Grueling Finishes To Get You Inspired For Your Next Race

These Pain Faces Are Next Level

Jessi on the Internet

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SI.com

Running is a mental game. You can train all you want, but you still won’t win if you’re not mentally prepared on race day. Great athletes know this, from Michael Phelps to Usain Bolt. Being a great runner isn’t just about putting in the miles, and buying the right shoes, it’s also about being ready for a grueling finish and inevitable pain face that follows suite.

Of course, pain faces aren’t always reserved for the end of the race, but they often happen in moments when we push our bodies past limitless expectations. As elite runners have proved to us over and over again, the sacrifices made in pushing beyond our limits are arguably the most inspiring part about the sport. It’s times like these that running is able to motivate the the rookie and the veteran runner to believe that anything is possible.

So, in the off chance you’re currently training for a race or need motivation to sign up for one, here are The top 10 Most Grueling Finishes In Running History to get you to hit the pavement. After seeing these pain faces, you may feel motivated to pass the baton.

  1. Billy Mills; 10,000 meters, 1980 Moscow Olympics
ndnsports.com

An underdog in the 10,000 meters can be just as inspirational as the favorited-to-win veteran. Sometimes the most grueling finishes end in upsets, and we can’t get enough of this one. A Native American rookie, told that he couldn’t compete with Gamoudi and Clarke, the favorites to win. He was virtually unknown in the running world at this time, making it one of the greatest Olympic upsets in history. Yet, he found himself in the 10,000 meters pulling away with the gold in the last 200 meters.

The announcer’s commentary, chilling, “Look at Mills, Look at Mills!”, laughing and cackling as if he was witnessing a unicorn flying in the sky for the first time. Mills won the 6-mile race in 28:24 earning himself a gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Watch his historic finish here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F5iCsymMj0

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