Filbert Bayi

He didn't perform too shabbily in the 800 either -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CaPl8C5gpo&feature=related

Absolutely love this race - thanks for posting.

Here's the Dream Mile from Kingston! What a race. Did Liquori go too soon????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qthi7ZnNdAA

Dr. Kevorkian wrote:

What an amazing talent! World record in the 1500 in '74 followed by the mile in '75. Missed the 1976 Olympics due to the African boycott - what a final that would have been. Came back in 1980 to take silver in the Steeplechase with a very fast 8:12.5 time!!!

Take a look at the 1974 Commonwealth Games 1500. Arguably the best 1500 Final ever run...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjhC-1W9QTE

Thank you for posting this, one of the greatest races of all time! Awesome, awesome. Fantastic running by Filbert Bayi. Finally someone has posted this race.

That guy ran like an absolute pimp. Jetting out to a 20m lead and then holding off all challenges over the last 150m. In a championship? Guy should be in the badass hall-of-fame.

Thank you for posting this, one of the greatest races of all time! Awesome, awesome. Fantastic running by Filbert Bayi. Finally someone has posted this race.[/quote]

Isn't this site devoted to running? Just curious.

Bayi's name should come up next time the question is asked who could run with the elites today. These races were unrabbited! He had so much left.

Still, I wonder what a John Walker-Filbert Bayi race with rabbits would have produced in their heyday. The African Boycott and bouts with malaria hurt Bayi and his career.

Very cool rivalry. Too bad the 76 boycott robbed us of a great race. Bayi-Walker seldom raced because of the boycott.

Imagine those guys with the shoe contracts of today? They were household names. My girlfriend who thought running was just plain too sweaty and stupid knew who they were.

Dr. Kevorkian wrote:

He didn't perform too shabbily in the 800 either -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CaPl8C5gpo&feature=related

nor steeplehase where he ran like Kiptanui at Moscow 15 years earlier... sadly, too ambitious as always... just too fast first kilometre... could run 3:28 1500 and 3:46 mile in mid 70's...

he wasn't bad at 3/5 k either and won many RR, some half-marathons and prestige XC's (Cinque Mulini). One of the most versatile runners ever (Roelants, Lopes, Tergat, Bekele...)

At the time I was a teenager and was looking forward to the 76 OG 1500. What a disappointment.

Dr. Kevorkian wrote:

Here's the Dream Mile from Kingston! What a race. Did Liquori go too soon????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qthi7ZnNdAA

Bayi held all the cards when running against Liquori in the mile and would have beaten him in any scenario.

It's a shame that Bayi and Walker avoided running against each other. I believe the 800 and 1500 at the 1974 Commonwealth was the only time they did. Except for the Olympics, Coe and Ovett did the same thing.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Dr. Kevorkian wrote:

Here's the Dream Mile from Kingston! What a race. Did Liquori go too soon????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qthi7ZnNdAA

Bayi held all the cards when running against Liquori in the mile and would have beaten him in any scenario.

It's a shame that Bayi and Walker avoided running against each other. I believe the 800 and 1500 at the 1974 Commonwealth was the only time they did. Except for the Olympics, Coe and Ovett did the same thing.

Bayi and Walker ran many times against each other:

1973 - Bislett 800m - 1, Waker 2. Bayi

1974 CG 800m 3. Walker 4. Bayi (both lifetime bests)

CG 1500m 1. Bayi WR, 2. Walker

Helsinki, 1500m 1. Walker 2. Bayi

1975 - Christchurch, 800m, 1. Bayi 2. Walker

Christchurch 800m, 1. Walker 2. bayi

Los Angeles, mile, 1. Bayi 2. Walker

San Diego, mile, 1. Bayi 2. Walker

Cinque Mulini, XC, 1. Bayi 3. Walker

Saarijarvi 1500m, 1. Walker 4. Bayi

due to Tanzanian boycott, Bayi's ill health than Walker's injuries and Oly boycott, they ran less than expected, but still much more than Ovett and Coe who are from the same island and ran once against each other at domestic competitions...

1979 - Montreal, mile 1. Walker 6. Bayi

1980 - San Diego, mile 1. Bayi 3. Walker

Porsgrunn, 800m 6. Bayi, Walker fell

Budapest, 1500m 1. Walker 4. Bayi

Zurich 1500m 3. Walker 6. Bayi

Bruxelles, mile 2. Walker 6. Bayi

London, mile 3. Walker 7. Bayi

Dublin, mile 3. Walker 5. Bayi

1981 - SanDiego, mile 3.Walker 6.Bayi

I didnt remember them running against each other in 1975. After that, they weren't thet weren't the top2 1500m/mile runners in the world.

At :43 you can see the guy in lane 8 clearly committing a lane infraction on his way to finishing DFL.

Many of us have cheated to try to get out of DFL! We should admit he deserved a DQ for that.

SDSU Aztec wrote:

Dr. Kevorkian wrote:

Here's the Dream Mile from Kingston! What a race. Did Liquori go too soon????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qthi7ZnNdAA

Bayi held all the cards when running against Liquori in the mile and would have beaten him in any scenario.

It's a shame that Bayi and Walker avoided running against each other. I believe the 800 and 1500 at the 1974 Commonwealth was the only time they did. Except for the Olympics, Coe and Ovett did the same thing.

I don't think that Walker ever avoided racing anyone.

Moes Tavern wrote:

Bayi's name should come up next time the question is asked who could run with the elites today. These races were unrabbited! He had so much left.

Still, I wonder what a John Walker-Filbert Bayi race with rabbits would have produced in their heyday. The African Boycott and bouts with malaria hurt Bayi and his career.

Filbert Bayi didn't need no stupid rabbits and the 1974 Commonwealth 1500 was one of the best races of all-time. Distance running would be better off without pacing. If someone isn't there to compete, he shouldn't be on the track.

There's a very good chapter on Bayi in Kenny Moore's "Best Efforts".