Gradually Australia's David Fitzimons, who had exhausted himself in his qualifying heat, started to lose contact with the lead group.

By 6,000 metres (16:52.29), several runners had already dropped from the lead group: The Netherlands' Jos Hermens, Belgium's Karel Lismont and Emiel Puttemans, France's Jean-Paul Gomez, Australia's Christopher Wardlaw, the United States' Gary Bjorklund, and Britain's Bernard Ford.

Shortly after 6,000 metres, also Spain's Mariano Haro and Britain's Simmons lost contact with the top runners.

Lopes's exhausting pace continued through 7,000 metres (19:36.34), shortly after which Smet dropped from the top runners' group.

(Hannus, Matti, The Montreal Olympic Book / Montrealin olympiakirja, Finland, 1976; Wunsche, Wolfgang, The Heroes of the Race Tracks (the Finnish edition, c. 1984-1985); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6NPfl8igr4 Lasse Viren, Montrealin 10000m (Finnish commentary); https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFVKBK0eM24&t=19s Olympics - 1972 Munich & 1976 Montreal - Track - Mens 5K & 10K - FIN Lasse Virein imasportsphile (English commentary).)