What is the greatest Olympic track race of all time?

C'mon, man! How does Haile v Tergat (2000 Sydney Games 10,000m) not come to mind?!?!?!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4eZ-x4IEoXM

2008 men's 100m over the 2012 100m? No way.

The London 100m featured the only five athletes in history that have gone 9.74 or faster. Three have gone 9.69 or faster. And, the two that hadn't were also previous world record holders.

Bolt, Gay, Blake, Powell, and Gatlin all in one race. Three were 100% healthy. Gay was probably at 95%. Powell looked good until he started falling off the lead then he pulled up. All five competitors were almost dead even halfway through the race until Bolt surged to the lead. Silver through 4th were separated by 0.05.

You won't see that many guys running at that speed and that fitness again for a long time. Any of those five could have been a Gold medalist in any year before 2008. Rio won't be nearly as competitive. Blake isn't what he was, Powell is out and Gay is out.

Seoul 1988 100m final

1948 London Marathon

420 ... Mile? wrote:

C'mon, man! How does Haile v Tergat (2000 Sydney Games 10,000m) not come to mind?!?!?!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4eZ-x4IEoXM

Only the last 200m was great. The rest of the race was a snooze fest.

1972 Olympic 800M Final. Next time you watch it, Wottle won't be able to catch him...

1972 men's 800m

I guess that 2012 was deeper, but nobody will forget Bolt's unreal performances from 2008.

1968 Olympic 5,000 - Gammoudi, Keino, Temu gets my vote.

Still great.

olden sloh wrote:

1972 men's 800m

This has my vote.

Dave Wottle ran the final in a fvcking hat and let the lead pack go in an 800. Gave zero fvcks that day. I have never seen a professional 800 where the winner lets a gap develop between him and the lead pack and then wins. My second favorite race to watch all time, #1 is Alan Webbs AR.

Also, any 5k/10k where it was a jog fest for more than half of the race (probably every single one) is ruled out, even I don't like to watch a bunch of 12:XX 5k guys jog 13:30 pace and then just sprint the last 500-600. Doesn't matter who was in the race or how fast they closed.

800, 1500 and steeple are by far the best since they are usually slightly slower than an all out effort (still pretty fast for those guys), especially considering they are are only a few minutes each, and 8:XX steeple might be too long for some, but I guess I am biased as a someone who runs steeple. These races usually have the best combination of tactics and all out exertion.

Sprints are always fun but I there isn't too much strategy in them in terms of one atheltes strategy affecting the whole race. No positioning tactics either. But I would still consider some as among the best races.

Another up-vote on the 1972 men's 800m

You really have to break this down by event to do it justice.

800M: 1972 and 2012 both were amazing.

5000M: the double by El G in 2004, absolutely legendary.

1500M: Ngeny with the upset in 2000, what a shocker.

10000M: Geb/Terget in 2000, Mills in 1964

And plenty of other close exciting races, with runners not as well known.

2012 800m. WR set with a gutsy frontrunner dominating the field.

1988 800m was great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkNMiXzUqcg

1988 Women's 4 x 400m

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ERdrYLZcF4

Thinking of the sprints, the 2000 400M hurdles were great. Angelo Taylor winning from Lane 1. Nobody wins from Lane 1 in a sprint race with a curve.

1996 200m

doped but nevermind

another shout for 1948 marathon on a track

1988 5000. Ngugi was not to be fvcked with.

420 ... Mile? wrote:

C'mon, man! How does Haile v Tergat (2000 Sydney Games 10,000m) not come to mind?!?!?!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4eZ-x4IEoXM

1996 10000 was better.