i think in this kid's situation, people are mistaking his senseless tactics as bravery or guts, when in all reality it seems like insecurity. instead of running sensibly (which does not have to be perfectly even pacing), he runs this way because he wants to have an excuse as to why his finishing time ends up being what it does, rather than face the fact that he does not have the fitness to run faster, which he then masks with the "guts" excuse.
i feel this is something you see a lot in high school, even with kids that are in great shape, but find themselves in fields that provide challenges they are not accustomed to, and are clearly not mentally prepared to deal with. most of the time it's not even a conscious decision, but something that just ends up happening in the race as manifestation of one's anxiety and lack of confidence in one's own abilities.
and like has been stated before, pre never ran a race going out wildly out of his abilities. his biggest strength was holding a relentless pace that the kickers, and the rest of the field, could not possibly keep up with, and if they did, had nothing left to kick with.
and viren was going to win the '72 5k. pre may have been able to medal if he did got out a bit faster or did not allow himself to get boxed in late in that race, but viren was far and away better than anyone in the world at 5 and 10k