Billy Mills Kicks 'Em All Down

On a long run recently, one of my friends mentioned that he had been watching videos of Olympic races from the 1960's and 1970's on YouTube. He commented that it was incredibly valuable to watch these old races for examples of successful and unsuccessful tactics. He gave as an example the Munich 10,000 meters, in which just about everything happens. I said I thought there were certain races that every distance runner should know by heart.

The 1964 Olympic 10,000 meter final is one of those races. In fact, it is considered one of the greatest upsets of all time. If you have never seen this race, skip to the end of this entry and click on the link to watch it now. If you have seen it before, I hope you won't mind if I set the stage for you one more time...

Billy Mills was raised in poverty on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. In school, he discovered a talent for distance running and attended the University of Kansas on a track scholarship. After graduation in 1961, Mills became a Marine, rising to the rank of lieutenant. In 1963 he returned to training, and in 1964 qualified for the 1964 U.S. Olympic team in the 10000m by finishing 2nd. When he toed the line for the Olympic final, he had never broken 29 minutes for the 10K distance.

Ron Clarke, the world record holder (28:15), was the heavy favorite, along with defending champion Pyotr Bolotnikov of the Soviet Union, and Murray Halberg of New Zealand, who had won the 5000m in 1960. Mills was a virtual unknown. His time in the preliminaries had been a minute slower than Clarke's.

Amazingly, Mills was still with Clarke and Mohammed Gammoudi of Tunisia at the beginning of the final lap. On the penultimate turn, as the trio tried to work around lapped runners, Gammoudi pushed between Mills and Clarke, knocking Mills off his stride and almost out to lane three. Down the backstretch, it looks for all the world as though Gammoudi is going to win. Around the last turn, Clarke tries to mount a challenge, but as they weave their way through slower runners it becomes evident that Clarke doesn't have enough of a sprint to overtake the Tunisian. And then there is Mills, sprinting like a locomotive...

I could watch this again and again. One of the best parts is to hear the announcers go completely nuts when they realize what has happened.

Billy Mills Kicks 'em All Down