At the 1952 Olympics, Emil Zatopek won the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres, and marathon.
Zatopek had already won the 10,000 metres in Helsinki before taking the 5000-metre title four days later. He then entered the marathon, a distance he had never raced competitively before, and won it on July 27, 1952.
His marathon victory completed one of the most remarkable Olympic distance-running trebles. He won all three races in the same Games and set an Olympic record in each. Argentina’s Reinaldo Gorno finished second, more than two minutes behind him.
The usual trap is to think the third event was a shorter road race. The marathon was the Olympic road-running event on the programme, and Zatopek’s unprecedented combination of track victories and a first-time marathon win made him a lasting sporting legend.