UK Middle distance runners

Was it possible that Coe, Cram & Ovett were all on drugs? It seems a bit weird that they were all very competitive at the same time and that no Brits has beaten their times since. You'd think that their times would have been beaten by modern athletes even if they couldn't match the times of the Africans' etc.

Female runners have better mental preparation ready to train,I say that because I coach female and they cope with training and improve so drastically way better than male runners.This is all over the world and that is why Paula in Uk is good in running than the young men.

Henry

Slimboy Fat wrote:I was trying to find out what the top ten 800 & 1500mtr UK athletes times ar

Go to

then use the ranking list functions (now you have to login to do this, but it's worth it - they are just about comprehensive, with data on all runners who have achieved mediocre times (quicker than 2:00 800m, 4:08 etc. - they have lots of times for other distances and road as well)

Enjoy

Great thread.

I'll never forget the Summer Of 78, Henry! :)

Has training become erroneous? I sometimes wonder if, somehow, somewhere along the way, the training changed because we think we are smarter and more modern now, but in fact, we got it wrong.

Northern Monkey boy wrote:

Cram did run some competitive 10 milers and 10k's , Heaton Road Races, Jarrow Road Races, Boundary 10 North Shields etc... and was very very competitive (48 - 10 milers) (28-10k's) but I'm pretty positive he didn't run 100 mile weeks like Ovett, Sunday runs were usually 10 miles. Ran pretty infrequently on the rad/xc though.

For info, I believe that Cram normally ran around 90 miles per week in the winter. He tried 100+ but found he was breaking down.

I seem to recall that in 1985 - the year he broke three world records - he had been Northern Cross Country champion.

Just looking wrote:

Northern Monkey boy wrote:

Cram did run some competitive 10 milers and 10k's , Heaton Road Races, Jarrow Road Races, Boundary 10 North Shields etc... and was very very competitive (48 - 10 milers) (28-10k's) but I'm pretty positive he didn't run 100 mile weeks like Ovett, Sunday runs were usually 10 miles. Ran pretty infrequently on the rad/xc though.

For info, I believe that Cram normally ran around 90 miles per week in the winter. He tried 100+ but found he was breaking down.

I seem to recall that in 1985 - the year he broke three world records - he had been Northern Cross Country champion.

Are you Steve Cram?

Admitit wrote:

Just looking wrote:

For info, I believe that Cram normally ran around 90 miles per week in the winter. He tried 100+ but found he was breaking down.

I seem to recall that in 1985 - the year he broke three world records - he had been Northern Cross Country champion.

Are you Steve Cram?

And were you on drugs?

It was at Thirsk race course. I did the Junior race that day and remember watching the senior race. He won quite easily from what I remember.

Hi Henry, have you seen your old pal Steve Ovett recently?

What a classic thread this is. Complete with numerous contributions from Henry Rono. I bet none of them thought that 18 years later, we would have back to back men's 1500m world champions, a 22 year old running 1:42.4, and the favourite for the women's 800m.

As British running started this decline years ago some runners and commentators said that cross country was compulsory in school.

You find out who was good right away and you had kids moving.

They ended that and the decline started.

I remember Geoff Smith talking about it.

Interesting that the stuff from 18 years ago about youngsters drinking and not having incentives and the crap PE in state schools seems to be of marginal or no relevance to the nurturing of elite middle distance runners in UK. As all those limiting factors still in place and yet UK mid distance now in great shape, albeit the USA uni and pro set up and the UK private school system certainly play a large role