Norgay and Hillary are generally credited with the first ascent, and they made it down safely and went on to live for many more years. But, if you think someone else got there first, then I will accept your amendment and go for the first successful round trip.

Quite a contrast between the view atop Everest and the view of the black line in a pool. To each his own.

Thats a good one, But I pick Mallory's attempt. It would be amazing to see what actually went on that day.

I accept Conrad Anker’s view that there is no way that Mallory and Irvine could have finished that route with their equipment, etc. But, for sure it was an extraordinary effort given the circumstances of the era.

Being the first to successfully summit (and descend) Everest is an epic achievement, which helped expand our horizons. Winning an Olympic race may bring you some personal fame and fortune (or not). But, it is an artificial construct, so someone has to win. Succeeding on Everest was an unknown. Winning a race is a certainty, it’s only a matter of who.

Is it won by sprinters, or distance guys?

OPRFCC and JKHAYC
if you like that Lezak race
watch this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4R0Mgiqs5g

not trying to say this is "the one" famous endurance sport moment
but it's a super gutsy swim
Bruce Hayes swimming anchor against the reigning world record holder
hopeless, doesn't stand a chance
did quality stuff after retirement too

Well, anything over ~10s is an aerobic activity and typically when I'm doing a 100 all out for time it certainly feels like an endurance event.

Oh man, thanks for posting up that race, I had completely forgotten about that, and I watched it live here in LA too!! What's funny is that the middle two swimmers for the US went out way too hard and died, while the germans made up a lot of ground in the last 50. Then they get to the anchor leg where the US guy is known for going out too hard and blowing a bit, and of course the WR holder Gross was a student of pace like the other Germans. But of course it played out exactly opposite, they reversed rolls, and we squeezed out another 4x200, and both teams 3 seconds under WR pace!!

I would add at the Marathon event at a year it was in the US

In that case, I'm getting a '100 Freestyle' tattoo on my calf, with a bumper sticker to match.

(50 butterfly with fins felt like that to me yesterday.)

Spawning a new thread - at what point does an event become an 'endurance' event?

So many questions, so little time.

Can’t believe Lemond’s come from behind record setting final time trial in the 89 Tour - widely hailed as the greatest Tour De France win of all times has only been mentioned once.