Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's 10,000 metres

These are the official results of the Men's 10,000 metres at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, held on Friday November 23, 1956. There were a total number of 25 participants from 15 nations.[1]

Kuts winning the 10,000 m event

Athletics at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Track events
100 m	men	women
200 m	men	women
400 m	men
800 m	men
1500 m	men
5000 m	men
10,000 m	men
80 m hurdles		women
110 m hurdles	men
400 m hurdles	men
3000 m steeplechase	men
4×100 m relay	men	women
4×400 m relay	men
Road events
Marathon	men
20 km walk	men
50 km walk	men
Field events
Long jump	men	women
Triple jump	men
High jump	men	women
Pole vault	men
Shot put	men	women
Discus throw	men	women
Javelin throw	men	women
Hammer throw	men
Combined events
Decathlon	men

From the gun, favorite Vladimir Kuts took the lead. Only Gordon Pirie was able to maintain contact as Kuts pushed the pace. Then at the conclusion of 12 laps, Kuts swung wide to let Pirie go by. Pirie obliged while Kuts took the rear for a little less than 200 meters, then Kuts accelerated back into the lead. In the last mile, Pirie was broken, Kuts pulled away to an ever-increasing lead. The chase group settled the remaining medals with a final sprint as József Kovács beat Allan Lawrence to the line for silver. Pirie struggled home a lap behind.