For the Irish poet, see Billy Mills (poet)

William "Billy" Mills (born June 30, 1938) is the only American ever to win an Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 m run which he did at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. That race has been called the greatest upset in Olympic history. Athletics, also known, especially in American English, as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events, which can roughly be divided into running, throwing, and jumping. ... The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were held in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. ... Billy Mills (born 1954) is an Irish experimental poet. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... For months before the Olympic Games, runners relay the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. ... The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were held in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. ...

Born in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, Billy Mills, a Native American (Oglala Lakota (Sioux)), was raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He was orphaned at the age of 12. Mills took up running while attending the Haskell Institute, which is now known as Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. Both a boxer and a runner in his youth, Mills gave up boxing to focus on running. He attended the University of Kansas on an athletic scholarship. He was named a NCAA All-America cross country runner three times and in 1960 he won the individual title in the Big Eight cross country championship. The University of Kansas track team won the 1959 and 1960 outdoor national championships while Mills was on the team. Pine Ridge is a census-designated place located in Shannon County, South Dakota. ... An Atsina named Assiniboin Boy Native Americans in the United States (also known as Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are the indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States and their descendants in... The Lakota (IPA: ) (also Lakhota, Teton, Titonwon) are a Native American tribe. ... Oglala Sioux tribal flag Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is an Oglala, Lakota Native American reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. ... Haskell Indian Nations University is a four year degree granting university in Lawrence, Kansas which offers free tuition to members of registered Native American tribes in the United States. ... The Douglas County Courthouse anchors the south end of Lawrences downtown. ... Main Campus The University of Kansas (often referred to as just KU or Kansas) is an institution of learning located in Lawrence, Kansas. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often said NC-Double-A) is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletics programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... An All-America team is a sports team composed of star players. ...

After graduating with a degree in physical education Mills became a lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He gave up running for a while, then returned to it. Mills qualified for the 1964 Summer Olympics on the U.S. Track and Field Team in the 10,000 m run and the marathon. United States Marine Corps seal The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military. ... The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were held in 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. ...

No American had ever won the 10,000 m before Billy Mills did it, and no one from the Western Hemisphere has done it since.

The favorite in 1964 was Ron Clarke of Australia who held the world record. The runners expected to challenge him were defending champion Pyotr Bolotnikov of the Soviet Union, and Murray Halberg of New Zealand, who had won the 5000 m in 1960. Australian Ronald William Ron Clarke (born February 21, 1937) was one of the best known middle and long distance runners in the 1960s. ... Pyotr Grigorevich Bolotnikov (Петр Григорьевич Болотников) (born March 8, 1930) is a former Soviet athlete, winner of 10 000 m at the 1960 Summer Olympics. ... Sir Murray Gordon Halberg (born July 7 in Eketahuna, 1933) is a former New Zealand middle distance runner. ... The Games of the XVII Olympiad were held in 1960 in Rome, Italy. ...

Mills was a virtual unknown. He had finished second in the U.S. Olympic trials. His time in the preliminaries was a whole minute slower than Clarke's.

Indeed, Clarke set the tone of the race. His tactic of surging every other lap appeared to be working. Halfway through the race only four runners were still with Clarke: Mohammed Gammoudi of Tunisia, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia, Kokichi Tsuburaya of Japan, and Mills. Tsuburaya, the local favorite, lost contact first, then Wolde. With two laps to go only two runners were still with Clarke. On paper, it seemed to be Clarke's race. He had run a world record time of 28:15.6 while neither Gammoudi nor Mills had ever run under 29 minutes. Mohammed Tlili ben Abdallah also known as Gammoudi (born February 11, 1938) is a former Tunisian athlete, winner of 5000 m at the 1968 Summer Olympics. ... Demisse Mamo Wolde (June 12, 1932-May 26, 2002) was an Ethiopian runner born in Diri Jille. ... A minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour and to 60 seconds. ...

Mills and Clarke were running together with Gammoudi right behind as they entered the final lap. They were lapping other runners and, down the backstretch, Clarke was boxed in. He pushed Mills once, then again. Then Gammoudi pushed them both and surged into the lead as they rounded the final curve. Clarke recovered and began chasing Gammoudi while Mills appeared to be too far back to be in contention. Clarke failed to catch Gammoudi but Mills sprinted past them both. His winning time of 28:24.4 was almost 50 seconds faster than he had ever run before. Look up second in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Mills later set U.S. records for 10,000 m and the three mile run, and a world record for the six mile run. A mile is a unit of distance (or, in physics terminology, length) currently defined as 5,280 feet, 1,760 yards, or 63,360 inches. ... A world record is the best performance in a certain discipline, usually a sports event. ...

Billy Mills was inducted into the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1976, and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 1984. He is also in the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, the Kansas Hall of Fame, the South Dakota Hall of Fame, the San Diego Hall of Fame, and the National High School Hall of Fame. 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Distance Running Hall of Fame was established on July 11, 1998 to honor those who have contributed to the sport of distance running. ...

Billy Mills is the subject of the 1984 film Running Brave, starring Robby Benson. Robby Benson (born Robin David Segal 21 January 1956 in Dallas, Texas) is an American actor. ...

See also

• Olympic medalists in athletics

These are the male Olympic medalists in athletics. ...

External links

• USA Track and Field Hall of Fame - Billy Mills
• University of Kansas Athletics - Track & Field