10,000 metres, Men

By 1952, the prohibitive favorite in the 10K was the defending champion, Emil Zátopek. He was the world record holder, whose best time was 20 seconds better than the next best time, and he had also won the 1950 European Championships.

In the race, he took the lead after six laps and pushed the pace, dropping all but five other runners quickly. By 6 km, only Alain Mimoun (FRA/ALG) was still with him, but he was dropped by 8K. Zátopek won easily, by 15 seconds over Mimoun, who won his second consecutive silver in the event. This began Zátopek’s miracle distance triple at the 1952 Olympics, winning the 5K, 10K, and marathon. This was his 30th consecutive win over 10,000 metres, and he would eventually win 38 in a row from 1948-1954.