RE: What was your favorite race of all time?

coe 1984 olympic 1500

benoit 1984 oly marathon

the chicago marathon when wanjiru and the ethiopian dueled to the end

of the last few years... that race cristin wurth thomas rigged up in the last 200 - dio, that was amazing to see.

I hugely enjoyed wathcing the 1991 WC Marathon. The hot weather was the X factor, and some very fine runners found themselves in Suffersville.

Up front Hiromi Taniguchi looked like he had fled from Nagasaki a few decades earlier. His face was twisted in pain and concentration, and he pitter-pattered along with his little stride. I told my wife, "I don't know who is going to win, but it won't be the Japanese fellow."

Meanwhile, the long shot camera angle would occasionally show the swcond pack, the one Steve Spence was in. The front pack was still relatively large at that point, and the smart money would have predicted that all the medalists would come out of that bunch. Every time the angle allowed it, however, I could see Spence a couple of yards closer, and my hopes (and probably his) began to rise. Finally and heroically, Tanaguchi got away with Ahmed Salah trailing him. They entered the stadium -- Taniguchi, Salah, and and and and Spence! He ran the perfect smart, steady, managed race and won a medal no one would have predicted.

asian

no one--

Really? You never thought that Ben would blow a ham, given the fact that he had only recently torn it and been out of competition, and been beaten?

couple of decent ones from the 80s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BABr2DA26Xw

cruz 84 great champion

cram aouita 85 dream mile

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjcZtLtH7Jo

seville 99 1500 el g

doped up final

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6jrqsbD3Pc

already posted

geb v tergat

and rudisha (individual)

maybe best 2 ever i forget most of em

Bayi 1974 Commonwealth Games 1500m WR - 'and Bayi did it from gun to tape, this time he didn't die'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvKX22TOCCA

MOVE OVER STEVE SCOTT OMG OMG!! :))

El Guerrouj vs Lagat in 2004 was awesome. Also El G's mile world record was exciting with Ngeny tagging along and also going under the previous WR.

But my personal favorite is probably Withrow's Footlocker win.

Ballerness!

My personal favorite is Daniel Komen's 3000m world record. "Why?" you may ask. "It was really more of a time trial." No, I think it was much more. Daniel Komen's sheer grit and power of will embody the champions mindset, for me. A true champion races against themselves. Komen was alone for half the race, but he didn't let up. He had just had a disappointing 1500 only a couple days before, but mentally he was ready to bounce back. Even after opening up a momentous gap, he was not content to merely win. Komen was a guy who, at times, could go toe-to-toe with both the World record holder at 1500m and 5000m. He had that much toughness. And even when he had no one to run against, he proved that a champion's primary opponent is himself. It wouldn't have mattered if Geb or El G were in the race, I believe. No one has ever come within a couple seconds of his 3k record (if I am not mistaken). If I could have picked any race to see in person, that would have been it. Thankfully, it's all on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4vg3-aOGfs

1. The race where I finally beat a "somebody". I'll not bore anyone with the details.

2. The 400 final in my HS league championships. I did my usual mediocre 800 and 4x800 leg. One one of my friends was also in the 400. Breaks out a 50.x never having done anything of the sort, not even close. I wonder to this day how he did that.

More of a distance guy, but the 2012 olympic 4x100m relay was one of the most exciting races I've ever watched.

High school: Jim Ryun beating Peter Snell at the AAU Championships in 1965

College: Gabe Jennings winning the 1500 at the NCAA Championships in 2000. It wasn't the greatest college race ever or anything, I just happened to 1) be a Gabe Jennings fan and 2) see it in person

Pro: 7:20

aloha warrior wrote:

Since when did the "one false start and you're out" rule apply in 1985 High School track and field?

I remember a one-strike and out rule for distance races in CA in the early 80s, vaguely. Not sure where to go for confirmation.

2012 London Olympics 10000m: Farah gold, Rupp silver

2010 Chicago Marathon: Wanjiru was tough as nails

2008 US Olympic Trials 800:Symmonds pumped about the win, Wheating in disbelief, and Smith with the dive

2011 Payton Jordan 10000m: Solinsky breaks 27:00

2009 Zurich 5000m: Ritz runs 12:56

2010 NCAA Championships 1500m: Oregon sweep

2012 US Olympic Trials 5000m: Rupp runs down Lagat

2003 World Championships 5000m: Kipchoge over Bekele and El Guerrouj

2000 Sydeny Olympics 10000m: Geb just nips Tergat

2000 Sydeny Olympics 1500m: Ngeny upsets El Guerrouj

2009 NCAA Indoor Championship 800m: Robbie Andrews out- leans Wheating

1993 WC 5000. The unheralded Ismael Kirui made a huge mid race surge and somehow held off emerging superstar Haile Gebrselassie and Olympic 10000 champ Khalid Skah. One of the gutsiest moves and most exciting finishes you'll ever see.

Dickson Chumba fan number one wrote:

1993 WC 5000. The unheralded Ismael Kirui made a huge mid race surge and somehow held off emerging superstar Haile Gebrselassie and Olympic 10000 champ Khalid Skah. One of the gutsiest moves and most exciting finishes you'll ever see.

Wow. Didn't see that until now. And he was allegedly 18 years old. That is the balls toughest racer I've ever seen. He was all alone and held on.

John Ngugi in 1988 was great but that was a pretty weak field. This race which I've never seen until now beats that.

2008 US Olympic Trials 800m: Symmonds, Wheating and Smith

2011 Payton Jordan 10000m: Solinsky breaks 27:00

2009 Monaco 800m, Vessey 1:57.84 win and spot on USA Team to Berlin Worlds.

best old school races-

bannister's 3:59 is actually pretty fun to watch

billy mills 10k gold is legendary

ryun vs snell one of the greatest upsets ever

wottle's 800 gold probably my favorite old race of all time

coe v ovett v cram '84 a true clash of 3 great titans

2016 Olympic 5000m finals... oops I guess I shouldn't spoil the results.

Athens 2004,Olympic Marathon men