In one of the most stunning upsets in the history of Olympic track and field, unknown American Billy Mills won the 10,000 meter gold medal at the 1964 Games when he ran an Olympic record 28:24.4, a time that was a phenomenal 46 seconds faster than his previous best. Mills, who hadn’t even come in first at the US Olympic trials, had been able to keep up with the favorite and world record holder, Australian Ronald Clarke. Toward the end of the race, Clarke seemed to be in excellent position since neither Mills nor Tunisian Mohamed Gammoudi, running with Clarke, had ever broken 29 minutes; at the pace they were all running, Mills and Gammoudi were likely to fade at any moment.

But after some jostling and shoving that broke up the lead pack, Mills dropped back, seemingly out of contention. While Clarke and Gammoudi dueled out in front, Mills made a spectacular, unexpected surge on the homestretch and nipped Gammoudi by three yards and Clarke by another second still.

The Japanese fans went crazy. They had just witnessed a memorably courageous and competitive race, and, to top it off, the victor’s identity was unfamiliar to everyone. Indeed, when one race official caught up to Mills after the race, he asked simply, “Who are you?”

He was 7/16 Sioux Indian, and the next year, to prove that he wasn’t a one-race runner, he broke Clarke’s world record. He was Billy Mills, the 10,000-meter man responsible for one of the greatest Olympic upsets ever.