Ryun’s Private Race Resulted in World Record

With a lap to go, prospects weren’t good that the best miler in American history, Jim Ryun, would break his own world record of 3:51.3.

This was Ryun’s goal at the AAU championships in Bakersfield, 32 years ago. Ryun, a 20-year-old University of Kansas sophomore, had covered the half-mile in 1:59, well off his planned record pace of 1:56.

And with nobody pacing him, he did it the hard way, by himself. After a third lap of 58.6 seconds, he streaked around the track on the last lap in 53.5, beating runner-up Jim Grelle by more than 35 yards.

And he got his record, a time of 3:51.1. Grelle clocked 3:56.1 and the first seven finishers broke four minutes, but no one challenged Ryun.

Cooling off, Ryun had reporters and cameramen taking a victory lap with him as he spoke of a new goal.

He looked forward to a July 1,500-meter race at the Coliseum and a much-anticipated challenge by Kenyan star Kip Keino.

“That’s one of the best records in track, and I don’t know if I can get it or not,” he said, referring to Herb Elliott’s 7-year-old mark of 3:35.6, set in the 1960 Olympics. “But I’m looking forward to trying.”

Grelle, 10 years older than Ryun, saluted the winner.

“It’s very hard to run a race, like he did, by yourself,” Grelle said.

“John Landy was about the only one who could run a record mile by himself. [Ryun’s] buildup on that last lap was amazing.”

Also on this date: In 1917, a game between the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators produced what might have been baseball’s greatest job of relief pitching. Boston pitcher Babe Ruth was ejected in the first inning for arguing a ball 4 call on the game’s first hitter. Ruth was replaced by Ernie Shore. The baserunner was thrown out stealing and Shore retired the remaining 26 hitters in order in a 1 hour 40-minute “perfect game.”. . . In 1973, at the Forum, highly popular boxer Ruben Olivares knocked out Bobby Chacon in the ninth round.