Rome 1960 Olympic Marathon | Marathon Week

[@kash5254]

My Dad was in the army and stationed in Rome in 1960. Since he worked at the embassy we were able to get some of the best seats during the olympics. Our seats were at the end of the marathon. I remember my parents being in the stands and since I was six years old I guess everyone let me in the front. I'll never forget watching as Bikila crossed the finish line. It was an exciting time as everyone cheered. Even though I was only six I will remember it as long as I live.

[@tewodrossamson790]

Wow I'm just jealous.

[@ab-bi7qq]

thanks for sharing ur story !! sports is the only thing after love that has a magical effect on heart and mind

[@yosefeshetu994]

I wish I was so you are lucky. I was really amazed when I saw this piece of history in Vidio. The real legend. R.I.P

[@susenosuseno6620]

Nice story

[@dfui.]

Stop lying. Your dad was in McDonald's that time.

[@learnerxyz9721]

Man, you make me cry whenever I watch this. A true legend.

[@user-lz8re1jz4b]

This is so amazing omg. He ran barefoot and knowing back then they didn’t have the knowledge of the sport as we do today and training, but still managed to finish it in 2 hours 15 min and 30 seconds… that’s literally Olympic marathon speed time in today’s time. Wow, imagine if he had ran it wearing the Nike Air Zoom AlphaFly shoes 😅

[@Invisiblejung]

It is the natural speed.

[@yourkiwimate]

absolutely brilliant

[@AlonsoRules]

that is what the Olympics Games is all about

[@johnmcdermott2551]

That was amazing how he ran by himself on the cobblestone with the echo of his feet touching the cobbles. A great moment.

[@sosinaesayas7147]

Abebe Bekila won on barefoot what a legend I can't express my feelings when I remember him. He is the first gold medalist of Africa He creates a way to east Africa runners. Today's success is the result of his hard work.

[@rentslave]

Plus being born at altitude.

[@arminv8169]

Abebe Bikila was a real sportman. With no technologial shoes , capas orclothes made history. He is an unforgetable HERO.

[@NSA.]

❤

[@tilethio]

As a young Ethiopian, I grew up reading a passage about Abebe Bikila from our text books. Coincidentally I live near the burial place of Abebe Bikila where his famous statue was erected and I always used to pass the statue on my way to and from school. Later in my age I read from a news paper article written by interviewing Abebe which reads "When I turn around Circo Massimo passing the Colosseum I see our Axum Obelisk(looted by Italian forces during the war and at the time erected in front of the HQ of Italian East Africa, HQ of Italian collonies administration building later to be HQ of FAO), I get very emotional and determined to finish the rest of the marathon." Abeb's memory lives in the heart of every Ethiopians if not the world. Ethiopian airlines named one of its Boeing 787 which flew to Rome in memories of Abebe Bikila.

[@semerebelay9045]

it must have to be .

[@NSA.]

🇪🇹

[@ActivionsonTheriver]

A fitting monument for a hero athlete of his caliber

[@yahyaa2413]

I’m proud to be Moroccan. Abdessalam Radi, this great unknown, Moroccan soldier finished 2nd behind Bekele who only distanced him on the last 500 meters. Bekele’s coach personally admitted that his athlete’s victory was easy, Radi having participated a few days in a race of 10,000 meters. R.I.P champion

[@Gabe-te4mt]

I wouldn't call running a marathon barefoot easy but sure

[@seventyfour1833]

Rhadi ben Abdesselam was a very good runner and won the International Cross Country Championships in 1960, beating the top Belgian runner Gaston Roelants by about 40 yards. Amazingly, the 1960 Rome marathon was his only attempt at the distance, and as far as I am aware, Rhadi never ran another one. I think that he may have stayed around athletics in Morocco after he himself stopped taking part - maybe became a coach ? He died on 4th October 2000 at the age of 71.

[@tewodrossamson790]

I respect Radi but Abebe Bikila was a force

[@cannibalmanimal2336]

The better runner won, simple 🦶🏼

[@Alexis1003-w6d]

🙏

[@selomunhagos2142]

A big model and impressive to be Ethiopian . I am proud of to be Ethiopian . God bless Ethiopia

[@sekinaabdo1399]

❤❤❤

[@MihratuYegeta]

ኩራታችን እኮ ናቸው! 😍

[@potatogirlcultist19]

This race goes incredibly hard. The epic Roman backdrop, the day turning into night, the classic cars and Bikila running barefoot.

[@davidfranciscodasilva9559]

The best marathon runner of all time!Barefoot!Great Bikila!The legend!Olimpic hero!

[@kflbr1590]

😢😢😢 the one with barefoot omg he is really hero...when I see him I'm still crying. he is Ethiopian 👑

[@yafatube7079]

Yea it is ethiopian abebe bekila he is hero in the world He is strongest man from the world

[@shakuntalalivneh8742]

I’m not Ethiopian but I’m crying too.supermanBikola

[@native2704]

Italy sent an army to conquer Ethiopia, but Ethiopia sent one Imperial bodyguard to conquer Rome.

[@Ahmed-oc5gi]

Lol

[@Mr.TDonson]

LoL. Very true ❤

[@semerebelay9045]

that is real .

[@NSA.]

May the people that died in that war rest in peace 🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹

[@sczipo]

Thanks this video. When I was child I read about this competiton, and I could imagine this race. Something like that's what I thought. Abebe was my childhood hero.

[@LightSnowOvernight]

me too !!

[@bircruz555]

"It took legions of Romans to capture all of Abyssinia, but one Abyssinian to capture the whole of Rome," it was said, fittingly so, when Bikila won the Marathon in Rome. Bikila was a hero to generations. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe fondly recollects the impression Abebe Bikila (pet name Abe) had made on him. As a ten year old, he had watched his name sake run the 1964 Tokyo Marathon and win. Abebe Bikila defines athletics.

[@georgeabraham5672]

@@bircruz555 good one. Thanks for sharing

[@bruketim8436]

I'm crying 😥watching this Abebe Bikila is our hero.

[@abmed-s8e]

Thank you Olympics channel for keeping such a historical video in HD quality!🙏

[@peteralainszpiriev4750]

All runner there get my out most respect. Of course Bikila was some very special.

[@ivanjimmyleonardovasquez7717]

la proeza de Abebe Bikila es algo irrepetible y difícil de hacerlo... El mejor maratonista de todos los tiempos...

[@benwhealler4278]

Not only did he run barefooted, but he ran half of it in the dark and part of it on cobblestones where he could have easily tripped and fallen. This is the most influential marathon ever run. Incredible.

[@rahelmelaku2468]

Our Hero You Always In Our Heart!!

[@mohammedaminelagrini5666]

I'm very happy to watch this video again, congratulations to the great Abebe Bikila and also a second best African athlete of all time Rhadi Ben Abdesselam.

[@colleenross8752]

Don't forget Kip Keino

[@voteeffevansfinancialfreed190]

የኢትዮጵያን እና የአፍሪካን ባንዲራዎች ከፍ ከፍ በማድረጋችሁ አበበ ቢቂላ አመሰግናለሁ ,,,, ተነሣ ኢትዮጵያ ተነስ loads of love from South Africa

[@vitobarzuk4983]

Abeke Bikila, my hero!

[@ettawing5955]

Abeke Bikila is amazing runner.

[@piotr9338]

Okay

[@piotr9338]

Ok 👌

[@lake3176]

What a legend ! As an Ethiopian imigrant I am proud to give an essay assignment on "Bikila- The Bare foot Runner" to my 8 year old girl, at Chavy Chase Elementary here in Maryland.

[@kesharisuthar3268]

Abebe Bikila, the legendary marathon race winner, was a role model for future generations of Ethiopians to do extremely well in world's middle & long distance races. He will be remembered forever for his awesome display. ❤❤

[@OlympicShortsStories]

Every marathon runner, from apirant to professional, has Abebe Bikila as a role model. Thank you Abebe for putting your seal on the history of the sport in the eternal city.

[@vusimasuku2590]

He broke the Olympic record back home and no one believed it.

[@mamalove2630]

Your country & we Ethiopians Are proud of you Abebe Bikila Reall Legend, the first black Athlete winner of Marathon 🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹👑👑👑 Proud to be Ethiopian proud to be African too

[@michelinman8806]

What a magnificent piece of history

[@janicesanders9981]

What a magnificent accomplishment!!!! So proub of this Ethiopian brother.....

[@ryanmadzvimbo1376]

Abebe Bikila is a great legend. Winning barefoot is a great determination and all his hard work.

[@timkjazz]

Astounding to think this great man ran 26 miles barefoot and never stumbled or cut his foot on a rock and won by 35 seconds.

[@Amber-nd5zk]

He was original human being.. intact one..

[@wanjiruciru6237]

It's a normal occurrence across Africa.Some of us wore shoes for the first time as adults.

[@muksinahmed4419]

He is first African man bring gold medals first black African he so proud us

[@ጠቅላላ_እውቀት_Knowledge]

This short barefooted step for a man, but a great leap for mankind. Mankind learned "nothing impossible" from this man. It is an outshining equivalent as "Moon Landing".

[@richardhillenglish3122]

A wonderful piece of film, thanks for sharing it. Bekele LEGEND!

[@akitole6839]

When i was young, i'm joined with athletic club as marathon runner..abebe is my idol

[@Amber-nd5zk]

Abebe... a continental figure forever to be remembered 🤝

[@Katto-yo9vf]

Abebe was and is a true hero!

[@paulfhoffman]

Bikini normally wore shoes at this time in training and racing. His shoes split a few days before the race and he was offered a pair of new ones by Puma (probably the best he had ever owned), but they didn't fit perfectly and Bikila feared he might get blisters (the kangaroo leather shoes of that time took a few weeks to mould to your feet). So he decided it was less risky to run barefoot, despite the rough footing in parts of the course. This is what makes an Olympic champion: exceptional physical talent combined with maturity of judgement and character at a young age.Twice an Olympic champion and a world's fastest ever both times, despite the heat and humidity of both Rome and Tokyo in summer, conditions never experienced in the Ethiopian highlands.

[@johnmcdermott2551]

It’s fitting that the first country to defeat Italy in WWII was the winner in Rome.

[@AlexanderLittlebears]

It was Britain to win not Ethiopia

[@BA-pp9fx]

@@AlexanderLittlebears what about at Aduwa?

[@AlexanderLittlebears]

@@BA-pp9fx In that case kudos to Ethiopia for winning, even if of course it was an existential battle for Ethiopia, but only secondary for Italy. Still, Ethiopia fought hard and made the price for an eventual victory seem too high to try again.

[@BA-pp9fx]

@@AlexanderLittlebears you dont sacifies so much for some thing they dont want. They were defeted, fair and square!! but Italians are not known for their battle field heroism either lol

[@AlexanderLittlebears]

@@BA-pp9fx Yeah but Ethiopia is an African country

[@pangrac1]

Finaly I saw him on the film. Heard about him in my childhood in 70s but never saw him. Legend. ✌

[@miketomkins5171]

The torchlit streets of Rome make it seem like it was from another time, not 60 years ago, it looked like something from an epic film starring Charlton Heston

[@Ajedrezin]

Cierto, también pensé en Ben Hur.

[@bonggalban9824]

Abebe bikila, jeremy lin, bjorn borg, kisenosato, kasparov...i admire these athletes

[@MewaelB-e3m]

I can’t even walk barefoot from my living room to my bedroom on a marble floor 😂😂

[@brosnanz]

Abebe Bikila is the greatest hero of Olympic history. Not only barefooted but an Olympic record to go with it. Repeated the feat 4 years later albeit with shoes this time.

[@altfactor]

And Abeke Bikila won it barefoot! I can't imagine anyone else in the history of the event ever running marathons barefoot! Bikila won the race again in 1964, but he wore shoes. I think he was forced to by either the Olympic committee or the International Track and Field Committee. In 1963, he came close to being the first man to win both an Olympic marathon and the Boston marathon. He led Boston that year at the 20-mile point, but came "undone" at the infamous "Heartbreak Hill" some five-and-a-half miles from the finish line. I think he finished way back in the pack.

[@ettawing5955]

Abeke Bikila is amazing.

[@mrahatkibria3281]

Abebe Bikila is the very best marathon in the world of Olympic games in Rome 1960

[@voteeffevansfinancialfreed190]

3:26 yes indeed, Europeans couldn't believe አበበ ቢቂላ's stop watch, no wonder he won 35 seconds ahead of the 2nd best! they ran late afternoon to evening, best conditions for Europeans but they were humiliated by a bare foot african, that's a legendary statement!

[@bffdolls7667]

The second was not european

[@dfui.]

I met Popov in Severodonetsk some year's back. Man's still got it 🏃.

[@optimisticnihilist7331]

Calling this "legendary" is an understatement.

[@백만수-z8x]

아베베는 당시 에티오피아 황실 근위대 소속으로 6.25전쟁 때 참가한 군인출신이다.또한 1960년 로마올림픽 & 1964년 도쿄 올림픽 2연패 하였슴

[@selimslmen8167]

🥰🥰

[@yonatanerena3658]

Abebe was a soldier who participated in the Korean War as a member of the Ethiopian Imperial Guard at the time. He also won two consecutive gold medals at the 1960 Rome Olympics and 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

[@dawidkamien1683]

BIKILA, YOU ARE A HARDCOR!!!👍😁

[@miriamfigueroa9696]

Maravillosos recuerdos de las Olimpiadas y como no emocionarse ver al gran Abebe gran Maratonista de todos los tiempo Etiopía país de grandes Atletas

[@melkamuat6590]

What makes even more surprise is that Abebe Bikila taken to Rome Olympic as a substitute runner, and for the sake of his and Ethiopia's chance the first runner got injured during training and Abebe got a chance to run.

[@osmanmohammed5676]

WELL, ROME YOU ARE A WITNESS TO OUR COURAGE!!

[@berhanuyoussouf6674]

they know long before Abebe Bikila in Adwa and beyond brother but that was the addition...

[@maxpriz71]

Bellissimo filmato grandissima impresa da leggenda..... è veramente stupendo vedere filmati come questo a distanza di anni dal 1960 quando io non ero ancora nato

[@kerubelalmi7267]

Abe my life time hero 💚💛❤️

[@ababut.tiruneh9504]

One could still see Abebe running with tense phyisical posture. His coach the Swidish man Major Niskanen (I used to see Niskanen near his residence when i was a boy..we shout Abebe's coach) had to shout a lot on Abebe during training back in Ethiopia to let him run with a relaxed posture. In Tokyo Abebe improved a lot with his running posture... looked very majestic and in a class of his own. His coach is astounded that Abebe is not nervy about racing. He is care free in the midest of heated race

[@dahliac.2822]

I was really amazed when I saw this vid of him going o a race barefooted and cameback for another olympics the next games.. won gold both of them. On his third olympics, he wasn’t able to finished it sadly. I was disappointed because he cannot show the olympic spirit he have shown during his first olympics on his last olympics. “It is not about winning the race, it is about finishing it”

[@romuloambay9624]

abebe has had an appendectomy 18 days before the great race in 1968 mexico olympics. .he never was a quitter. .he still manage to ran but his operation made him quit. .today only few knew the reason of abebe's quitting on his third run. . . .during his time marathoners runs to win not to set new records. .unlike today. .

[@wdoe3187]

@@romuloambay9624 The appendectomy was prior to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and he won that race. He had to quit the 1968 Mexico City Olympics due to a fractured leg.

[@khalid7147]

We have always been proud of you and will always be proud of you the Iron Man!!

[@mayatube1107]

ኢትዮጵያዊ ማለት ፅናት አልሸነፍም ባይነት ጥንካሬን ከአባቶቻችን ነው ኢትዮጵያ ለዘላለም ትኑር

[@sekinaabdo1399]

💪💪💪💪😭😭

[@Ashish-nd3xj]

Kudos to all athletes of those times !!

[@tizuselam9944]

My hero abebe bikila rip😥

[@jasonaltham7013]

A true Olympic legend. Sad what happened to him later in life.

[@tarekegndima83]

An accident has happened on his own car, he badly injured. And he was hospitalized in home and abroad. But, he can't survived. Later he passed away in 1974 G.C. Rest in power Hero !

[@vladimirgeorgiev322]

Imagine if Abebe Bikila had the modern technologies, shoes , training ect... He could be better than Kipchoge !

[@Aaaaaaaaaa5934]

He had extra motivation too, italy invaded his country at that time

[@池田明彦-f7j]

裸足の王者アベベの、ローマオリンピックマラソン映像を初めて見て、感動しました。

[@infiad1275]

The first two finishers were barefooted. Incredible! I can't imagine running ANY distance barefooted! lol

[@travislavallee3446]

+sambo ben that's just epic... 2 hours and 15 mins !! barefooted.... wow

[@lamrof]

Its abebe the "e's" prodounced in Derek

[@ajitthomas1651]

You don’t need running shoes to run. The shoe companies have taken us for a ride, selling expensive shoes that cause a lot of injuries, due to heel striking and too much reliance on cushioning and support.

[@omar.ma7]

Normal the two were soldiers ethiopian and moroccan soldiers

[@andymarshall6777]

The 2nd placer was wearing shoes...

[@metztliadaminacastrovargas9729]

Hazaña unica e irrepetible del grandioso atleta Abebe Bikila.Siempre recordaremos su extraordinario legado:su profunda Humildad.

[@abrahamjimenez9604]

Bikila the best of Rome 1960

[@ke1ta2gi3ku4do5]

Who was the runner who collapsed at the finish?

[@juliodionisiogonzalez8776]

El mejor corredor de maratón de todos los tiempos, incluso kipchoge.

[@jorgehoyos484]

Incredible

[@jozefserf2024]

The Russian's plan to follow Zatopek's time met with an unexpected problem - the great Abebe Bikila.

[@sameerkamath1239]

This is a really cool video

[@sentsent7090]

Abebe is our hero🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹💪💪💪💪💪🇪🇹🇪🇹🇪🇹

[@habibdahab552]

amazing raner abebe i like like like liki i love abebe bikila i love ethiopia !!!!!!

[@المغرببلديالغالي]

الله يرحمك عبد السلام الراضي اول مغربي وعربي يهدي المغرب مدالية فضية بي الماراطون كان قريب من الدهب اتمنى من الله ان يرحم عبد السلام الراضي ويكون من اهلا الجنة يارب

[@tilethio]

Marathon is like finishing not getting a medal. Those who win medals are the best of best. As the journalist says every one deserves a medal for finishing.

[@bolo5927]

Un gran guerrero olímpico Abebe Bikila.🙏😲

[@ArloJames2008]

I'm Now the 3,000 Like Person for the Last 9 Years 🤩🎉

[@ኮኮብአበይ]

My heart abebe

[@konjityerooney4469]

OMG Abebe My Hero

[@0ooWARRIORoo0]

Please tell me they have an statue of Bikila somewhere in Ethiopia . There has to be one .

[@lamrof]

His grave in Addis Ababa has a big statue. I saw it.

[@Katto-yo9vf]

And there is a stadium in Addis after his name

[@whoami5919]

Only one stadium After he's die nobody helped his family until today 2018 he's son homeless

[@haileselassie7389]

@@whoami5919 really? I shall hang whoever has neglected that family.

[@whoami5919]

@@haileselassie7389 really bro you can find him in Addis abab masekal square

[@user-em5vi5eg8w]

Dudes a legend....prob could overlap some ppl if he did an ultra marathon while everyone else did a marathon

[@ahmedinhussen4379]

Proud to be Ethiopian!

[@Hassan-ry4ye]

Great Ethiopia to defeat is our way of life

[@HagereSuse-hn8wj]

Abebe bikila our hero 1st 💫🎩

[@ludwigestevez597]

Este documental saca lagrimas!!!

[@colmhauser9532]

Strangely not mentioned, but this was a new WR by Bikila

[@hervgelioauquiarmas8769]

Los únicos pies que suenan con el asfalto son los de Bikila, que proesa..

[@hameezahamed2719]

Abebe Bakila, He is a great athlete

[@jamestomeoful]

The sound of feet slapping was a bad addition to the video.

[@doobaa]

no, it is a reminder of how hard it must be to run a marathon barefoot.

[@AlonsoRules]

42 km without shoes, that's amazing! This is what the Olympics Games is all about.

[@lordalejandro3329]

Para mi es la mayor hazaña de la historia de los deportes, esa medalla valio por 100

[@carlosguimaraes2512]

Abebe Bikila... ... The world must know your story... ... A Legeng... ... A Hero... ... ... ...

[@altfactor]

I believe 1960 was the last Olympic marathon not to finish inside a stadium.

[@allclassicvideos2246]

altfactor until last Olympics in Rio!

[@keegandutto6976]

altfactor And London 2012, which was similar to the regular London marathon.

[@cheuk5917]

And in 2004 finished in the stadium not according to the standard as we know today.

[@kamonthipphumphuang4509]

รักคุณที่สุด

[@miftahbedru543]

watching the runner at 9'12'' , my tear drop

[@fffggg2955]

አበበ ቤቄላ በባዶግር አሸንፎ መጣ ነፍስህን ይማረዉ😭🇪🇹💯

[@milkilion696]

Alemotem eko

[@አለህወይየጤነዬንነገሮአደ]

ሙቶወሎ😢ኢዴ😭🇪🇹💔💔

[@ddmar1958]

We were here tnx the legend

[@CopadoMundov1970]

*Bonito Cartão Postal de Coliseu de Roma a maior da história da antiguidade.* 24 / 09 / 2021 • 17:31