I rate '99 world champs as slightly above this one. Seb Coe agrees. It had the fast time, competitive race and all the best guys there. El G ran the fastest championship time ever (3.27.65), beating Ngeny (2000 olympic champ), Reyes Estevez, Fermin Cacho, Dias, Morceli and the rest. What other great races are there? Anything to challenge that?
It's rather sad how often I end up looking at this race!!There were many claims to"Mile Of The Century"races,but in Championship finals they were rare.Perhaps Lovelock/Cunningham in '36 ,Bannister/Landy in '54, or even Coe's title defense in '84,but this is still,for me,the greatest of them all.Still sends a tingle down my spine!
I was there that day in Christchurch I remember the race well. If Bayi had of turn up in 76 walker would have won. He beat Bayi many time after this event and had worked him out. But Africa did not turn up to busy being cry babies about the Mighty All Blacks
Given your great posts, I would be interested to know what format and equipment was used here and when they were finally transferred to digital. These are just superb quality; many of my old tapes deteriorated and broke! These guys used to be my heroes, back in the day, especially Walker and Dixon. I got to meet Dixon in person at a road race in 1986 and all the girls were flocking around him, as he was such a good looking guy (probably still is!).
Always remember the anticipation for Walker v Bayi at the Montreal Olympics in 1976 was just as big as for Coe V Ovett four years later. Montreal was the first Olympics I was old enough to be interested in so the disappointment of the African boycott scuppering the race was immense.
If you go to the QE II stadium in Christchurch NZ and you have "Tagwhat" installed on your smartphone (android or Iphone) you can intercept an augmented reality link to this video and (eventually) other videos and media on great middle distance races like this. You can also go to the Tagwhat site and add /CatoAnt/5823 to the url to view the web version of the information.
They said that Bayi "did all the results" in this race. Maybe that´s true. They did because of that all their personal bests using Bayi who did all the work and however won this game.
Like other people who have commented, I vividly remember watching this live, back when I was just 12 years old. It was and remains the most exciting middle distance race I have ever seen. Thank you for the precious upload. Anyone who can find and upload the entire race will be doing the community of track and field lovers a huge service!
such a pity that African nations boycotted the 1976 Olympics. A rematch with Walker would have been one of the really great races. And echo what people said about Coleman - he was brilliant at football and athletics commentary before he suddenly descended into cliche and puffed-up grandiose parody. A thousand young boys scored a goal in the school playground accompanied by their own commentary in the classic Coleman style - "One-Nil!"
@erv You are right, what balls from Bayi and what fight from Walker, Jipcho and Dixon. Astonishing performances. I thought Jipcho would get to him around the curve...but, no! There is no question among the track fraternity that en masse, this race is the greatest championship 1500 ever run. And Coleman's alltime classic gem "TWO HUNDRED METERS LEFT IN THIS DEVASTATING RACE!" Never a truer word spoken about track.
Coleman is the best track commentator - perhaps the best sports commentator - in history. He's awesome here, as he was on so many other occasions. Two of my favourites are Coe winning the 1500m in Moscow (1980) and Cram running the kick out of Ovett at Crystal Palace (1983). You can find both on youtube. Both of them epic races, made even more so by his words.
David Coleman, before he became a gurgling shadow of his former self at the Sydney Olympics, could, in his heyday, add almost as much to a race as the athletes. His commentary is unsurpassed.
Also: Bayi had the biggest, steeliest balls in track and field history. Simply running away from the greatest mile runners in the world and daring them to catch you is incredibly insane and wonderfully beautiful.
@knightsxc06 Right on about Bayi. And even when he didn’t win—he was, after all, human—his style virtually guaranteed a fast time and an entertaining race. This is because all the other runners were stretched out in hot pursuit of him, lest he get too far ahead. (The opposite race, of course, is the overly tactical race where everyone is bunched together, throwing elbows and jockeying for position…which would never happen in a race featuring Bayi.)
The greatest 1500 metre race of all time !! Truly magnificent. The most brilliant display of front running ever seen, and the most fantastic fight back by the chasing group. Bayi is the greatest miler of all time because no one before or since has ever led from gun to tape and won a major chamionship. 36 years on and I still feel the tingle of excitement I felt when I saw it live on February 2nd 1974 !!!!
I rate '99 world champs as slightly above this one. Seb Coe agrees. It had the fast time, competitive race and all the best guys there. El G ran the fastest championship time ever (3.27.65), beating Ngeny (2000 olympic champ), Reyes Estevez, Fermin Cacho, Dias, Morceli and the rest. What other great races are there? Anything to challenge that?
bootymanager 1 month ago
It's rather sad how often I end up looking at this race!!There were many claims to"Mile Of The Century"races,but in Championship finals they were rare.Perhaps Lovelock/Cunningham in '36 ,Bannister/Landy in '54, or even Coe's title defense in '84,but this is still,for me,the greatest of them all.Still sends a tingle down my spine!
ARRISIPPY 2 months ago
I was there that day in Christchurch I remember the race well. If Bayi had of turn up in 76 walker would have won. He beat Bayi many time after this event and had worked him out. But Africa did not turn up to busy being cry babies about the Mighty All Blacks
ChampionDark1 4 months ago
Given your great posts, I would be interested to know what format and equipment was used here and when they were finally transferred to digital. These are just superb quality; many of my old tapes deteriorated and broke! These guys used to be my heroes, back in the day, especially Walker and Dixon. I got to meet Dixon in person at a road race in 1986 and all the girls were flocking around him, as he was such a good looking guy (probably still is!).
LesbianVampireLover 5 months ago
Bayi held that blistering pace and still outkicked Walker......I think we know who would have won in '76, if they had raced again......
stonekeeper86 8 months ago
Always remember the anticipation for Walker v Bayi at the Montreal Olympics in 1976 was just as big as for Coe V Ovett four years later. Montreal was the first Olympics I was old enough to be interested in so the disappointment of the African boycott scuppering the race was immense.
flaxonx3 9 months ago
bahahahahahhaha my PE teacher told us to look at this in class and he said that john walker won XD and it was reallly close
eelsOllie98 9 months ago
If you go to the QE II stadium in Christchurch NZ and you have "Tagwhat" installed on your smartphone (android or Iphone) you can intercept an augmented reality link to this video and (eventually) other videos and media on great middle distance races like this. You can also go to the Tagwhat site and add /CatoAnt/5823 to the url to view the web version of the information.
BillBordelon 1 year ago
They said that Bayi "did all the results" in this race. Maybe that´s true. They did because of that all their personal bests using Bayi who did all the work and however won this game.
FinnMove 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Like other people who have commented, I vividly remember watching this live, back when I was just 12 years old. It was and remains the most exciting middle distance race I have ever seen. Thank you for the precious upload. Anyone who can find and upload the entire race will be doing the community of track and field lovers a huge service!
rohangb 1 year ago
Comment removed
rohangb 1 year ago
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rohangb 1 year ago
such a pity that African nations boycotted the 1976 Olympics. A rematch with Walker would have been one of the really great races. And echo what people said about Coleman - he was brilliant at football and athletics commentary before he suddenly descended into cliche and puffed-up grandiose parody. A thousand young boys scored a goal in the school playground accompanied by their own commentary in the classic Coleman style - "One-Nil!"
ComteLafon 1 year ago 3
I watched this on tv as it happened. It's my favourite race of all time. Bayi led all the way.
davidnettleton 1 year ago 2
Memories...What a proud moment for Tanzania...
kajimakajima2 1 year ago 3
@erv You are right, what balls from Bayi and what fight from Walker, Jipcho and Dixon. Astonishing performances. I thought Jipcho would get to him around the curve...but, no! There is no question among the track fraternity that en masse, this race is the greatest championship 1500 ever run. And Coleman's alltime classic gem "TWO HUNDRED METERS LEFT IN THIS DEVASTATING RACE!" Never a truer word spoken about track.
KingLiopleurodon 1 year ago 3
So yea this Dave Coleman guy is a great track n field announcer. But when it comes to motorsports its Larry "Motor Mouth" Huffman.
rmrooster01 1 year ago
Coleman is the best track commentator - perhaps the best sports commentator - in history. He's awesome here, as he was on so many other occasions. Two of my favourites are Coe winning the 1500m in Moscow (1980) and Cram running the kick out of Ovett at Crystal Palace (1983). You can find both on youtube. Both of them epic races, made even more so by his words.
vodkaboris 1 year ago
David Coleman, before he became a gurgling shadow of his former self at the Sydney Olympics, could, in his heyday, add almost as much to a race as the athletes. His commentary is unsurpassed.
Also: Bayi had the biggest, steeliest balls in track and field history. Simply running away from the greatest mile runners in the world and daring them to catch you is incredibly insane and wonderfully beautiful.
knightsxc06 1 year ago 8
@knightsxc06 Right on about Bayi. And even when he didn’t win—he was, after all, human—his style virtually guaranteed a fast time and an entertaining race. This is because all the other runners were stretched out in hot pursuit of him, lest he get too far ahead. (The opposite race, of course, is the overly tactical race where everyone is bunched together, throwing elbows and jockeying for position…which would never happen in a race featuring Bayi.)
disgruntledathlete 1 year ago
That's how to run a 1500m, no messing about with pacemakers, catch me if you can boys!
ynotlleb 2 years ago
The greatest 1500 metre race of all time !! Truly magnificent. The most brilliant display of front running ever seen, and the most fantastic fight back by the chasing group. Bayi is the greatest miler of all time because no one before or since has ever led from gun to tape and won a major chamionship. 36 years on and I still feel the tingle of excitement I felt when I saw it live on February 2nd 1974 !!!!
ervtheswerve100 2 years ago 7
Almost overlooked is the excellent commentary by David Coleman. A superb blend of intelligence, enthusiasm and insight.
disgruntledathlete 2 years ago 2
the best 1500 of all time
thetalkincow 2 years ago
Thanks for bringing this one back. I missed it!
disgruntledathlete 2 years ago
very good quality of video....great collection you have there!
yellcarreon 2 years ago
do you have this from the start? what a fantastic piece of front running.
mc1703 2 years ago
I'm afraid that's all the footage I have of this race
athlete5399 2 years ago