Sixty-seven marathoners started the run, but only 60 completed the gruelling event at the Montreal Games.
It took place on rain-soaked streets, including Côte-Ste-Catherine Rd., Sherbrooke St. and Gouin Blvd.
American Frank Shorter was the favourite. But the gold medal went to East German Waldemar Cierpinski.
He was so focused on his running he didn’t realize he had passed the finish line despite the roar of 70,000 cheering spectators at the Big O. Then, he looked up and saw someone running ahead of him.
Cierpinski set an Olympic record — 2:09:55.0, beating Shorter by 50 seconds.
Documents that surfaced decades later indicated Cierpinski may have been part of East Germany’s steroid program.
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