The Top Five Reasons This Lens is So Important 

1. This list single-handedly boosts the morale of the Finnish people
2. This list includes two great American athletes you've probably never heard of before
3. This list includes the only multi-use nickname in distance running history, "The Flying Finn" (Amazingly, every good Finnish runner in history has used this nickname. It's the equivalent to their #10 jersey.)
4. Where else can you find 6 Ethiopians, 5 Finns, 3 Americans, 2 Moroccans, a Czech, a New Zealander, a Kenyan, a Frenchman, a Brit, a Tunisian, a Ukrainian, and an Australian all on the same list?
5. I know what you're saying: "Just one Kenyan?" Yep. Just one.

Lens Navigator -- Your Guide to the Best Olympic Distance Performers Ever! 

• How to Determine the Best?
• 1. Paavo Nurmi (Finland)
• 2. Emil Zatopek (Czech Republic)
• 3. Lasse Viren (Finland)
• 4. Ville Ritola (Finland)
• Quick Poll: should the success in multiple events by runners long ago be discounted?
• 5. Abebe Bikila (Ethiopia)
• 6. Peter Snell (New Zealand)
• 7. Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia)
• 8. Jim Lightbody (United States)
• 9. Kip Keino (Kenya)
• 10. Sebastian Coe (United Kingdom)
• 11. Hannes Kohlemainen (Finland)
• Quick Poll: Who was the "flyest" of the Flying Finns?
• 12. Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco)
• 13. Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia)
• 14. Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia)
• 15. Mel Sheppard (United States)
• Quick Poll: Did you know who Jim Lightbody and Mel Sheppard were?
• 16. Volmari Iso-Hollo (Finland)
• 17. Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia)
• 18. Alain Mimoun (France)
• 19. Miruts Yifter (Ethiopia)
• 20. Mohammed Gammoudi (Tunisia)
• Quick Poll: Which Beijing competitor will be next to crack this list?
• 21. Herb Elliott (Australia)
• 22. Said Aouita (Morocco)
• 23. Vladimir Kuts (Soviet Union/Ukraine)
• 24. Frank Shorter (United States)
• Quick Poll: Which group is most under-represented in this list?
• First, what do you think of the top 24?
• Second, who should get the #25 spot?
• Write-in votes here! (Or just tell me what you think of the lens...!)

How to Determine the Best? 

Here are some basic guidelines. If you disagree, please leave a comment!

1. Paavo Nurmi (Finland) 

Gold: 10,000m, 1920, 1928; 1,500m, 1924; 5,000m, 1924; cross country, 1920, 1924; cross country team, 1920, 1924; 3,000m team race, 1924
Silver: 5,000m, 1920, 1928; 3,000m steeplechase, 1928

Like Carl Lewis, Paavo Nurmi won nine Olympic gold medals. Nurmi, though, is the only athlete to win five golds in one Games, which he achieved in 1924, and he holds the record for number of medals won (12). It is said that in 1924, denied the ability to run the 10,000 meters by the Finnish authorities, Nurmi ran the race on the practice track and finished 40 seconds faster than Ritola's winning time!

Known as the "Flying Finn", he revolutionised distance running with his hard training methods. Declared a professional by the IAAF, by a 13-12 vote, he was banned from the 1932 Olympics.

2. Emil Zatopek (Czech Republic) 

Gold: 10,000m, 1948, 1952; 5,000m, 1952; marathon, 1952
Silver: 5,000m, 1948

A story almost too good to be true, but true it is. Emil "The Locomotive" Zatopek was born on the same day as his wife, Dana, on September 19, 1922, and the couple won Olympic gold medals on the same day, July 24, 1952. Emil had won the 5,000 meters and, following the presentation ceremony, Dana put his medal in her bag for good luck in the javelin, throwing an Olympic record in the first round. Three days later, Emil ran his first marathon, winning the fourth Olympic gold of his career and becoming the first athlete to triumph in the 5,000 meters, 10,000 meters and marathon at one Games.

Emil Zatopek on Squidoo! 

Learn more about The Gutsiest Runner Ever

Emil Zatopek

Emil Zatopek redefined distance running. The Czech runner's brutal interval workouts and strategic approach to racing helped him to win four Olympic gold medals, including three (5k, 10k, and marathon) at the 1952 Helsinki Games. He set 18 world reco...

3. Lasse Viren (Finland) 

Gold: 5,000m, 1972, 1976; 10,000m, 1972, 1976

As if doing the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters double twice was not enough, Lasse Viren wrote his place in Olympic history in dramatic fashion. During his first final, the 10,000 meters in 1972, he stumbled and fell just before halfway but got up to win in a world record time.

After repeating in the double in 1976, he attempted to duplicate Emil Zatopek's feat in 1952 by entering the marathon. It was his first marathon ever, and he finished fifth in 2:13:10!

Lasse Viren wins gold in 1972 (Video) 

4. Ville Ritola (Finland) 

Gold: 10,000m, 1924; 3,000m steeplechase, 1924; cross country team race, 1924; 3,000m team race, 1924; 5,000m, 1928
Silver: 5,000m, 1924; cross country, 1924; 10,000m, 1928

Ville Ritola was never going to win an Olympic medal for each of his siblings - he was the 14th of 20 children - but he did collect five golds and three silvers. In eight races in eight days in 1924, he won the steeplechase in his first go at the event, the 10,000 metres with a world record, and team golds at 3,000 metres and cross country. Beaten by his fellow Finn, Paavo Nurmi, in the 5,000 metres and individual cross country in 1924, and again at 10,000 metres in 1928, he got the better of his rival at 5,000 metres in 1928.

Quick Poll: should the success in multiple events by runners long ago be discounted? 

5. Abebe Bikila (Ethiopia) 

Gold: marathon, 1960, 1964

In a tale of triumph before tragedy, Abebe Bikila won the 1960 Olympic marathon in a world record time as a barefoot outsider, and became the first man to retain the title in 1964, but was paralyzed in a car accident five years later. Suffering a broken neck and spinal cord injury, Bikila died of a brain hemorrhage in 1973, aged 41.

Barefoot Runner: The Life of Marathon Champion Abebe Bikila 

by Paul Rambali

Barefoot Runner: The Life of Marathon Champion Abebe Bikila

by: Paul Rambali

Amazon Price: $15.00 (as of 11/21/2008)
Used Price: $6.79

I loved it - this book had a much more interesting story, and better style, than almost any other sports book that I have ever read. --Footling

6. Peter Snell (New Zealand) 

Gold: 800m, 1960, 1964; 1,500m, 1964

The surprise winner of the Olympic 800 meters in 1960, Peter Snell won the 800 meters and 1500 meters in 1964 by handsome margins. He set Olympic Records in both his 800 meter races, and won his 1500 meter gold in 1964 by a wide margin. Prior to Tokyo, Snell had never run a 1500 meters race, although he was the reigning world record holder over the mile.

Now, Snell is a scientist studying exercise physiology in Dallas, Texas, and he is trying to prove that his legendary coach Arthur Lydiard's training methods have a scientific basis.

7. Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 

Gold: 10,000m, 2004, 2008; 5,000m, 2008
Silver: 5,000m, 2004

The fastest long distance runner in history, Kenenisa "The Lion" Bekele won the 10,000 meters in Athens in 2004, and finished second to Hicham El Guerrouj in a battle in the 5,000 meters. He then followed that up with Olympic Record victories in both the 10,000 meters and 5,000 meters in Beijing in 2008, clocking 27:01.17 and 12:57.82.

If Kenenisa can continue to run at the level he's competed at for another four years, he may have a chance to become the Greatest Olympic Distance Performer Ever. But we'll have to wait four years to find out!

Kenenisa Bekele on Squidoo! 

Learn more about The Fastest Distance Runner Ever

Kenenisa Bekele

Kenenisa Bekele is the current world record holder for 5,000 and 10,000 meters. He is the three time reigning world champion and two time reigning Olympic champion at 10,000 meters. He is also the five time short (4k) and six time long (12k) course w...

Kenenisa Bekele wins gold in 2004 (Video) 

8. Jim Lightbody (United States) 

Gold: 1,500m, 1904, 1906; 800m, 1904; steeplechase, 1904
Silver: team relay, 1904; 800m, 1906

James Lightbody's place in Olympic history depends on one's view of whether the interim Games of 1906 should be included. This ranking list does, at a slight discount. In 1904, having won the 800 meters and steeplechase, Lightbody set a world best at 1500 meters before records became official in 1912.

9. Kip Keino (Kenya) 

Gold: 1,500m, 1968; steeplechase, 1972
Silver: 1,500m, 1972; 5,000m, 1968

The father of the Kenyan running tradition, Kip Keino won the 1968 1500 meters in remarkable circumstances. Suffering a gall bladder infection, causing severe stomach pains, Keino defied medical advice not to run. Up with the leaders two laps from home in the 10,000 meters, he collapsed onto the infield in pain. Although disqualified, he went on to finish. Four days later, he placed second in the 5000 meters then, caught in traffic traveling to the 1500 meters final, he jogged the last mile to the stadium.

Kip Keino wins gold in 1968 (Video) 

10. Sebastian Coe (United Kingdom) 

Gold: 1,500m, 1980, 1984
Silver: 800m, 1980, 1984

Sebastian Coe's rivalry with Steve Ovett brought unprecedented hype for the middle distance events. In 1980, Coe was the favorite to win the 800 meters, but was beaten by his fellow Briton, while Ovett was favorite for the 1500 meters, but was defeated by Coe. Four years later, Coe became the first man to retain the 1500 meters title, having again finished runner-up at 800 meters, this time to Joaquim Cruz, of Brazil.

He is currently heading up London's efforts in preparation for the 2012 Olympics, and looking for ways to touch the lives of more youth with track and field.

Sebastian Coe wins gold in 1984 (Video) 

The Perfect Distance -- Ovett and Coe: The Record-Breaking Rivalry 

by Pat Butcher

The Perfect Distance - Ovett and Coe: The Record-Breaking Rivalry

by: Pat Butcher

Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 11/21/2008)

This was a very enjoyable book about the great Ovett/Coe rivalry. The book delves into the roots/family influences of the two very talented middle distance runners including Ovett's very influential mother and Coe's father and coach. The author captures the excitement of breaking world records, running in the Olympic games and the expectations associated with being athletes at thier prime. Two very different personalities are contrasted both in their private and public impressions. A fascinating read. --Bookworm

11. Hannes Kohlemainen (Finland) 

Gold: 5,000m, 10,000m, cross country, 1912; marathon, 1920
Silver: team cross country, 1912

The first in the line of great Finnish distance runners, Hannes Kolehmainen recorded the first sub 15 minute run for 5,000 metres at the 1912 Olympics. He obliterated the world record with 14min 36.6sec yet was pegged to within a tenth of a second by Jean Bouin, of France. But Kolehmainen won the 10,000 metres by 46 seconds. At the 1920 Games, he broke the marathon world record by three and a half minutes, recording a time of 2hr 32min 35.8sec.

Quick Poll: Who was the "flyest" of the Flying Finns? 

12. Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco) 

Gold: 1,500m, 5,000m, 2004
Silver, 1,500m, 2000

In danger of becoming the greatest middle distance runner never to win an Olympic gold medal, "The King of the Mile" Hicham El Guerrouj made glorious amends at Athens 2004, winning the 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters. Thus he became the first man since Paavo Nurmi, 80 years earlier, to succeed in that double. Prior to Athens, El Guerrouj had won 84 of his 89 races at 1,500 meters or a mile since 1996, At Atlanta 1996, he tripped and fell in the final, finishing 12th. At Sydney 2000, he placed second to Kenya's Noah Ngeny.

Hicham El Guerrouj on Squidoo! 

Learn more about The King of the Mile

Hicham El Guerrouj

Hicham El Guerrouj is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (1500m, 5000m), a four-time outdoor World Champion in the 1500m, and a three-time indoor World Champion (1500m, 3000m). He currently holds five world records in the 1500m (3:26.00, 3:31.18i), the...

El Guerrouj wins gold in 2004 (Video) 

13. Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia) 

Gold: 10,000m, 1996, 2000

In the context of his overall career - his marathon world record was his 24th world record - Haile "The Emperor" Gebrselassie's two Olympic gold medals for 10,000 meters seem almost trivial. Yet his two close races with Kenyan Paul Tergat were epics, especially the 2000 final in which Gebrselassie prevailed by nine-hundredths of a second, a closer margin of victory than the 100 meter race!

Haile finished 5th in the 10,000 meters in Athens, and then 6th in his fourth Olympic 10,000 meters in Beijing, running 27:06.68, a time that would have been the Olympic Record in his first Olympics 12 years earlier!

Haile Gebrselassie on Squidoo! 

Learn more about The Greatest Distance Runner Ever

Haile Gebrselassie

Haile "The Emperor" Gebrselassie was born April 18, 1973 in Asella, Arsi Province, Ethiopia. He stands 5 feet 5 inches tall (1.65 meters) and weighs 123 pounds (56 kg). Oh yeah, he's set 26 world records, too. Haile currently lives and trains in Addi...

The Greatest: The Haile Gebrselassie Story 

by Jim Denison

The Greatest: The Haile Gebrselassie Story

by: Jim Denison

Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 11/21/2008)
Used Price: $5.78

This book is great tribute to Haile Gebreselassie. I thought that this book was well pieced together and it gives a good introduction to who he is and what he stands for. It would be nice if Haile could have been the author himself. Honestly, this book inspired me through a summer of great training and once you start reading you don't want to put the book down. --Sports Freak

14. Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia) 

Gold: 10,000m, 1992, 2000
Bronze: 10,000m, 2004

Derartu Tulu was the first Ethiopian and first sub-Saharan African to win a gold medal in the Olympic Games. She won the 10,000 meters in Barcelona. Eight years later she again competed in the Olympic Games in Sydney, again winning gold at 10,000 meters with a blazing finishing kick. Four years later she competed in her third Olympics and took the bronze medal.

Derartu is from the same village as Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba, who is also her cousin.

15. Mel Sheppard (United States) 

Gold: 800m, 1,500m, 1908; medley relay, 1908; 4x400m, 1912

The athlete of the 1908 Olympics - even if it is a Games remembered mainly for Dorando Pietri's dramatic collapse in the marathon - Mel Sheppard did the 800 and 1,500 metres double and anchored the US to gold in the medley relay. This from a man who had been rejected by the New York police on the grounds of a weak heart.

Quick Poll: Did you know who Jim Lightbody and Mel Sheppard were? 

16. Volmari Iso-Hollo (Finland) 

Gold: steeplechase, 1932, 1936
Silver: 10,000m, 1932
Bronze: 10,000m, 1936

Volmari Iso-Hollo retained his Olympic steeplechase title in 1936 with a world record - running a minute and a half slower than in 1932 when the athletes ran one too many laps.

17. Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) 

Gold: 5,000m, 10,000m, 2008
Bronze: 5,000m, 2004

Tirunesh "Baby-faced Destroyer" Dibaba joined this list after her dominant performance at the Beijing Olympic games in 2008. Having already earned a bronze medal in the 5,000 meters at the age of 19 in Athens, she entered Beijing as the favorite. She won her first race, the 10,000 meters, in an Olympic record time, and then utilized her superior kick to win a very slow 5,000 meter race. Her performance made her the first woman to accomplish the distance double.

18. Alain Mimoun (France) 

Gold: marathon, 1956
Silver: 10,000m, 1948, 1952; 5,000m, 1952

For eight years, Alain Mimoun was the second best distance runner in the world. And he had the silver medals to show for it. But finally, sick of the sight of Emil Zatopek's back - he was runner-up to the Czech in three Olympic track finals - Alain Mimoun got the better of him to win the 1956 Olympic marathon.

19. Miruts Yifter (Ethiopia) 

Gold: 5,000m, 10,000m, 1980
Bronze: 10,000m, 1972

Yifter won bronze in the 1972 Olympics, but had to wait eight years to win his two golds in 1980 due to his country's boycott of the 1976 games. He was the third man ever to win the distance double, and only one man has done it since: his countryman Kenenisa Bekele. Yifter's finishing kick was so sudden he earned the nickname "Yifter the Shifter".

20. Mohammed Gammoudi (Tunisia) 

Gold: 5,000m, 1968
Silver: 10,000m, 1964; 5,000m, 1972
Bronze: 10,000m, 1968

Gammoudi won medals in three different Olympics, but only won gold at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Gammoudi took silver in two famous races for Americans, the 1964 10,000 meters where Billy Mills surprised everyone as well as the 1972 5,000 meters where Lasse Viren won, and Steve Prefontaine finished fourth.

Quick Poll: Which Beijing competitor will be next to crack this list? 

21. Herb Elliott (Australia) 

Gold: 1,500m, 1960 (WR)

He ran in only one Olympics, by choice. Going undefeated in his career at 1500m and above, he won gold at the 1960 Olympics in a world record time of 3:35.6. He retired shortly after, feeling he had accomplished everything he could in track. We will never know how many medals he could have won had he chosen to continue running.

Herb Elliott wins gold in 1960 (Video) 

22. Said Aouita (Morocco) 

Gold: 5,000m, 1984
Bronze: 800m, 1988

Said Aouita was the most dominant distance runner of the 1980s, running world leading times in all races from the 800 meters to the 5,000 meters. He won the 5,000 meters in the 1984 Olympics, and amazingly attempted to win the 800 meters four years later in Seoul, but finished third.

23. Vladimir Kuts (Soviet Union/Ukraine) 

Gold: 5,000m, 10,000m, 1956

Kutz always led from the start, and he did just that to win the 10,000 meters over rival Gordon Pirie in the 1956 Olympics. Days later he won the 5,000 meters easily to accomplish the impressive 5k-10k double.

24. Frank Shorter (United States) 

Gold: marathon, 1972
Silver: marathon, 1976

One of the best American marathoners ever, Shorter won the 1972 Olympic marathon and finished 5th in the 10,000 meters that same year. He finished second to surprise winner Waldemar Cierpinski in 1976, but it is widely believed that, like many of his East German counterparts, Cierpinski used performance enhancing drugs.

Quick Poll: Which group is most under-represented in this list? 

First, what do you think of the top 24? 

Speak now or forever hold your peace...

I'd love to know your opinions. If you make a great argument, I may even change the lens!

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What do you think of the top 24?

Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Damn good. Not much I'd change. Except maybe...

emily says:

Steve Prefontaine

Posted November 02, 2008

buraian says:

Well, I made the list, so I wouldn't change it. But I will say I tried hard to find more women for the list, but they just weren't quite there. That said, I think I could be swayed to replace Aouita, Kuts, and Shorter with other athletes. If you want to make the case, I'm all ears.

Thanks for stopping by the lens and sharing your comments.

Posted August 31, 2008

It's a travesty. Here's what you need to do to save it...

 

 

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