Let's appreciate how historic / special today is. For the 1st time in my life, I'll be watching a men's 10,000 WR attempt live.

Couldn't every 10000 on the track be considered a WR attempt?

Good point. I think he means that he has never witnessed a live 10k record, not a live attempt. Otherwise, we all have witnessed many fast 10ks live that were close to world record pace which were world record attempts in the minds of some of the runners and coaches and family members.

Did ABC actually broadcast that in 1972? I know the 5000 was broadcast because Pre was in it and he died at the end. Usually with 10k races back then (and now) networks assume no one has the attention span to watch it and it's not worth their time. If so, did Jim McKay call that one as well?

[quote]rojo wrote:

Now if you are over the age of 55, you may have witnessed a men's 10,000 WR live./quote]

55? How about just being one of the billions of people who are not from the USA?

Run faster not slower wrote:

Good point. I think he means that he has never witnessed a live 10k record, not a live attempt. Otherwise, we all have witnessed many fast 10ks live that were close to world record pace which were world record attempts in the minds of some of the runners and coaches and family members.

No. I mean what I wrote - a world record attempt. I've never seen anyone start a race with any realistic chance of breaking the 10,000-meter men's world record until tonight. The fastest 10,000 I think I've ever seen live is Rupp's 26:44. Please don't tell me a Worlds/Olympics men's 10,000 has the opportunity to result in a WR.

I too am looking forward to giving up my men's 10,000 WR virginity today. I've experienced it with a woman before but never with a man. But hey it's 2020.

Did you see this record attempt?

https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/bekele-targeting-10000m-world-record-in-eugen

Bekele came up short, but ran a fairly outstanding 26:25

https://www.letsrun.com/2008/pre0608.php

Apologies, I just spotted that you listed this race as one you didn't get to see - sorry!

I did see the NYC marathon when Salazar broke the WR, and that was his goal that day. However the course was deemed 40 yards short and it didn't count. At the time, though, it was a thrill.

I was lucky to see most of the men's 10000m world record runs, and several unsuccessful attempts. I have seen two set by Haile from 1995 and when he took it back from Tergat in 1998. I had seen Salah Hissou's run in 1996, then year later Tergat's. I have also watched live both Bekele's WR 26:20 and 26:17. The first one on the stadium actually. Furthest I remember watching 10000m record live was Ondieki's WR, which I had not appreciated at that time, because I considered long distance running boring. My father went berserk just watching it a actually forced me to stay in room and watch it. Two years later, I was athletics (T&F in our region) fanatic myself.

One of the advantages of living in Europe.

Sair wrote:

Did you see this record attempt?

No. If you read my post, you would have said I specifically mentioned I didn't see that attempt as it wasn't broadcast.

There was a webcast of Bekele's 26:17. I was in high school at the time and watched it with a bunch of my teammates.