring to this race? Lagat's final lap was 51.9.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2rHmSKq ... re=related

[mump boy]

Re: Fastest final laps?

He passed 1100M in 2'45"4.

3:45.5 - 2:45.4 = 50.1 , pretty fast!

he was approx 2.55.4 at 1100 and 3.45.45 at finish so there is every possibility it was officially below 50.

i have read on numerous occasions that he ran sub 50 but have no confirmed figures anywhere. the story is that this was the beginning of the end for cram who couldn't believe he's been outsprinted !!

[deanouk]

Re: Fastest final laps?

At the time, everyone talked about Ryun's demolition job of Tummler and Norpoth in the US vs. West Germany meet in Dusseldorf in the summer of 1967. Dick Bank reported that with 400 to go, Tummler took off and Norpoth did everything he could to impede Ryun. Ryun went wide around Norpoth and chased after Tummler, catching him with 300 to go. At this point, Bank reported: "For a split second, they were even but then Jim accelerated like nothing I have ever seen. It made his 3:33.1 look like just another run. Suddenly the packed stadium developd lockjaw. They were stunned and speechless. I never expect to see anything quite like it again. Many times were offered for Jim over his last 400, 300, and 200, but I timed him and feel that 50.6, 36.4, and 24.8 seem reasonable. It was worth coming to Europe."

Now that, sportsfans, is the Good Old Days.

I have read a very similar summary of this race in the Cordner Nelson book, "The Milers".
While I have no doubt Ryun's acceleration was incredible, I'm not convinced that split times were taken with automatic timers back then and so are not terribly accurate. Thus a hand held 50.6 could be more like 50.8/9; which of course is still awesome. I'm sure in a 3:38 race with the right sort of pace distribution someone like Ryun was capable of a last lap in 50.x and I can even believe a last 200m in 24.8. I think 36.4 for the last 300 however, is most unlikely. That means he would have had to run the backstretch 100m in 11.6! In "The Milers" book itself, it is a bit evasive about what the split times were. It seems to conclude that because "one expert observer (?) timed Ryun's 100m along the backstretch in...11.6 seconds" then if we add that to the 24.8 (presumably taken by another hand-held timekeeper) for the last 200m, then he must have run a 36.4. I guess we'll never know for sure, unless there is a video footage somewhere on the Net. It is a shame there aren't more of Ryun's races on the Internet.
Certainly though he was one of the very best over the last lap, and more than matches Gonzales's 50.0/50.1 in a slower 3:45 race.

[kuha]

Re: Fastest final laps?

No question that those split times are guesstimates, but I bet they're pretty close to reality. Plus, given the narrative of the race, it seems clear that the reported 300 time may actually be a better indicator of Ryun's speed than the times for either the last 200 or 400 alone. The report makes it pretty clear that his explosive kick started at the 300 mark with, one presumes, some relaxation into a more controlled pace over the last 200. But it would be nice to see film of this...

[LopenUupunut]

Re: Fastest final laps?

Seem to recall a 5K between Lagat and Bekele (Crystal Palace '06?) with a pretty good last lap...?

Are you referring to this race? Lagat's final lap was 51.9.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2rHmSKq ... re=related

Yes, that's it, thanks.

[79.]

Re: Fastest final laps?

42"94 in a 1600m relay !!! Hé! Hé... :wink:

[catson52]

Re: Fastest final laps?

What are the fastest last laps ever run in the distance (1500m and above) races?

Some of El G's final laps in fast races. Looks like a 53.9 easing up somewhat in Seville 99 (3:27.65) and about 53.2 in the 1998 WR in Rome (3:26.00). Also Kipchoge and he ran about 54 flats in the WC 2003 5K (12:52 and change).

[Dennis]

Re: Fastest final laps?

I wonder if Henry Marsh has the fastest final lap of the steeplechase...also who knows the super fast last laps in the 1971 Euro Champs from Juha Vatainen of Finland...seems like his 10,000m final lap was faster than the 54.9 by Yifter.

Juha Vaatainen finished his 27:52.78 at the 71 EC in 53.8. Then he ran a 53.0 at the end of the 5000 a couple of days later.

[Peter Michaelson]

Re: Fastest final laps?

Rui Silva came down on the leaders quite a bit on the last lap in the Athens Olympic 1500 final to take the bronze. I have seen 51.3 mentioned for Silva's last 400. The videos are blurry, so it is hard to get an accurate time for 1100. Once he knows he's got the bronze, he eases in to the finish with a big smile.

I read somewhere (letsrun?) that he had an abdominal muscle problem leading up to the games that severely curtailed his training. Maybe a good thing?

[tandfman]

Re: Fastest final laps?

Juha Vaatainen finished his 27:52.78 at the 71 EC in 53.8. Then he ran a 53.0 at the end of the 5000 a couple of days later.

I believe Martti Vainio had a very fast lap winning the 10,000 at the '78 Euros, but I don't recall what the last lap was (if, indeed, I ever knew).

[deanouk]

Re: Fastest final laps?

Cram's last lap when winning the European gold in '86 was 50.9 for 3:41.09. Coe, who ran practically the whole race in lane 2 or 3, thus running about 25m more than necessary, was a tenth slower, 51.0, but ran the penultimate bend in lane 2 (=3.5m) and had to ran slightly wide (about1m) on the last bend to pass Gonzales. If he'd had a free run like Cram he would have run more like 50.4. But then that's the risk you take running wide in a slow championship race.

[FrankS]

Re: Fastest final laps?

The Ryun 1967 last 300m was the most amazing piece of finishing I have ever seen. The German pair took off as they approached the final 300m and seemed to be absolutely flying but Ryun just flew past them. This race is most certainly my "Holy Grail" of "lost" video footage.

[lovetorun]

Re: Fastest final laps?

I've mentioned on this board my "gee whiz" Ryun kick that I personally witnessed that no one else seems to be aware of...the 1967 NCAA mile in Provo, Utah. Not as spectacular as the German race but he hit that gear that only he had back in those days (O.K. maybe Snell had that gear) and zipped the final 200m in a reported 24.7, leaving another strong kicker, Roscoe Divine, well behind. Time was modest (4:03.5) but race was at 4500+ feet.