The BIGGEST UPSET in RUNNING HISTORY!!

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Never doubt a man with a heart full of fire.
Emil Zátopek is an absolute beast.

[libradragon]

Thank you, TRP! One of your finest videos, for writing (always excellent) subject matter (well, I might be biased) and music selection. I was born in September, shortly after this 1952 Olympic Games. Fourteen years later, I would regularly leave my crazy misguided parental oversight, simply to gain some relief and perspective for an hour; an hour of running. I called this "checking into the endorphinage" and it really helped me cope with the child abuse I was suffering at home, from both parents.

By age fifteen, this activity became competitive when I tried out for the High School Track Team. Many miles and many races later, I watch your channel with joy at all you have brought to your viewers. Twenty-Eight Marathons in my 45 year career. Thousands of races from the Mile to the 50 Mile. Your channel makes them as sweet as they have ever been. Thank you TRP - and thank you Emil Zatopek. I still have the 1952 Olympic Games poster hanging on my wall.

[michalvalko]

Fun fact: His wife Dana won gold in javelin at the same olympics

[lanagorgeous]

Sir, I don't know where you get your footage, but you are definitely "The Man", great video, you are like a history professor. Thanks for posting this.

[nickb]

The story of Jim Peters at the 1954 commonwealth games marathon is heartbreaking. He entered the stadium 17 minutes ahead of the nearest competitor and 10 minutes under world record pace, but collapsed due to exhaustion. He got up and tried to carry on, but over the next 11 minutes he was only able to progress another 200 metres, at which point he was given assistance and therefore disqualified. He never raced again.

[shuveshek]

Legend has it that Ztopek didnt drink water throughout the 26.2 miles as he thought he had to pay for it and he had no money :)

[petrgogolin]

It's always great to watch a video about our Czech national hero. With that said, couple facts to make the story more real, but not less interesting.

1. Zátopek decided far earlier about his attempt at marathon than just 10 minutes before the start. His curious problem was actually to learn running slower. He used ridiculous numbers of 400m repeats in his training and calculated that to run current Olympic record, it would be equivalent to 85 seconds 400m lap repeated 105 times. He tried that in the morning of a race timed by teammate and was unable to do the 400m slower than in 80 seconds, since his main 5k and 10k races demanded much faster speeds.

2. It's true he has never ran a marathon in a competition, but his volume and intensity of training was such, that he had more than ample experience of covering very high mileage in a single workout.

3. Peters ran his previous world record marathon just 6 weeks before Olympic marathon, which is hardly enough time for proper recovery for a peak performance. On top of that he didn't fit to scheduled airliner and had to take 9 hours flight in almost freezing military airplane to get to Helsinki. The lack of recovery, exhaustion during traveling, heat on the race day and pushing the pace sealed his fate. Even though I love that Emil won, it's unfair to claim he 'destroyed' Peters, when in fact Peters was already in less than optimal shape before the start.

[lloydhlavac]

Emil Zatopek has been one of my sports idols since I was a teen back in the 70s, and first read about him and his incredible race exploits. Add to that I am of partial Czech heritage, made me feel some sort of connection and pride. And when the marathon coverage started, I was waiting for that question from him about if the pace was too fast, something I had read all those years ago. Legendary. Great video!

[kamilkyrs]

A true Czech legend, our national hero.

[Vegathlete]

The Czech Locomotive had an engine that wouldn’t quit. A true legend in his own time and beyond.
Thank-you for this awesome and well-deserved tribute.

[barriehobbs]

Zatopek invented a totally new training regime. 70 years later that regime remains at the core of all top distance runners' training programmes. Who else in any sport can claim that? GOAT.

[jonathanmanbode]

As a running enthusiast, I express my deepest and sincere gratitude to the ones who put this video together. Thank you from bottom of my heart. This is total GOLD footage.

[martinlonsky]

Fun fact: Jim Peters used to hardly drink anything during his training and competition, instead he used to squeeze a lemom in his mouth and that's also what he did on the first water station in this marathon. Emil saw it and he said "if Peters will take another lemon on the next water station, than i'm going to take two" but than Peters collapse probably due to the lack of hydratation

[waynehanley]

Lasse Viren attempted the same triple in 1976, winning the 5000 and 10000, but finished 5th in the marathon! It really highlights Emil Zatopek's accomplishment.

[caritonito]

Video from 1952: good quality
2019 ncaa xc championships: quality has left the chat

[peteshaw]

All three of Zatopek’s gold medals were in Olympic record time. This is why it will NEVER be duplicated. (The Africans have tried.) He is the GROAT Greatest Runner Of All Time, as per Runners World.

[sastaffa]

He was also the first recorded man in history to run more than 20km in one hour...I never met him but I saw him about 20 years later running in the streets of Prague. He would accelerate at will, looking more like an antelope, having fun racing busses and trolleys of public transportation.

[purplepill]

3:46 - What people didn't know was that Zapotek runs 100+ miles a week during training, giving him the endurance necessary to run a marathon. That same distance (100+ miles a week) is now used by all elite runners from the 5K to the marathon.

[jamesdrichardson]

I've heard the name Emil Zatopek in passing conversation but now after watching this I understand why he has become a national hero, I'm British but absolutely well done Emil and Czechoslovakia.

[jorgemaisonetmimomio]

He won three gold medals in long distance races (in a single Olympic Games), is unbelievable! Zatopec was an amazing runner!

[ksevksev]

Finally! I have seen many videos that claim to be the greatest upset of all time but this one actually appears to have delivered what it claimed. Well done!