Going The Extra Mile Trivia Quiz

Answer: Henry Rono

Born in Kenya Henry Rono, like many other African athletes, attended University in America, in his case Washington State University where he was coached by John Chaplin. In 1978, in the space of 81 days, he broke the world record for the 10,000 metres, 5000 metres, 3000 metres steeplechase and 3000 metres flat. That same year he took gold for Kenya at the Commonwealth Games in the 5000 metres and 3000 metres steeplechase.

Although he continued competing at top level for the next four years he never again achieved the dominance he had in 1978.

He never competed at an Olympics because Kenya boycotted the 1976 and 1980 Games and by 1984 he was too old to compete at that level. The three incorrect choices are all Kenyan distance runners. Samson Komobwa held the 10,000 metres world record in 1977.

Answer: Miruts Yifter

Yifter made his Olympic debut at the 1972 Munich Games, where he won a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres. Ethiopia, along with other African countries, boycotted the 1976 games, but he made up for any disappointment this caused him with convincing wins at both distances in 1980. His ability to swiftly change pace to a blistering sprint earned him the nickname "Yifter the Shifter".
The three incorrect choices are all Ethiopian distance runners. Abebe Bikila was the first black African to win Olympic Gold, which he achieved in 1960 for the marathon, which he ran in bare feet.

Answer: Lasse Viren

Lasse Viren and his coach had the knack of coming to peak performance for the Olympics. Although he had broken the 2 mile world record earlier in 1972 he came into the Munich Games very much an unknown quantity. In the 10,000 metres final, he broke Ron Clark's seven year old world record, a feat that is made all the more amazing by the fact that he fell on the twelfth lap and lost some 20/30 metres on the field which he had to make up.

He was fairly quiet, racing in very few top level competitions, between 1972 and 1976, but again peaked for the Olympics, taking both golds and achieving the "double double".

He retired after the 1980 games where he placed only fifth in the 10,000 metres. Emil Zatopek, Czechoslovakia, Vladimir Kuts, Russia, and Hannes Kolehmainen, Finland, have also all won double Olympic gold for 5000 and 10,000 metres.

Answer: Steve Ovett

Steve Ovett first came to prominence in 1977 at the first IAAF Athletics World Cup where his speed tore apart a high class, experienced, 1500 metres field. By the 1980 Olympics he was unbeaten at that distance for three years and was the red hot favourite for the gold medal.

Instead, he won gold at the 800 metres, beating favourite Sebastian Coe, and, in a reversal of fortunes, Coe won the 1500 metre title with Ovett taking bronze. His rivalry with Sebastian Coe was legendary and in 1981, when they were both arguably at their peak, they swapped the world mile record between them three times in ten days.

After health and injury problems which wrecked his next few seasons he stepped up to 5000 metres for the 1986 Commonwealth Games, winning the gold. Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram were both British 1500 metre Olympic medallists. Brendan Foster took bronze in the 10,000 metres at the Montreal Olympics of 1976.

Answer: Olga Bondarenko

For many years the longest distance that women were allowed to compete over was 3000 metres. The 10,000 metres was included in a major event for the first time at the 1985 World Cup. Bondarenko finished third in this after misjudging the finish. In the 1986 European Championships she won gold in the 3,000 metres and silver in the 10,000 and when the race was included in the Olympics for the first time in 1988 she became the first female to hold the Olympic title at this distance.
Zola Budd was a South African runner who controversially took British citizenship. She will be best remembered for tripping Mary Decker in the 3000 metres final at the Los Angeles Olympics.
Liz McColgan was a British runner who took silver in the first ever Olympic 10,000 metres for women.
Ingrid Kristiansen was a Norwegian long distance runner, running marathons as well as 10,000 metres.

Answer: Frank Shorter

Frank Shorter was probably the best marathon runner America has produced so far. Before the 1972 Olympics he had won various national and cross country titles, and won the Olympic trials for 10,000 metres and marathon in both 1972 and 1976. In addition to winning the marathon in 1972 he came fifth in the 10,000 metres, and won silver in the 1976 Olympic marathon. He retired from athletics after the 1977 season, but then returned in 1979, but only to road racing, where he recorded several wins.
Steve Prefontaine was a talented American athlete who died in a car crash aged only 24.
Bill Rogers was a contemporary of Frank Shorter and Steve Prefontaine and helped fuel the interest in running that emerged in the 1970s.
Jim Ryan broke the world record for the mile when he was just 19.

Answer: Christopher Chataway

Christopher Chataway was Britain's representative in the 5000 metres at the 1952 Olympics where he was leading the field before he fell at the final bend. The race was won by Emil Zatopek. In 1954 he finished second to Vladimir Kuts in the European Championships, but in a London vs. Moscow meeting at White City, London, a couple of weeks later he turned the tables, beating Kuts and setting a world record. He later became a Member of Parliament and was Knighted in 1995.
Chris Brasher was the second pacemaker for Roger Bannister.
John Landy was the second man to run below four minutes for the mile
Eamonn Coghlan was the first man over 40 to run a mile in under four minutes

Answer: Hannes Kolehmainen

Born in 1889 when Finland was still part of Russia, Hannes Kolehmainen won four Olympic gold medals. Three at the 1912 games, 5000 metres, 10,000 metres and the long since discontinued individual cross country, and one at the 1920 games for the marathon.

In Helsinki, 1952 he and Paavo Nurmi lit the Olympic flame together. He died in Helsinki in 1966, but will always be remembered as the first of the "Flying Finns", a group of great Finnish long distance runners who span the generations. The incorrect choices are all "Flying Finns" who won many medals and titles. Nurmi win nine gold and three silver, Virren 4 gold and one bronze and Ritola five gold and three silver.

Answer: Tirunesh Dibaba

After years of domination in the male events by African athletes, their ladies are now starting to follow suit. Tirunesh Dibaba from Ethiopia is the first female to win double Olympic gold for 5000 and 10,000 metres, which she achieved in Beijing. She has also won World and World Cross Country Championships, and an Olympic Bronze at 5000 metres in 2004.
The three other ladies have all won major championships and held world records, and Sonia O'Sullivan won an Olympic silver medal for 5000 metres in 2000.

Answer: Emil Zatopek

Czech athlete Emil Zatopek is surely one of the greatest runners of the 20th Century. After winning Olympic silver in 1948 for the 5000 metres he was at his absolute peak in 1952 and not only won the three gold medals, but ran all three races in new Olympic record times. He was unable to defend his titles in 1956 because illness had interrupted his training and he retired in 1957.
Jim Peters and Chris Chataway both ran against and were defeated by Zatopek.
Ron Clarke was an Australian athlete who took bronze in the 10,000 metres in the 1964 Olympics.