What is the most memorable running moment you've seen in-person?

Saw Alan Webb break 4:00 for the 1600 for the first time ever. This was his junior year at the Penn Relays. He anchored his DMR team with a 3:59.9 1600 leg. I believe they ran 9:59 that day for the DMR, but not sure. Webb also ran an amazing 4x400 at that Penn Relays (either 48. or 49.), and was awarded athlete of the meet for both of his performances.

Section 2 Qualifiers was insane. Splits for the top teams anchors were something like 1:50, 1:51, 1:51, 1:52. 6 teams bunched with 200 to go and oh yeah a guy ran 1:49 going 49.x, 60.x on a team that came in about 6th.

Soprano wrote:

Pro...

2012 Olympic Trials, women's 5000 final. Julia Lucas just missing Olympic spot to Kim Conley.

College...

Jimmy Wyner getting DQ'd at Outdoor Heps in 2009 (I think?) and almost getting DQ'd in indoors was pretty memorable.

HS...

Any NY State Section II alum on here will appreciate the 4x8 at State Quals in 2006. Great battle to qualify; something like 8 teams sub-8. Winner was 7:4x.

So, you want to bring up the Real Man thing again? Ok.

Criteria for being a real man:

1) Military service

2) Primary caretaker for elderly or disabled person that's NOT your vocation -- so like a parent or other family member.

3) Worker in some way in a war zone -- construction, journalist, whatever.

4) Married, active father to 2-4 children. You must live in the same house with those children and the mother, and you must take care of them financially and emotionally. You can't be a BAD father and be a man. You also do not have to procreate. You could be a father to them by adoption or marriage (wife had kids from previous marriage for example). Need at least 2 to fully feel what it's like to be a father, and more than 4 just allows the kids to take care of themselves too much, so 2-4 kids is the range. Now, if you had 4 and then one moves out and you had a 5th, then I'd accept that.

Those are the main ways to be a man. I would consider others if you want to provide them.

A single guy though who never has children and works to support himself and his lifestyle and doesn't fall into any of the other criteria I spelled out isn't a real man in my opinion. To be a real man requires serious responsibility, and that isn't fully realized for most people unless they are a GOOD father to 2-4 children.

The West Coast Relays, Summer of '69. The Olympic Black Power rebel and 200-meter bronze medalist John Carlos was running the 100. Carlos was having a conversation in the stands until just before his race was called, at which time he theatrically trotted down the steps, leapt over the railing, did a little stretching and jogging, and got down in the blocks. An impressive figure at 6’3” and over 200 pounds, he would win the 100, the 220 and anchor the winning 4x440 relay at the N.C.A.A. meet in Knoxville in a few weeks and end that season ranked as the fastest 100-meter man in the world.

That night in Fresno the surge he produced at sixty yards provoked the loudest gasps I would ever hear at a track meet. His time of 9.1 tied the world record. Not twenty seconds later, he was walking ten feet away from me.

“I got you in nine-flat, John,” I called out, holding up my stopwatch, to prove that I'd actually timed him.

“I know what I ran,” he screamed at me, flailing his arms and spinning angrily away. He had just heard (erroneously) that the wind had been just over the legal limit, denying him the WR tie. I would have been pissed off, too.

Well I'll be... I was also at the last day of the 1996 Oly Trials and saw that WR by MJ. I think it was 19.67. It's still the only WR I ever witnessed. I met MJ some years later and told him it might have been one of the more forgotten WRs in recent years, given he lowered it to 19.33 in the Oly finals later that Summer. He laughed. There was another unforgetable moment in the nearly empty stadium that afternoon, but not a happy one: Steve Holman's very unfortunate fade in the last 250 meters of the 1,500. Holman was by far the best 1,500 meter runner in the US at the time. He waltzed through his prelims easily, and looked in perfect position to win the final, at the very least make the team, and nearly the entire field passed him by. It hurt to watch it.

If you were in Canberra in 1985 for the World Cup, then you must surely remember the men's 4 x 400 relay to conclude the meet. I was not there but had a teammate running on the relay and can't remember too many other races or meets in my life that finished the way that one did. It was broadcast on ABC and I still have the meet recorded on Beta, Ha!

First to set the stage: The World Cup is a scored meet. Teams consist of consolidated/regional areas and some individual countries. USA, East Germany, Great Britain, USSR, Africa, Europe, Oceana(Austrailia & New Zealand)& The Americas (North/South America & Carribean islands) I believe were the teams at that meet. The World Cup meet was usually held at the conclusion of the season after the Grand Pre meets were concluded. This one was held in October which was unusually late but the US had a pretty good turnout. It was said that East Germany and the USSR were loaded to the gills and taking this meet very seriously since they weren't at the 84 Games.

Doug Padilla had pulled off a victory in a tactical 5000m race to put the US men's team in the drivers seat. However, in the 200m Kirk Baptiste was disqualified for stepping on the lane line so the US had to finish top 4 in the 4 x 400 to win the meet which shouldn't have been a problem. There goal was to win the race of course but the relay unit wanted to cap off a winning team effort with a romp in an event the US has dominated throughout history.

Walter McKoy led off the relay and got the team off to a great start. Andre Phillips (88 400H Champion) took the baton and expanded on the lead. Marty Liquori and the other announcer was very excited and claiming that the US was on world record pace. Phillips passes to Ray Armstead (84 4 x 4 Gold) and he's just flying and improving the teams standing and surely the US is on the way to an incredibly fast time and a team victory.

But what transpired next, you only see in movies like Chariots of Fire.

Armstead is coming in at break-neck speed and Michael Franks (83 world silver) awaits the baton. Suddenly, the most flagrant foul I have ever seen in track and field occurs. Waiting at the exchange, Darren Clark of Austrailia shoves the Russian right into Armstead sending him to the infield landing on his stomach.

While the rest of the field is making the exchange, Armstead instinctually gets back to his feet and passes the baton to a back peddaling Franks. You could see his alligator brain kick in as he tore off around the first turn.

Still in front of him on the backstretch were Thomas Schoenlebe of East Germany (world jr. record holder), Innocent Egbunike of Nigeria (84 medalist) and of course the offender, Darren Clark (84 medalist). These guys were tough and you would think that there is no way Michael could catch them with that kind of a deficit but I saw Franks anchor So. Illinois to a 3:00 then collegiate record that previous April at the Drake Relays. He had the tools if anybody did.

As the runners were into turn #3 the announcers were blabbering about the implications of the 200 disqualification and what had happened in this race but then they started going absolutely crazy as Michael started to glide up and past Schoenlebe and Clark with only Egbunike remaining in his sights. Perfectly timed, Franks begins his lean and suddenly Egbunike turns toward him and Franks hits the tape first. It was later discovered that Egbunike's backswing with the baton had struck Franks in the leg and he had dropped it before the finish line. The offical time was 3:00.71 and Franks was given a split of 44.2 for his standing start. I don't know if they could have run the world record but nonetheless, it was a great effort.

It took about 30 minutes to sort out what had happened and after 5 filed protests, only the Africans were disqualified for not finishing with the baton.

I have been coaching for 25 years and have witnessed some great races including kids in high pressure moments that managed to pull it out when it counted the most. But I will always remember how two high school friends from St. Louis in Armstead and Franks handled that challenge and it still stirs me to this day as I tell my athletes about it so they will know what to do if it happens to them.

Unfortunately, the meet is no longer in existence. Too bad as I believe Americans need scored games to make a connection with a sport. Even if track is considered an individual sport, it's the culmination of the individual efforts that make the sport more palatable for the average sports fan. Americans like to cheer for teams but the focus is always on the individual.

Pro: Either Centro beating Lagat 2011 USAs or the whole Ashton Eaton WR decathlon (specifically day 2 when people knew he was on schedule)

College: Penn Relays 4x8 the year Columbia won (2009?). I'm a Seton Hall guy and we were in the race with a few other teams.

HS: I saw LV sub 4 but to be honest it wasn't particularly memorable because I was more focused on other races that day. Robby Andrews state record at MOC was pretty special when the former record holder and my coach at the time John Marshall presented him the record.

Herb Elliott's winning 1500 in the 1960 Olympic Games

Herb Elliott's gold medal 1500m run at the 1960 Olympic Games. You have to remember that Elliott never lost a race in his life which in my mind makes him the greatest ever. Obviously the training, the tracks, the shoes and the competition are all relative but I'm convinced that he could have competed with El Guerrouj had he run against him. It's not the desire to win that drove him but the fear of losing and that is probably the strongest motivation of all.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr0dWz_6oEI

Herb Elliott's gold medal 1500m run at the 1960 Olympic Games. You have to remember that Elliott never lost a race in his life which in my mind makes him the greatest ever. Obviously the training, the tracks, the shoes and the competition are all relative but I'm convinced that he could have competed with El Guerrouj had he run against him. It's not the desire to win that drove him but the fear of losing and that is probably the strongest motivation of all.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr0dWz_6oEI

Herb Elliott's gold medal 1500m in the 1960 Olympics. In my book he is the greatest of all time because he never lost a race. He ran not necessarily to win but ran in fear of losing. To me that is the strongest motivation.

Take a look for yourself.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr0dWz_6oEI

I believe he ran in last 800m in about 1:51 on a cinder track with logging boots.

YES!!!

I'll never forget that run from Michael Franks. Absolutely awesome. I was actually just looking for it on y-t a few weeks ago but couldn't find it. The only race from that meet I found was Koch's 400m. Any chance you might be able to upload a digital copy?

Being an Aussie, I was cheering away, but I never liked Darren Clark much. He was always talking about how great he is/was .... But it is interesting to see how many of the guys he raced and was beaten by ended up with some drug violation or another.

2003 NCAA Div 1 Nationals - Dathan Ritzenhein running away from Ryan Hall on the final half mile while it was 15 degrees.

Everyone is Asleep Right Now wrote:

My candidates are Webb's high school record at Hayward Field, Bob Kennedy at Big Ten XC or Rupp's medal in London.

Kennedy looked god-like when I saw him up close as a high schooler and Webb's race was historic but I've got to go with Rupp for medaling in the big stage.

dude from Yale winning the IC4As steeplechase in the early 90s...took off at the bell and hurdled the last water jump like he was going over an intermediate hurdle ....never touched a drop of water...looked like he ran less than 60 on the last lap...probably not, but it was a thing of beauty because someone had moved up to his shoulder at the bell and made like they were going to challenge him, but he disabused them of that notion in a hurry...

and i've been to the olympics, mind you...

I have looked for that race on Y-T as well. I did see Koch's 400 and the East German's 4 x 100 WR but not the men's 4 x 400. I always thought Gohr had peculiar mechanics.

Speaking of steroids, did you see 9.79? Brought back a lot of memories to hear each of the 88 100 finalists perspectives today. DaSilva and Calvin Smith were the only clean atheltes of the bunch. You could tell in his eyes that Calvin is still pissed to this day that he did things the right way but was still beaten by cheats and was denied the truth.

I would have to dig out that old beta tape that probably has an inch of dust on it. Then I'd have to build a working machine out of the 2 or 3 dead Beta machines that I have lying around to be able to play it and hope it doesn't get destroyed. Or maybe I can ask around to see if anyone locally has the tech to do this for me.

I got DeCastella's autograph from a local road race here (Bix 7). Felt bad for him at the 84 games. He and most of the favorites in the men's marathon fell to the heat. Lopez was in the zone and I thought it was ironic that Treacy and the Brit were able to handle the environment better than Ikanga, Deke, Soh brothers etc...

You are right about Freeman's performance. There are but a few moments that really define the Olympic movement for someone like me. What an awesome story for her to represent her country & culture with such poise a week prior to her most important race on home soil. She handled it like few others in history could have. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Perec hadn't run away from the Games for whatever her reason.

I've always wanted to visit the land of "Down Under" and that opportunity passed me by. I hope to be in Rio. What a difference in experiences from Bejing to London to Rio. I'm envisioning a 2 week, dark, night club scene.

Alistair Cragg over Noah Ngeny in the 3K in a then NCAA record at what then was the Adidas Boston Indoor Classic back in 2003.

Close second: 3-man blanket finish in the 800 at my county meet, with all 3 guys in 1:52. A sophomore from a small school obliterated his school record with a 1:54 yet was relegated to a thoroughly beaten fourth.

1. Cathy Freeman's 2000 Olympic Gold. As an Aussie in Sydney, nothing else can come close. The atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Cathy looked like an alien coming on in that hooded suit. The same night Grigorieva won silver in the pole vault, right in front of us. The only other sporting event I've been to that comes close to the atmosphere that night was the 2003 Rugby WC semi-final in Sydney between Australia and NZ. The Aussies came to play, and the heavily favoured Kiwis weren't expecting it. A balmy night again, and this incredible buzz in the crowd. Not like the usual stand-offish rugby crowds.

2. Linford Christie's Olympic Gold in 1992.

3. The 5km and 10km in Barcelona were also incredible. Baumann's final kick in the 5km, and in the 10km realising how fast these blokes run for 27 minutes was amazing. At that time, I had only just finished competing myself. The strange thing with Skah's lapped countryman joining in was funny, but Skah was trying to get rid of him. Skah got roundly booed for it, but the antics didn't help him and he was trying to stop them. He was a well-deserved victor and the best on the night.

Either Bolt WR 2009 Berlin or Eaton 1500 2012 OT.

+1. Solinsky's 10k AR at Stanford 2010 was unforgettable. 1:56 last 800 to dip under 27 min, and the crowd went nuts.