It's amazing to me that people have such an issue with field sizes in track distance races but don't bat an eye at large XC races on narrow courses. What's the difference? Other than potential lapping I don't understand.
This is completely absurd. The only time (and I mean ONLY) you might be able to have this many runners in a track race is during a marathon on the track.
If they did that, do think it would be possible for someone to be lapped, and then come back to win?
Back in '73, Jeff Hendley of Vermont pulled it off in an epic duel against Dick Nielson of Massachusetts at a high school gymnasium in upstate New York (indoor track). At mile 16, Dick was up 3 laps. We all thought he had it in the bag, but word is that he was drinking sugar free cranberry juice (back then we didn't know about needing carbs for marathoning) and started bonking. Jeff came storming back to take the lead at mile 21. He actually ended up lapping Dick! Dick never did quite live that one down, he retired from runnning shortly thereafter and eventually moved out west. So yes, it could (and has) happened on a track marathon. But mind you this was indoors. Not sure about an outdoor track.
But I imagine with increasing popularity of track marathons we've seen over the past few years, we're bound to see someone pull the feat off on an outdoor track as well.