I received this from Bob Darling a few months ago. It's an extended interview with the great French Algerian runner Alain Mimoun who was a great friend of Emil Zatopek and includes some good film of their epic battles in Helsinki in the 5,000 meters, Zatopek 1st and Mimoun 2nd. and Melbourne with Mimoun's victory in the marathon and Zatopek finishing 6th on a wretchedly hot day. Alain was probably in his last years when this interview was made, but his great spirit can be seen very clearly. I remember reading that he was almost crippled by war wounds but made a recovery and became a world class runner. The film is almost an hour long. Of course it's the holiday season and you can escape to the den and get away from some of the festivities. Have a great holiday everyone.
Alain Mimoun died at the age of 92 in the evening of 27 June 2013 at the Hôpital d'instruction des armées Bégin in Saint-Mandé, in the departement of Val-de-Marne in the Île-de-France region. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Attached is an article I wrote when Mimoun died in 2013. I revised it a bit for an Algerian who runs an Italian restaurant here in Raleigh, NC. Jay Birmingham
Wide World of Running
By Jay Birmingham
MIMOUN—A Tribute
There is just one runner that I admire as much as Emil Zatopek. Perhaps I admire Alain Mimoun even
more than the Czech hero of the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki. Zatopek won the 10,000, then the
5,000, then the marathon. Mimoun won silver medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 in those Games, then
raced to victory in the 1956 Melbourne Olympic marathon, his only victory against Zatopek.
Alain Mimoun was born in French Algeria and lived 92 years, dying in France on June 27, 2013. He is
Algeria's most successful Olympian with three silvers (all behind Zatopek) and a gold medal. In France,
there are 38 sports venues named for Mimoun, more than any other person. He competed in five
Olympic Games, won dozens of French and European titles, and won four International Cross Country
championships, finishing second twice. At the age of 43, he was able to place 18 th overall in the
International.
American film maker, Bud Greenspan, whose series of Olympic videos are legendary, called Mimoun
one of “The Persistent Ones” in his Olympiad series. A lengthy interview with Mimoun in “100 Years of
Olympic Glory” chronicles his international career as “Zatopek’s shadow” and his crowning achievement,
the gold medal at Melbourne.
Run December 1, 1956, the marathoners faced shade temperatures of 38 degrees (100 F), but it was
not shady. By 15 km, the lead pack had dwindled to six men when Johnny J. Kelley of the USA joined
Mimoun and encouraged an increase in pace. At 20 km, heading up a hill, Mimoun hit the front and by
25 km, he had a 50-second lead. His margin of victory was 1:32 at the Olympic Stadium, with a time of
2:25:00. Zatopek placed sixth and saluted his French friend at the finish, which Mimoun said, “meant
more to me than the gold medal.”
Mimoun received a telegram the day before his Olympic race—his wife had just delivered a baby girl,
named Olympe. He was assigned number 13, which Alain considered lucky. And he had secretly trained
40 km (25 miles) a day for two years to prepare himself for his first marathon.
Mimoun joined the French army at the age of 18 and fought in several WWII battles. An American
Army surgeon removed shrapnel from Mimoun’s leg; the French doctors wanted to amputate.
Following the war, Mimoun moved to France for good, working most of his life as a waiter at a sports
club. He discovered running by accident but was a devoted athlete, training hard his entire adult life.
Michel Jazy, another French Olympian, silver medalist behind Australia’s Herb Elliott in the 1500 in
Rome (1960), roomed with Mimoun. “He had me up at 5:30 every morning to train,” Jazy recalled. “And
in bed by 8:30 p.m. I couldn’t attend any of the parties. Mimoun was dedicated and focused.” Jazy later
broke Elliott’s world mile record.
Mimoun was honored and feted for three months when he returned home from Melbourne. Four
times, by four different French presidents, he was awarded their Medal of Honor. When Zatopek died in
2000, Mimoun said, “I have lost a brother.” Mimoun continued to jog
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