Hicham El Guerrouj: The Most Talented, Most Focused, and Best Trained Athlete of All-Time?

Oct 14, 2025

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I take you through the incredible story of Hicham El Guerrouj, the Moroccan middle-distance legend who was virtually unbeatable for nearly four years, only to face heartbreaking defeats at the Atlanta Olympics.

I walk through the agony of those losses, the silver medal at 1500 meters, and the mental and physical toll of carrying the expectations of millions while chasing perfection. We get into how he used that disappointment to fuel one of the most remarkable comebacks in track history, leading up to the 2004 Athens Olympics where he finally won the gold—and not just in the 1500, but also the 5,000 meters, a feat not accomplished in 80 years.

I break down the races, the strategies, and the legendary final laps where El Guerrouj “floored the gas pedal” and ran splits that would have qualified in an Olympic 800 meters. I also reflect on what his story taught me about dealing with setbacks, staying focused, and turning misfortune into motivation, drawing parallels to challenges we all face in our own training and lives.

Along the way, we touch on the evolution of running technology, the rise of super spikes, and why El Guerrouj’s records still stand as some of the most impressive in the sport.

TIMESTAMPS:

This video of El Guerrouj shows the most genetically gifted, most disciplined and best trained athlete of all sport. [01:06]

The insights about discipline focus, dealing with adversity and creating a lifestyle of total dedication to peak performance can be tremendously inspiring and life changing. [04:14]

How do you set a world record that holds for 27 years? [09:00]

Genetically gifted athletes have the 'gift' but they need the old school focus, total dedication and monastic lifestyle. [13:24]

The mile run is 79% contribution from the aerobic system and the rest is anaerobic. [18:14]

In the modern more digital world, we get to know the athletes better.
El Guerrouj lead a more monastic life when training. [20:08]

El Guerrouj has amazing genetic gifts. He was of very light body weight. [23:08]

The proper running form is landing over your midfoot with a balanced center of gravity. [24:09]

Research has shown that there's a direct correlation with an adequate or good or great VO2 max with longevity. [27:30]

It helps to be tall like Usain Bolt. Increased ankle bending during a moment allows him to utilize the spring-ilike mechanism of the calves for increased power as he pushes off. [32:49]

What's the best form for you? It's figuring out what works for you and your own natural athleticism and your own physical particulars, your level of flexibility in your trunk, your shoulders, everything goes into the equation. [37:39]

Do you know why all the track and field races are run in counterclockwise manner? It's because the natural human bio rhythms have a counterclockwise nature to them. [39:39]

Genes do not determine your destiny. [41:30]

El Guerrouj 's competitive intensity and focus make his champion mindset. [45:59]

Highschooler Alan Webb had the chance to run against El Guerrouj. Webb broke the record. [50:34]

El Guerrouj's career has had some disappointments and setbacks. [54:13]

Try to release the attachment of your self-esteem to the outcome. Let go of the "Why me?" mentality. [01:15:01]

What about the shoes? How do they make a difference? [[01:27:30]

Quote from El Guerrouj:
"The values of life are work, patience, defeat, learning from defeat, perseverance and regularity, and all that I learned with sport and above all from my Olympic journey." [01:31:44]

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