10,000 metres, Men

Britain’s Mo Farah had won the 5-10 double at the London Olympics, in front of adoring home crowds, and he hoped to repeat in Rio. He had also won the double at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships and in 2011, won the 5,000 metres at World, with a 10K silver. He came to Rio a heavy favorite in both races, and had not been beaten at a major international in five years.

The race was run as a final only, with no heats, as has become standard for the 10K. The early lead was taken by Kenyan Paul Tanui. At 4,000 metres Farah was running alongside American training partner Galen Rupp when Rupp clipped Farah’s foot and the Brit fell to the track. Farah was up quickly and Rupp slowed to pace him back to the lead pack, reminiscent of a cycling peleton move, and the 1972 Olympic final, when Lasse Virén had fallen mid-race on his way to the gold medal, and a world record.

With one kilometer left, there was a lead pack of six runners, including Farah, Tanui, and Rupp, when Farah went to the front and ran a 62.4 lap, stringing out the field, and dropping his training partner. Tanui took the lead at the bell, and led by two full metres at 200, but Farah had the speed to chase him down, running his final 100 in 13.4, and his last 800 in 1:56.6. One week later, Farah would win the 5,000 metres again, completing the double-double, previously accomplished only by Virén.