1) Billy Mills - 1964 Tokyo Olympics 10K
2) Dave Wottle - 1972 800m
3) Joan Samuelson - 1984 Inaugural Women's Olympic marathon
4) Orlando Pizzolato - wins 1984 NYC marathon, even though he stops several times near the finish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msgGZCWvCIM
5) Secretariat 1973 Belmont Stakes
Best high school race:
Alan Webb 3:53 mile at Pre Classic
Best time trial:
Alan Webb 3:46 mile in Brasschat
Best race:
Alan Webb 3:30 1500 win at Golden Leage Paris
The last one that I won...oh wait...
Tergat vs Geb in 2000 Olympics, but I was hoping for Tergat so :-(
Favorite one I caught later on YouTube was Komen's 7:20
Most exciting maybe seeing Galen get the silver.
In sprinting, seeing Carl Lewis surprise everyone and win the 100m in a WR at the 1991 WC.
Pro -
800 - London Olympics; Wottle's win
1500 - Ngeny gold medal run - great upset.
5000 - Komen's world championship; 72 Olympics
10000 - Mills win is the best; Geb vs Tergat also great; Yifter in 80
Marsthon - Dixon vs Smith (NYc 83) ; Wanjiru in Beijing and Chicago
College
Need to think about it.
HS
Webb - 3:53
Fernandez double
Centro vs Forys - NBN 2 mile
I love seeing the amazing Kenyans of today, and races by Haile G.; also old races w/ Zatopek; but, to me, there was a certain magic about the 1984 Olympic Men's marathon - several seemingly unbeatable runners who hadn't faced each other much of at all before (Seko, Deke, Salazar, etc...), the emergence of some great unknowns, e.g. the runners from Djibouti, the attrition of the lead pack, then the amazing last few miles from Lopes - just a really special race to me...
Hasay vs. Chatelet(however it is spelled) whatever happened to her anyways...
Ben Johnson vs Carl Lewis 1988 Olympics
Seb Coe 1984 Olympic 1500
1987 Penn Relays DMR Georgetown WR
Alan Webb 3:53 US high school record.
Probably watching on television Galen Rupp getting Olympic Silver in London possibly topped all of those.
I would imagine the Munich and Montreal 5000s were among the most dramatic and exciting distance races all time but I'm going on what I recall watching live.
The one race I probably rewatched the most was the 1984 Olympic 1500. That would be my favorite.
Another big memory was Alberto Salazar and Rodolfo Gomez ant NYC Marathon in 1982.
All races are equal, none are 'better' than any others.
The first race that comes to mind is Carl Lewis vs Ben Johnson in 1988, Seuol.
Ben Johnson stunned the world when he crushed Lewis and the record in 1987.
Lewis beat Johnson in Zurich a month or so before the Olympics. Johnson's comments after the race was "Seoul be different."
The hype going into the race was amazing.
The result of the blowout was more stunning than the year before.
And the quick positive test result was scandalous.
Kipchoge beating El G and Bekele in the 2003 5000m WC (12:52).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBIkIIC7CQU
My college team winning the Penn Relay's Championship of America in the 4X400 in 1989 (I was in the stands).
Obviously Ben v Carl
It was "The Rumble in the Jungle" of T&F
It was Magic v Bird
It was Canada vs Russia
It is the biggest T&F event ever.
And, it was a GREAT race. Even though Ben got out well, there was always the sense that he would self-destruct at some point, and the race was never in the bag until the 95m mark. That 10 seconds seemed like 10 minutes!
Hmm...
In all seriousness, my favorite race would have to be the one of my daughter who this year has become one of the best track athletes in our region. Would be an 800 early in the season when she busted to an 8-second PR to unexpectedly enter a new realm.
Other than that, my favorite races are my own, followed by PRs set by people I know and love.
If you ONLY mean favorite FAMOUS races, then I'd put some of Geb's Olympic wins up there and probably Wottle's 800 Gold.
2012 Olympic Mens 800 Final
best race ever
This 5000 race in London where Lagat closes in 51 to beat Bekele, Kipchoge, and Choge: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2rHmSKqs2w
I always thought the gold was secured when Carl broke concentration and looked over (at least twice) at the eventual winner - Johnson. No physical battle then - the mental one. Seems the die was cast, the outcome inevitable. And as I recall Lewis looked over fairly early in the race the first time. Definitely one for the ages. And the contrast in personalities added ... flamboyant vs reserved ... and on it goes
The media build-up was prodigious. ?US TV showed pre race fidgeting etc for about 10 +/- minutes with Shorter and (Whittaker?) speculating and ruminating about everything.
SOLINSKY...CHRIS SOLINSKY IS...TAKING OFF!!
LOOK HOW SMOOTH CHRIS SOLINSKY LOOKS RIGHT NOW WITH 800 METERS LEFT...
LOOK AT THIS...CHRIS SOLINSKY...DID ANYONE EVEN PREDICT HE WOULD GO FOR A RECORD LIKE THIS???
...LOOK AT THIS!
CHRIS SOLINSKY IS GONNA HAVE THE AMERICAN RECORD. GALEN RUPP IS AT THE 300 METER MARK.
THERE IS NO QUESTION WHO'S GONNA WIN THIS RACE!
A NEW AMERICAN RECORD FOR CHRIS SOLINSKY IN WHAT WE THINK TO BE HIS 10K DEBUT!
55...HE MIGHT BREAK 27 MINUTES!!!
56...
57...COME ON CHRIS
58...
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CHRIS SOLINSKY! 26:59!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Steve Jones 1983 Brussels 10000m, Gold
Emilk Zatopek Olympic Marathon Helsinki 1952, Gold
Mo Farrah, Galen Rupp Olympic 5000m Gold, Silver
Sage Canady 2013, 100k Tarawera Ultramarathon, 1st
Emil Zatopek 1939 Bata Shoe Factory 1500, 2nd
Pheidippides (530 BC–490 BC), 40 km, Athens, Greece, died
Man, I remember each one like it was yesterday.
zxkjhkzxh wrote:
Tergat vs Geb in 2000 Olympics, but I was hoping for Tergat so :-(
Yep, can watch it 100 times and the 101st time I still think Tergat will pull it off.
The other two that come to mind are the 1981 (?) Boston battle in the heat and Usain Bolts 2008 OG 100m with open shoe laces.
Alberto Juantorena VS Mike Boit 800M
Mary Deckers Double
Mo Farah Olympic 5000m London 2012
Wanjiru Olympic Marathon Bejing 2008
Wanjiru v Kebede Chicago Marathon 2010
Geb v Tergat Olympic 10000m Sidney 2000