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1968 Olympic Games Ciudad de México, Mexico - Men's 10000 m

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Details: Parent Category: Olympic Games (Athletics); Category: 1968 Olympic Games Ciudad de México, Mexico - (Athletics); Last Updated: 20 June 2016; Hits: 2121

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Host City: Ciudad de México, Mexico

Format: Final only.

Date Started: October 13, 1968

Date Finished: October 13, 1968

(Competitors: 37; Countries: 23)

Venue(s): University Olympic Stadium, Ciudad de México

Overview by IAAF

Ron Clarke improved his own world record by more than half a minute in 1965, and was 15 seconds quicker than anyone else in 1968, but in the oxygen-starved air of Mexico City he never had a chance. The altitude ensured a slow race, the first kilometre taking 2:58.5. Sviridov took over the pace in the fifth lap, and led until 4400m, when the Ethiopians Fikru Duguefu and Masresha took over, the latter leading at 5000m in 15:00.6, slower than Ritola in 1924. To the delight of the crowd, Martínez moved into the lead after 14 laps, and led to 7600m, when Clarke, and then Hill took over. Wolde moved ahead just before 8400m and then put in a lap of 67.2, the race’s first under 70 seconds. Of the lowlanders, only Gammoudi could stay in contact. Keino, who had been playing a waiting game, suddenly staggered off the track with stomach cramps, then jumped up and sprinted after the others, but then stopped. Temu overtook Wolde with 900m to go, and with Clarke and Gammoudi there were only four in contention, with only Temu a variation from the 1964 final four. Clarke gave way with 600m to go, and suffering from the altitude fell back to sixth by the finish. Ahead Wolde dashed into the lead just before the bell, and held the lead to the last 50m, when Temu fought his way past to win Kenya’s first ever gold medal, after a last lap of 57.4.

Summary by Sports-reference.com

On 14 July 1965, Ron Clarke won the 10,000 metres at the Bislett Games in Oslo in 27:39.4, bettering his own recognized world record by a Beamon-like 36.2 seconds. His best time in 1968 was 15 seconds faster than the second best time for the year. But the 1968 Olympics were held at the altitude of Ciudad de México, and Clarke had been born and trained at sea-level. The pace was slow, because of the altitude, with 5K passed in 15:00.6, slower than the 1924 final. Mexico's Juan Martínez took the lead on the 19th lap, delighting the home crowd. With two laps remaining the lead pack of four was Clarke, Kenya's Naftali Temu, 1966 Commonwealth Games champion, Ethiopia's Mamo Wolde, and Tunisia's Mohamad Gammoudi, silver medalist from 1964. Temu and Wolde pulled ahead on the penultimate lap, dropping Gammoudi and Clarke. Wolde shot into the lead at the bell but Temu fought back and caught Wolde on the final straight to win by four metres. Clarke struggled in the last two laps, a victim of the altitude, finishing sixth. He collapsed at the finish line, and was administering to by an Australian doctor who was seen crying at the condition of this great athlete.

Ron Clarke is likely the greatest distance runner never to have run a major international championship, winning a bronze medal in the 1964 Olympic 10K, and four silver medals at the Commonwealth Games. But his world records set new standards and confirmed his greatness. In 1968, he visited Czech distance legend Emil Zátopek at his home in Praha. When Zátopek took him to the airport, he pressed a gift into Clarke's hands, telling him )You deserve this). On the plane, Clarke opened it and it was the gold medal Zátopek had won for the 1952 10,000 metres. Wallechinsky wrote that Clarke had commented, )I do know no one cherishes any gift more than I do, my only Olympic gold medal and not because of what it is … but because of the man whose spirit it represents.)

		Results

*10000 m*	Men	Final	13 October
The great rivalry between East African neighbors Ethiopia and Kenya. While Abebe Bikila had won the Marathon in the two previous Olympics to show Ethiopia's ability, this was Kenya's first ever gold medal, with Naftali Temu outsprinting leader Mamo Wolde on the home straight. Distance running has never been the same, with the two countries battling for virtually every major title since.
Rank	Mark	Athlete	Country	NOC	Age	Records	Notes
1	29.27.40	Naftali Temu	Kenya	KEN	23		29.27.4 h
2	29.27.75	Mamo Wolde	Ethiopia	ETH	36		29.28.0 h
3	29.34.2	Mohamad Gammoudi	Tunisia	TUN	30
4	29.35.0	Juan Martínez	Mexico	MEX	21
5	29.43.2	Nikolay Sviridov	Soviet Union	URS	30
6	29.44.8	Ron Clarke	Australia	AUS	31
7	29.53.2	Ron Hill	Great Britain	GBR	30
8	29.57.0	Wohib Masresha	Ethiopia	ETH	22
9	30.01.2	Nedo Farčić	Yugoslavia	YUG	27
10	30.10.6	Álvaro Mejía	Colombia	COL	28
11	30.14.6	Tracy Smith	United States	USA	23
12	30.17.2	Rex Maddaford	New Zealand	NZL	21
13	30.18.0	Mike Tagg	Great Britain	GBR	21
14	30.19.4	Fikru Deguefu	Ethiopia	ETH	31
15	30.24.2	Jürgen Haase	East Germany	GDR	23
16	30.26.2	Tom Laris	United States	USA	28
18	30.46.0	Leonid Mykytenko	Soviet Union	URS	24
19	30.48.6	Manfred Letzerich	West Germany	FRG	26
20	30.52.0	Tsugumichi Suzuki	Japan	JPN	22
21	30.53.6	János Szerényi	Hungary	HUN	30
22	30.54.2	Mustafa Musa	Uganda	UGA	21
23	30.54.8	Lajos Mecser	Hungary	HUN	26
24	30.57.0	Lutz Philipp	West Germany	FRG	27
25	31.01.0	Vyacheslav Alanov	Soviet Union	URS	28
26	31.06.6	Dave Ellis	Canada	CAN	31
27	31.18.6	Jim Hogan	Great Britain	GBR	35
28	31.25.2	Keisuke Sawaki	Japan	JPN	24
29	31.40.2	Van Nelson	United States	USA	22
30	32.03.2	György Kiss	Hungary	HUN	32
31	32.14.6	Rafael Pérez	Costa Rica	CRC	22
32	32.35.2	Benjamin Silva-Netto	Philippines	PHI	29
AC	DNF	Kip Keino	Kenya	KEN	28
AC	DNF	Rodolfo Erazo	Honduras	HON	22
AC	DNF	Evan Maguire	New Zealand	NZL	26
AC	DNF	Alifu Massaquoi	Sierra Leone	SLE	31
AC	DNF	Willy Polleunis	Belgium	BEL	20
AC	DNF	Edward Stawiarz	Poland	POL	28