Was Matthew Centrowitz's 50.6 last 400 in Rio the fastest last lap in distance running history?

No, Alex Kipchirchir at this Iaaf race is the fastest in a sub 4min race as far as I know, in 49.4

There have been so other very fast last 400s in faster races too, namely Morceli closed a 3:34 race in 50.6 I think.

It's among the fastest, but there are a couple of faster ones, or just as fast.

I think Cacho's final lap in Barcelona in 1992 was 50.6 or 50.4 (finishing time 3:40.12)

Jim Ryun had a 50.6 final lap in Dusseldorf 1967 (3:38.2) final 300m was 36.4

Morceli did an insane 50.62 in Stuttgart 1993 with a finishing time of 3:34.24. Final 300m was 37.83

And Gonzalez (3:45.45) and Cram (3:45.54) both went sub-50 in the final lap in Prague 1987, if I'm not mistaken. Gonzalez final lap was 49.87 I believe

And like someone already mentioned Kipchirchir in Athens 2006 was crazy fast as well. 3:52.60, final 400m seem to be 49.5ish and final 300m around 36.6ish

Slightly under 36.6, so almost as fast as Ryun '67 in Dusseldorf (but in a much slower race on a better track).

Wasn’t even the fastest last lap in the 2016 Olympic 1500 final.

Correct, Centro just clogged lane 1 and sped up anytime anyone tried to pass. Thankfully he had enough speed to hold off a hard charging Mahkdaddy moving up the outside.

There is certainly room for debate over the number of guys in history who could have run sub-50 off three minutes at 1100.

Was that Gabe Jennings sighting?!

Not very many. Even fewer could do it from lane two, which is what would have been required to beat Centro. Makhloufi had an incredible kick and he couldn’t quite pull it off.

Centro my bentro

Frankly, it doesn't matter. This race was the SINGLE BEST RACE, NAY, SPORTING EVENT, EVER!!! And when I say ever, I mean dating back to the prehistoric days when gladiators would fight tigers. /s

-Average letsrun genZ user

That 49 from kipchorchir came after a 67 then 71 - 2:19 thru 800 lmao

I was in the stands for this one. Comical stuff in the opening 1000m but yes, way under 50 for the final lap.

Morceli 50.6 in Stuttgart 1993 running 3.34.24 is surely the greatest performance ever in terms of final lap time relative to winning time. When you think that Centrowitz closed Rio in 50.8/9 (he's clearly right at 2.59.1/2.59.2 at the bell) in a 3.50.0 race it puts it in perspective.

Someone mentioned Cacho 1992 - 50.4, no holds barred on the Rioja for that one.

This. And Ryun’s 36.4 in Dusseldorf, in a 3:38 race ranks high as well - run on dirt no less, back in’67.

Steve Cram had a couple of 50 last 400 m.

as did john walker in a local race down under, with his A game going fir no good reason.

commonwealth 1982 1500bcomes to mind, where you see Crams 142 wheels. who knows what that lad would do with bicarb and a free ride to 650m

walker was a lousy navigator, and never developed his speed , lost some after calf operations in 77,

i am sure there are plenty more 50 secondcflats invforgotten races.vlike the ones mentioned here

Didn't Ovett run 50.5 on the second (and last) lap of the Moscow Olympic 800m?

Damn. Ryun just chillin' at that

Meh, banked turns, 3:50. I think Ryun’s finish in the vid above (in a 3:38 race) is a bit more impressive. It Buried Norpoth who finished third. Same Norpoth who tortured Pre.

But I think Centro was around 1:17 for final 600. Might be a shorter list to match up with that.