Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

[Master Po]

The other Shorter thread set me thinking about this historical question, which I feel like I should know all about, but realize I don't. But I am confident that other historical board readers will have all of this at hand.

Since the 70s, when Shorter did the marathon-10k double at Munich, and Viren did the 10k-5k-marathon triple at Montreal (I hope I'm remembering this right -- I didn't look it up to confirm), what other men or women, in WC or OG, have doubled in the marathon and a track event? (Not a quiz -- I don't know, and am interested to know.)

And, it was the case in 72 that the 10k had a qualifier, right?

Amazing performances. I get the historical context, changing nature of these events over the past decades, etc. etc. but amazing performances nonetheless.

Perhaps someone has more data at hand on these sorts of doubles (or more, Viren), and can contribute? Thanks.

[DoubleRBar]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Maybe the most famous would be Emil Zatopek winning the 5, the 10, and the marathon in Helsinki. I still find this performance one of the best ever in our sport.

[Master Po]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Agree w you doublerbar. Unless I've completely forgotten/overlooked other cases, I think that these possibilities kind of ended (for reasons I get) after the 1970s.

[nevetsllim]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Tegla Loroupe raced everywhere in 2000 - including the 10,000m and the marathon at the Sydney Olympics. Sep 24 - 13th in the marathon in 2:29:45, Sep 27 32:06.41 10,000m ht, Sep 30 5th in the 10,000m in 30:37.26. And as if this wasn't enough, she also ran at the Grand Prix Final in Doha on Oct 5, followed by the Great North Run and New York Marathon (her fourth marathon of 2000).

Of course, Paula Radcliffe contested both events at the 2004 Olympics and 2005 World Champs.

Rosa Mota did the 3000m and the marathon at the 1982 European Champs (I think a few others did too - Ingrid Kristiansen perhaps) and Chema Martinez tried to double at the 2006 Europeans.

There are a few more random examples too - Mihaela Botezan at the 2003 World Champs, Dan Browne at the 2004 Olympic Games, Tina Connelly at the 2001 World Champs.

[bambam]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Cannot speak to the World Championships (yet - someday), but here are the stats for the Olympic Games - all those who ran the marathon and either the 10K or 5K, or both, at the same Olympic Games.

There have been 17 triplers at a single Olympics (5K/10K/Marathon) as follows:

Olympic Games
5K/10K/Marathon Triplers
1924 1
1932 1
1948 1
1952 1
1960 1
1964 3
1968 5
1976 2
1984 2

5 won 2 or more medals in the 3 events – Virtanen, Zatopek, Wolde, Temu, Viren. No woman has yet done it.

First done by Alexandros Kranis (GRE) in 1924 and last by Omar Aguilar (CHI), and Tau John Tokwepota (PNG) in 1984.

Here is the breakdown of the doublers - has happened 86 times - 2 women - Leroupe in 2000, and Radcliffe in 2004

year 5K 10K Gender
1912 0 3 Men
1920 0 4 Men
1924 0 2 Men
1928 0 2 Men
1932 0 3 Men
1936 0 2 Men
1948 0 2 Men
1952 0 3 Men
1956 0 4 Men
1960 1 2 Men
1964 0 9 Men
1968 0 3 Men
1972 1 9 Men
1976 1 5 Men
1980 0 7 Men
1984 2 8 Men
1988 2 7 Men
1992 0 1 Men
2000 0 1 Women
2004 0 1 Women
2004 0 1 Men

[bambam]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

And, it was the case in 72 that the 10k had a qualifier, right?

More often than not the 10K has had a qualifier at the Olympics. It has been run as a single final race from 1924-1968, and 2004-08, but in 1912, 1920, and 1972-2000, there was a round one with several heats.

[slowcat]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Specifically, Billy Mills , 1964, 10k and marathon; George Young, 1968, steeple and marathon.

[Dutra]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

I think Shorter was the only 10,000m/Marathon doubler in '72 who made the final in the 10,000m.

The rest of the doublers were runners such as Akio Usami, Karel Lismont, Lucien Rosa who didn't get out of the heats.

[Bruce Kritzler]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Think Ron Clarke did the triple (10k, 5k, marathon) at both 64 and 68 Olympics. May have been dnf in both marathons?

[kuha]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Don't think it's been stated yet, but Shorter was particularly amazing in Munich. An AR in the 10,000 heat; another AR in the final (and within shouting distance of a medal); then gold in the marathon. Hard to imagine a better overall American distance "series" at that level.

[bambam]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Think Ron Clarke did the triple (10k, 5k, marathon) at both 64 and 68 Olympics. May have been dnf in both marathons?

No, he did not run the marathon in 1968. Nobody has done it twice. Here are the 17 who ran 5K/10K/marathon:

1924 Alexandros Kranis (GRE)
1932 Lauri "Lasse" Virtanen (FIN)
1948 Luo Wengao (CHN)
1952 Emil Zátopek (TCH)
1960 Allan Lawrence (AUS)
1964 Ron Clarke (AUS)
1964 Tony Cook (AUS)
1964 János Pintér (HUN)
1968 Rafael Pérez (CRC)
1968 Mamo Wolde (ETH)
1968 Naftali Temu (KEN)
1968 Benjamin Silva-Netto (PHI)
1968 Mustafa Musa (UGA)
1976 Lasse Virén (FIN)
1976 Rodolfo Gómez (MEX)
1984 Omar Aguilar (CHI)
1984 Tau John Tokwepota (PNG)

[Master Po]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

bambam -- Thank you very much. You are my T&F stat/history hero.
(And thanks to the others who added other bits.)

More of these than I thought, and more of them recent than I thought. After Shorter, Viren, et al., I kind of thought this practice was over regardless of successful, or not, it might have been for any particular individual who made the attempt.

It's amazing how much enjoyment a person (well, this person, at least) can get from reading the "minutiae" (which isn't to say it isn't important) of T&F history! Again, thanks!

[Master Po]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Haven't gone further into any of these instances, but at a glance, Radcliffe's Helsinki double looks pretty good:

6 August 10km 30:42.75 (9th, SB)
14 August marathon 2:20:57 (gold, CR)

[Dutra]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Haven't gone further into any of these instances, but at a glance, Radcliffe's Helsinki double looks pretty good:

6 August 10km 30:42.75 (9th, SB)
14 August marathon 2:20:57 (gold, CR)

Shorter's 10kms were aug 31 and sept 3 and the marathon Sept 10. Even he said that he liked running a hard 10k a week or so prior to a marathon. So while a "double" for sure, I'm not convinced of the difficulty of it. Shorter used to run the AAU XC champs the week prior to Fukuoka.

[lonewolf]

Re: Shorter, et al. -- marathon & track doubles

Twenty something years ago when Frank was running NY marathon every year, he would run in the Tyler Cup in Dallas, a 2 mile back scratching event for over age 40 executives, as a guest celebrity runner. It was/is always on Saturday the day before NY and served as his pre-race day workout.
It usually went something like this:
He would run the fast heat of the 2 mile for which he holds the record of 9:14.
After conclusion of the slower heats, he would run a 5 mile relay against 10 men, each running one half mile, in about 25-26 minutes
When the last relay runner dropped out, he would pick up the pace and run a 4:15 mile.
After a shower and luncheon, he would get on someones private plane and fly to NY for Sundays marathon.
Frank has run in about 32 of the 37 Tyler Cups. He no longer runs in the fast heat but he still runs seemingly effortlessly and smooth as silk.