Cram was built on a computer for middle distance running. Just could run hard for any distance with a long stride. Came along in the Coe/Ovett prime and got well beat at first, but went faster than both of them in time. Big heart. His prime came between Olympics. The best runner never to be Olympic champion, although he was World Champion and that is as good.
Every time I watch this race, with the splits they had, I simply can not believe Cram ran 3.46 and smashed that WR. The shape he was in in 85/86 was a good as any middle distance runner EVER.
@@Revolver1981 COE WAS INJURED AND MISSED WEEK'S OF TRAINING JUST AFTER HE BEAT CRAM OVER 800 M !!!!!!!!!! TERRIBLE LUCK!!!!!! COE RAN 3:29 ,7 A YEAR AFTER THIS WAAAAAY PAST HIS BEST AND NEARLY 33 YEARS OLD !!!!!!!!!! COE WAS CAPABLE OF 3:44 /3:45 MILE!!!!!!!!!!! DEFINETLY
@@Revolver1981 Think he relaxed a bit at the end when he realized Cram was moving away. Coe's performance was in any case not "average". He ran 3:49.22, a time that April 2021 would qualify as number 36 on the all time list.
Crams fault in his running style was his splayed feet sticking out ,,head rolling all over the place and subsequent to that gave him very bad calf injuries !!!!!
@@simonedwards5564 His head only rocked when he was hurting. He had undiagnosed compartment syndrome (diagnosed after he retired). He was already load balancing at this point of his career even though he was still young. If he'd been diagnosed and had surgery I think it fair to say he'd have been even better than he was. And he was all time great.
Great memories of that Dream Mile - it came shortly after Said Aouita had broken the world 5000m record. Fantastic night of athletics, as always at Oslo in those days.
The one disappointment is cram faced ovett and Coe in these golden/diamond league meeting but not Coe Vs ovett 1979 Coe was meant to race ovett at Zurich the race was live on BBC 1 I seem to remember when he broke the 1500 m world record.and over 3000 metres at crystal palace .I remember the radio time had both as there front cover. In the build up to it
He was interviewed immediately after. And asked if this ranked as one of his proudest moments. He said it do (of course) but he had just scored 27 runs for his local village cricket team a few days earlier and that that gave him a bigger buzz. It's amazing that so few people, even those you would think are living their dream life - are doing the exact thing they would want to be doing. So many sports starts love their sport - but when questioned wish they were playing a different one but they were not good enough.
As a Hebburn adopted native, it’s so refreshing to see him wearing the Jarrow and Hebburn AC vest. He is one of the all time greats, first man under 3:30 for the 1500 metres. Sports science was not a thing then, so imagine him now.
Actually I heard Cram once saying he thought sub 1.42 was beyond him, but he said he could have run 3.26 with harder training. . You need 46/45 400m speed to run sub 1.42. Crams 400m best was only 49. he wasn't a sprinter or 400m runner
Agreed. The Cram of '85 would probably have won the double in Seoul but just unfortunate that his best two seasons '85 and '86 were in non Olympic/World Championship years.
With the new super spikes, a Mondo track and altitude training, he had 3:26 in him for sure. Sub 1:42 I doubt though. He was quite amazed to run sub 1:43.
Freestyle His 400m time was 50.6. He did go through in 50-mid. I heard Cram talking about this in 1997. He didn't think he could have run sub 1.42. He might have managed 1.42.5 or faster. He did say he could have run 3.26 for 1500m though, if he'd been running in the last 1990s. He'd have trained harder he said..
Britain's domination of middle distance running was incredible from the late 70s to the mid 80s. Coe and Ovett were a class above the rest, and then another world beater in Steve Cram comes along. There was also Peter Elliott and Tom McKean, who are often overlooked because they were merely world class rather than world beaters.
That might be the best mile field in history. So many legends of middle distance running. Cram's misfortune was to be totally unbeatable in the space between Olympics.
Your statement must be balanced by accepting that Cruz had endless achilles problems from 1984 through 85. He did a lot of his running in a swimming pool - not ideal
After a season of world-record record swapping between the Brits, would have predicted this British record would last 38 years! This was the end of an era. Love that the runners were wearing club vests on the world stage :-)
Don't suppose you'd have Cram's last 100m time from the 800 race? According to someone on LRC his last 100 in the mile race was 12.9, but thought he may have been quicker in the 800 not least because he had, as coleman would say, "the big brazilian breathing down his neck" cheers
The following year Cram clearly peaked at the Commonwealth and was not quite as sharp for the Europeans. He did look in the same form for the Commonwealth games as the above race.
There is a grace to Steve Cram that is similar to Roger Federer. As David Coleman states "majestically comes striding away". Shame he suffered from undiagnosed Compartment Syndrome. Would have won a lot more medals and set more records in his late 20s.
Cram was built on a computer for middle distance running. Just could run hard for any distance with a long stride. Came along in the Coe/Ovett prime and got well beat at first, but went faster than both of them in time. Big heart. His prime came between Olympics. The best runner never to be Olympic champion, although he was World Champion and that is as good.
85 was an astonishing year for Steve Cram, he looked almost invincible and wiped the floor with pretty much everyone as demonstrated here.
Cram in '85 was the best in the world.
Every time I watch this race, with the splits they had, I simply can not believe Cram ran 3.46 and smashed that WR. The shape he was in in 85/86 was a good as any middle distance runner EVER.
smooveXXX What the fuck happened to Coe? He looked average at best.
@@Revolver1981 COE WAS INJURED AND MISSED WEEK'S OF TRAINING JUST AFTER HE BEAT CRAM OVER 800 M !!!!!!!!!! TERRIBLE LUCK!!!!!! COE RAN 3:29 ,7 A YEAR AFTER THIS WAAAAAY PAST HIS BEST AND NEARLY 33 YEARS OLD !!!!!!!!!! COE WAS CAPABLE OF 3:44 /3:45 MILE!!!!!!!!!!! DEFINETLY
@@Revolver1981 Think he relaxed a bit at the end when he realized Cram was moving away. Coe's performance was in any case not "average". He ran 3:49.22, a time that April 2021 would qualify as number 36 on the all time list.
@@simonsedwards1513 Sorry coe was 29years old nearly 30 years old and running his best,@1500m ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
agreed
So grateful for these uploads. We all need to remeber how class this era was from top to bottom
GB dominated middle distance in that era Ovett, Coe and Cram were in a league on their own great to watch again
the british middle distance from 1977-1986,at its peak,what a great decade
Yep. Never any doubt that a Brit was going to win the 1500m at a major championship in those days, it was just a question of which one.
Steve Cram was poetry in motion. For any athlete attempting to learn optimal running technique Steve is the man to study.
Crams fault in his running style was his splayed feet sticking out ,,head rolling all over the place and subsequent to that gave him very bad calf injuries !!!!!
@@simonedwards5564 His head only rocked when he was hurting. He had undiagnosed compartment syndrome (diagnosed after he retired). He was already load balancing at this point of his career even though he was still young. If he'd been diagnosed and had surgery I think it fair to say he'd have been even better than he was. And he was all time great.
Bizarre thing to say, he puts one leg in front of the other like everyone else.
Bad luck for Cram there was no Olympics in 1985/86 - his best years for sure.
Absolutely correct. He was right on top of his game and looked pretty unbeatable that year.
Great memories of that Dream Mile - it came shortly after Said Aouita had broken the world 5000m record. Fantastic night of athletics, as always at Oslo in those days.
The one disappointment is cram faced ovett and Coe in these golden/diamond league meeting but not Coe Vs ovett 1979 Coe was meant to race ovett at Zurich the race was live on BBC 1 I seem to remember when he broke the 1500 m world record.and over 3000 metres at crystal palace .I remember the radio time had both as there front cover. In the build up to it
This is the best quality available of the races. Thanks for sharing.
Cram on the form shown here was almost unbeatable; a class of his own really.
Cram was at his absolute peak in 85. Such a shame he never hit this type of form in the Olympics.
Calf syndrome - when the muscles get too big for the connecting tissue.
For Brits this was the golden era of Athletics....in fact I'd say it was the golden area of middle distance running.
Cram had an unbelievable season in 1985. 3 world records and victory here over the Olympic champion Joachim Cruz of Brazil.
This race pretty much marked the end of what was a 6 year reign for British middle distance running for men, what a time to be alive.
Great run by Cram in the 800.
Great footage of the Jarrow Arrow thanks
As many have said 1985 was Cram’s peak year, whereas Coe probably peaked in 1981, as did Ovett when the pair swapped world records on a regular basis.
He was interviewed immediately after. And asked if this ranked as one of his proudest moments. He said it do (of course) but he had just scored 27 runs for his local village cricket team a few days earlier and that that gave him a bigger buzz.
It's amazing that so few people, even those you would think are living their dream life - are doing the exact thing they would want to be doing.
So many sports starts love their sport - but when questioned wish they were playing a different one but they were not good enough.
Cram in 1985 was off the charts brilliant..
Крэм-единственный человек в мире ,пробежавший 800 м быстрее 1.43,а 1500 м быстрее 3.30,в течении одного сезона.
As a Hebburn adopted native, it’s so refreshing to see him wearing the Jarrow and Hebburn AC vest. He is one of the all time greats, first man under 3:30 for the 1500 metres. Sports science was not a thing then, so imagine him now.
I remember watcing this as a kid. Back in the days Athletics was prime time tv
Amazing era for GB middle distance running
Definitely capable of running sub 1.42 and 3.28 that year of 85/86. Dam that Calve of his leg. 88 should have been his games
Actually I heard Cram once saying he thought sub 1.42 was beyond him, but he said he could have run 3.26 with harder training. . You need 46/45 400m speed to run sub 1.42. Crams 400m best was only 49. he wasn't a sprinter or 400m runner
Agreed. The Cram of '85 would probably have won the double in Seoul but just unfortunate that his best two seasons '85 and '86 were in non Olympic/World Championship years.
With the new super spikes, a Mondo track and altitude training, he had 3:26 in him for sure. Sub 1:42 I doubt though. He was quite amazed to run sub 1:43.
51/51 split by Cram. If he had gone through in 50-mid he could have run under 1:42. Majestic.
Freestyle His 400m time was 50.6. He did go through in 50-mid. I heard Cram talking about this in 1997. He didn't think he could have run sub 1.42. He might have managed 1.42.5 or faster. He did say he could have run 3.26 for 1500m though, if he'd been running in the last 1990s. He'd have trained harder he said..
Great quality video Tommy! Can't believe it's 27 years ago!!
Btw, do you happen to have Wilson Kipketer's 1997 win in Monaco, 1:42.77?
Cheers, Dean
I never knew that Cram nailed a 1:42, thought he was 1500 and mile only.
yep and 2000m world record. Jakob ingebrigsten is hoping to break Crams time on Thursday. Crams former 2000m WR is the current European record.
Britain's domination of middle distance running was incredible from the late 70s to the mid 80s. Coe and Ovett were a class above the rest, and then another world beater in Steve Cram comes along. There was also Peter Elliott and Tom McKean, who are often overlooked because they were merely world class rather than world beaters.
That might be the best mile field in history. So many legends of middle distance running.
Cram's misfortune was to be totally unbeatable in the space between Olympics.
Cram Coe and Ovett would beat anyone, and they did. If they were fit and well nobody could compete as Cruz saw here.
Your statement must be balanced by accepting that Cruz had endless achilles problems from 1984 through 85. He did a lot of his running in a swimming pool - not ideal
After a season of world-record record swapping between the Brits, would have predicted this British record would last 38 years! This was the end of an era. Love that the runners were wearing club vests on the world stage :-)
Absolute class Steve Cram.
It would be great to see his 1000 m race below 2:13 (2:12:88, if I am correct). One one the two runners of all times below 2:13 at that time...
Remember that race well - he briefly thought he had broken the world record because the clock froze at 2:12.00 before the .88 flashed up.
The most common sentence on all of these videos must be “Johnny Grey, the American record holder”
These years were the best, then the Internet kicked in
Still get goose pimples watching this!
Don't suppose you'd have Cram's last 100m time from the 800 race?
According to someone on LRC his last 100 in the mile race was 12.9, but thought he may have been quicker in the 800 not least because he had, as coleman would say, "the big brazilian breathing down his neck"
cheers
legend.
Massive respect for the 'Jarrow Arrow'!
1.42.8 for Cram then carries on running to do a lap of honour without stopping!! I’d have been on the floor sucking in the big ones for 10 minutes! 😆
Cram peaked between Olympics games. Shame because he could have run three events in a championship games in 1985 and cleaned up.
Three events at a Championships? 800m, 1500m and ?
@@tommytempo1 good point. No mile in championships.
Let's just say the 5000m
Poetry in motion!
Great reception
Loved it!
The following year Cram clearly peaked at the Commonwealth and was not quite as sharp for the Europeans. He did look in the same form for the Commonwealth games as the above race.
Untouchable in 1985
that 800 was one of crams finest-a v fast time and blew cruz away
53.1 last quarter... never reproduced in any WR race...
soulrasheed but the 3rd lap was slow at 60 seconds. if he'd run that 2 seconds faster, he'd have run 3.45/44 over all.
There is a grace to Steve Cram that is similar to Roger Federer. As David Coleman states "majestically comes striding away". Shame he suffered from undiagnosed Compartment Syndrome. Would have won a lot more medals and set more records in his late 20s.
Were we Brits lucky in terms of middle distance running in the 80s or were we lucky ?
The Rolls Royce of runners.
One of the British Big Three.
did seb coe beat cram early in 85,then got injured,and ran this weeks after.
anfeild8 That must be correct because Coe looked average here at best.
Yes Coe was either sick or injured coming back to form. Earlier in the year beat Cram in an 800m a few months before.
I guess the announcer was fooled too.@@mathematics5573
Pity there were no major championships in ‘85.
Cram was in Cruz control 😗🕹️🇬🇧
The old one's are the best!
a 1985 cram might have beaten a 1978 ovett over 1500m....but i dont really think so
Great race!! Maybe best ever. Too bad it should have been called back at the start.