David Moorcroft Ran 13:00 28 Years Ago Without a Rabbit

Flagpole wrote:

I've discussed this before here, but Moorcroft's run that day was the first race I was ever awed by. He smashed the world record, and everyone else in the race just let him go, thinking he couldn't keep that torrid pace.

I think it was the most amazing WR ever.

I don't know. Didn't Jim Ryun run a 3:51 mile WR basically by himself. I would put that one at the top.

IDK wrote:

I find it amusing that this thread is suppose to be about David, and any such memories you might have of the "run", yet rurns into a discussion on drugs and other BS. I still have a photo of him during such run, I remember him having surgery for his calf/achilles? and then busting out this effort! Incredible performance hands down

wow just like lance armstrong

Moorcroft's training is published in detail in the book Focus on Middle Distance Running pages 84-92.

A few things I noticed:

Lots of "steady" running 5:30-6 min mile pace

Not much regular tempo/LT training, but he did do 5 miles "fast" on July 1, 7 miles " fast" on July 3, and broke the 5000 record on July 7.

Shortest rest during an interval workout was 90 seconds doing 150s and 200s.

Did lots of hard interval workouts with long recoveries such as:

8 x 300 under 39, 3 minute recovery

4 x 600 in 83 with 5 minute recovery

5 x 1000 in 2:27 with 6.5 minute recoveries)

The fast 1000s are most impressive to me, as they are at about his 2000 meter race pace!

My memory is of his Commonwealth 1500m title in Edmonton. More of after the race. We were going back to our cars after seeing him win the race and there at a stop light was a lean runner, waiting for it to change. We said to ourselves, that is Dave Moorcroft. We went up to him and ask if he was Dave, and sure enough, he said yes, and we congratulated him on the victory. He was running back to his hotel. We saw him two or three years later in a race in Las Vegas, and my wife went up to him and asked if he remembered her, and he indicated that he did. Very nice guy.

This site has done so much to create better runners, pioneered new methods to reach out to the audience, made a living for professional runners, brought new technology to follow the exploits of the best American runners in the Marathon, 10K, 5K, Mile and 1500. What more do you want from this site?

Get Real Real wrote:

pikey wrote:

I'm sure he was, too. It just goes to show how disconnected some people are (even Olympic gold medalists) that think otherwise.

You're sure he was? How?

Second hand knowledge.

"he's lapped one of the Kenyans"!

they all ragged ass slow

get out the way bitch bitch get out the way

says Rono ran 5000 the day before ?

My brother had a picture on his wall of David running down the straightway with the rest of the field 100m back. Anybody have that??

hey look he isn't an american so who gives a shit ? we don't want any illegals in the us. not mexicans. not limeys.

What is so interesting about his training is that the coach was more interested in the times achieved than quantity or short rest. There is a beautiful simplicity in his core workouts;4x600 and 4x1000, which I believe he ran about once every two weeks,taking full rest between runs. He started at 1:40 and probably about 2:50 and ended up at1:21 and 2:25. Pretty good measure of progress.

I also liked his personal comments about learning how to lose gracefully when he was young, and knowing that his day would come. This is a characteristic that many of our young athletes could use.

Finally, to even think it was remotely possible that Moorcroft used Peds is absurd. The article does as good a job on defining his character as any article I have ever read.

I remember meeting Moorcroft some time after that--maybe the next year or so?--at an indoor meet in Dallas. Met John Walker and Nick Rose there, too. I think those guys had just finished the Australian/NZ outdoor season. Anyway Moorcroft was supposed to run, but didn't. I found out until later that he didn't run because he had contracted hepatitis Down Under. I remember thinking, "Geez, glad I shook HIS hand! Yikes."

How much damage has been done to the credibility of this sport -- by just a few people? Paid shills were the worst thing brought to this sport in the last century. They wanted to cash-in one last time, but failed.

latently homosexual teenager wrote:

My brother had a picture on his wall of David running down the straightway with the rest of the field 100m back. Anybody have that??

I had that same picture (cut from a magazine) on my bedroom wall throughout college ('82-86). Amazing race. One of my all-time favorite performances.

Is he American ?

I remember watching Dave’s run from the stands. The meet had been just half good and the 5 000 did not seem to be spectacular. We were all a little disappointed. Then this guy takes off from the very first step and just kept going. Still after 4 laps I did not take him seriously. By time he passed 3 000 it was very clear that he was for real. We all stood up and shouted and we kept banging on the metal board surrounding the track. At the end we were all exhausted.

A Norwegian newspaper had a front page picture of Dave crossing the finish line. What struck me with that picture is that I believe I saw relief in Dave’s face. It must have been pretty though going the last 2.-3 laps and I always assumed that what I saw was relief that the race was over with.

To me this race has ever since been up there with Ron Clarke’s 27.39 by himself in 1965 as one of the great solo efforts. It was a fantastic race by a nice guy. Salute to you Dave if you ever read this!

Moorcroft was amazing

How the heck does the second place guy not see Moorcroft up ahead of him? Does he think he's quickly almost lapped a guy who then stays ahead of him for the whole race?

What was extraordinary about this run was that DM had been around for years racing (and training)at an elite level, seemingly plareau'd, then suddenly popped a Super-Elite run that was basically a one off. I cannot think of another example of another (clean) instance quite like this. Despite his career to that time, no-one really even considered he would break 13:15. It gave us all inspiration that it may happen to us too. In my case...never did!

ackack wrote:

What was extraordinary about this run was that DM had been around for years racing (and training)at an elite level, seemingly plareau'd, then suddenly popped a Super-Elite run that was basically a one off. I cannot think of another example of another (clean) instance quite like this. Despite his career to that time, no-one really even considered he would break 13:15. It gave us all inspiration that it may happen to us too. In my case...never did!

Mo Farah. Although much of his success has to do with the retirement of everyone better than him.