Cram 1:43 - Why Aren't 800's Run Like This Anymore?

Certainly one of Cram's greatest ever performances. He was able to really relax in that final as he knew he was far better than anyone else there. He had always stated that he wanted to peak for the Commonwealths that year, while many others were aimimg for the Europeans (when it was regarded as a much more significant championship than in recent times; although Munich seems to suggest it is regaining its importance).

Cram loved to run even splits and here his laps were 51.8, 51.4. 25.0 last 200m, which is mightily impressive. He did say after though that he was at full effort over the last 200m, as he could hear the crowd roaring and thought they were closing behind, when in fact it was the home boy, McKean going into 2nd and winning the silver 15m behind.

I don't think Cram would have run much better than his pb (1:42.88 - 51.1/51.7) had his first lap been the normal 2 sec positive differential. I think 50.0 was too fast for him to go through 400m as his best 400 open (in training in 85) was 48.1. I think 51 flat/51 low suited him perfectly, and I don't ever recal him going through 400m in under 51.0.

In the shape he showed in this race he would have won the recent Worlds.

Do you know what Cram's best 200 was?

this was the same era with no EPO test right? but afaik rudisha only ran 25's so.

same reason they weren't run like that before him. He was a freak. Nobody as slow as he was over 400 is ever likely to run 800 as fast as he did. He couldn't break 49. I think his official PB was 49.6 (somewhere around there) set in a 400 race just before the 84 Olympics. Beaten in that by his training partner David Sharpe.

There is no documented pb for him for 200m, but in an interview in AW at the end of his best season (85), he was asked about how he'd improved his speed, and he replied that he was happy with his improved sprinting speed, which he put down to improved strength rather than weights or working on speed technique. He added, "Even in training I've been running low 23s for 200 with a couple of yards rolling start, which isn't fantastic but is pretty good for me, and I've run a 48.1 400m time trial this year."

So I would imagine those 23 lows were probably as part of a series of reps. With a stationary start/blocks, I seriously doubt he could break 23 secs. Possibly around the 23 low-23.5 at best.

Hope that helps.

There was no such thing as synthetic EPO in 1986! It was first seen as a ped in cycling in around 1990, so there is no possible way Cram was on EPO, unless he had a time machine and went 4 years into the future to get it!

I'm laughing that somehow this post has one vote down! Anyway...

Yeah this one of the best ever executed 800m races. The circumstances are kind of incredible too - this wasn't Zurich on a perfectly still and warm summer night on the runway of the Letzigrund, it's cold and windy Edinburgh at 3pm on a Sunday afternoon.

The way he obliterates that field in the last 200 is spectacular and the field isn't chopped liver - McKean and Elliot were both awesome 2 lappers (Elliot 1.42.97 PR and McKean 1.43.88 PR)

I've always maintained that on this day and in this race Cram might have beaten anyone in history. The only 800m runner I believe capable of beating him here would have been Kipketer because he's the only guy I saw run anything comparable in terms of splits at this level (Monaco 1997 - 1.18.0 at 600m closing in 24.8 to run 1.42.8) - then again that's Monaco and not Edinburgh!

Either way, sensational performance by Cram, one of my favorite 800m races of all time.

Not quite that slow.

He had run 49.1 in a domestic low key meet in 1982, when his 800m pb was 1:44.45.

In 1984, in a late season tour of Far East, he recorded a 47.6 relay split (which works out around 48.2/48.3 for an open 400m). He stated in interview in late 85 that he had been really happy with that relay split. He also added in same interview that he had recorded a 48.1 in a training timed trial. This was in the summer of his best season, so I could imagine in a proper race situation he would likely have run around 47 high/48 flat.

But yes, he did have incredible speed endurance and I can't think of another sub 1:43 guy from history who could run an everage of 2 laps so close to his 400m best.

When did white cease to be a color?

Many African and Caribbean nations boycotted that year because the UK government had not imposed sanctions on South Africa.

Just fish&chips and no internet.

Slow down, Sal. With the likes of Rudisha in the field Cram probably would have not entered the 800m, let alone gone out in 49-point and/or 1:14... he would have been a good 2 seconds back on the finishing straight.

It was a magnificent run by Cram, but there are several considerations regarding the race that should be taken into consideration.

For a start, the opposition were not the greatest. Elliott was certainly nowhere near his best (had only just broken 1:45 for the season leading up to the Games) and McKean was on the up, choosing to peak at the Europeans a month later, where he ran almost the same time as here, but with a 1.0sec faster last 200m).

There was also a boycott of practically all the African nations, which further depleted the field, and no Coe due to illness. That is not saying Cram wouldn't have won that day, but the performance was heightened by lack of opposition, possibly one of the weakest of any championship final I've seen. He was able to run in the knowledge he was so much better than the rest.

Secondly, it was hardly a 'Championship race/performance' in the true meaning of the phrase, involving navigating rounds over consecutive days. He'd run a 1:51.4 and 1:48.7 on the 28th to qualify, and then it was 3 days later that the final was run. So it was more like a 1 off fast circuit race.

Cram had drafting from 200 to 470m. He was tight on the 2nd bend, ran on the line with lane 2 on some of the 3rd bend (2.5m extra) and tight in lane 1 on last bend once passing
Elliott at 600m. That is equivalent to 0.3 secs, so it was intrinsically worth around
the 1:42.9 mark, same for his Zurich run.

This isn't quite as good as Kipketer's 1:42.8 (entirely on the rails and with more drafting - up to 600m) in 97, which had a faster overall 2nd lap (50.8 and a last 200m of 24.8).

I'm pretty sure Rudisha from 2012 and Coe from 81 would also have beaten Cram in that race too. In fact Coe's run/win over Cram at the Europeans a month later, if the splits and race are analysed properly, was intrinsically at least as good as Cram's Commonwealth run; it just didn't appear to be due to the main protagonists being closer at the end. In Stuttgart Coe ran 11m extra on bends and finished with a 24.8 last 200m (faster than Cram here) running most of the bend in lane 2. So in essence it was more like a 1:43 low with a 24.4 final 200m. This with 3 consecutive races on 3 days .

Cram just didn't have the 400m speed to beat 1:40 (Rudisha)/1:41 runners with 45.0 (Rudisha) - 46.0 400m ability, even when he crushed a field like this.
The Commonwealth 800 is another prime example of Cram running his best times off
even splits, this time 51.7/51.5 (possibly 51.8/51.4, but on closer look I think it's nearer to the former splits). I think this was close to his limit, although I doubt there was anyone in the world on that particular day that could have beaten him.

Hard to always get accurate information on Cram's early races. In making of an athlete book the appendix lists major races but its more like major races he ran well. So for instance in 1977 he didn't run well in the English schools cross so its not listed. I beleive his next race was his 3.47.7 age 16 first world best. In 1978 he ran well in the English Schools cross so its listed.

Also, almost all the times are listed incorrectly. So when he ran an 800 pb of 1.53.5 its listed as 1.53.05

This thread has earned Steve Cram praise from the Usual Suspects, men who bow to Queen of England.

* Steve Cram was not the first man or woman to race a fast 800m with a negative split race. Emmanuel Korir just did so a couple months ago at W.C. Johnny Gray raced a fast negative split 800m. Jarmila Kratochvilova set 800m w.r. in a negative split race. Athing Mu raced negative splits, last year to earn Olympic 800m gold.

* Steve Cram, let's be honest, was too chickensh!t to race 800m at Olympics &/or W.C. Isn't he the only sub-1:43 800m man who was too chickensh!t to race 800m at Olympics &/or W.C?

* Steve Cram was too chickensh!t to race 800m at Olympics &/or W.C. because due to his neglect of proper 800m training, he knew due to his lack of 200m & 400m speed, S. Cram would have had to red line it just to make 800m final and he still may have been embarrassed and missed 800m finals at Olympics & W.C.

Too much praising of slow sprinters on this site. It is not a badge of honor for a guy to chose to log 110 to 150 miles per week and fails to properly develop their 200m & 400m speed. Don't blame his parents and grandparents for his lack of 200m & 400m speed.

Hadn't noticed before, but on second inspection I think you are right. It does seem a bit sketchy and selective with info. It also has Coe's and Straub's times in Moscow as 3:38.04 and 3:38.08, rather than 3:38.4 & 3:38.8.

Well spotted.

I did not know Mu was racing before Cram!

Cram did run 800m at the Olympics.

What time did Rudisha Cruz, Kipketer run over 1500m? Cram was a lot better 800m runner than they were a 1500m runner and hence a better overall middle distance distance runner.