A little different perspective on dropping the hammer:
It's been quite a few years but I still remember the humiliation to this day... It was national championship 10 000m, I was young 22 year old, cocky as hell, but among the top runners in my country. I thought I will get at least B qualifier for Olympics, and if the best runners push the pace, who knows, I might end up qualifying... Even my parents bothered to show up, although my dad tried to calm me down and put me in place, "run your own race, don't get too excited, etc." The coach only nodded, knowing the top two guys had life time PRs a minute better than me. I thought to myself "yeah, yeah, but they are in their thirties and participated in previous Olympics, when they were my age and 4 years older".
Anyway, the weather was perfect, still, unusually cold for early July, and pace was steady and fast, but very comfortable for me. Those two Olympians even hired pacemaker from former Soviet Union country, who was enlisted as out of competition entrant. He pulled us to 4000m mark and dropped off. They were surprised I was still with them, and after another 4 laps of two of them sharing the lead every two laps, urged me to take the lead for my share. I reluctantly took the lead for about 150m, and heard my coach yelling: "Let them do the work, they are Olympians, not you!". So I obliged and went behind them. My dad was positioned at the finish line and yelled at me to not be a dick and help with the pacing that we were on A qualifier pace, and that we could all be going. I waved my hand and made some cocky gestures that I would get them, when my time comes. Then at around 8000m, the faster of two older and better runners started to throw surges - 28s-29s 200m, 38s 200m, and again. I felt awesome, so I even let out some chuckles during the trots, just to let them know that the miler is getting ready to drop the hammer on them. At 9200m, the other guy cracked and we gapped him. I made a decision to go 200m later, just to show them that I can make a 600m sustained finish. So I went, immediately dropping the surging guy and having a 4-5s lad at the bell. I had glanced at clock and seen that I just needed to run under 66s to qualify. Easy... or so I thought. My 200 from 9400 to 9600 was around 28s, and I planned to hold it. But the surging, and PR pace got to me just after I entered back stretch. At 200m to go, I was all tied up and almost fell when the surging guy (at that time also sub 2:10 marathoner) brushed my right shoulder as he passed me at seemingly twice my speed. 80m to go, the second Olympian passed me. I ended up running 43s last 200m, and missed qualifying by 7s. The first guy qualified, the second just barely missed it.
I ran a huge PR, and even though I tried many times, I had never improved it in the following decade.
I received all kinds of consolations after the race, but I knew I threw away my chances for my cockiness and idiocy.