I recall that Steve Cram was injured the year that he set the world record for the mile run. He looked effortless in that 3:46 race, I swear he could have run another lap at the same pace. I recall also that he was limited to running only about 5 miles per run due to the injury, but ran the miles at 5 minute pace. Anyone out there know what he did for workouts that year? Bazza...you got any info? Other Brits?
Cram was injury prone, however due to his massive talent (3.47 for 1500 at age 16) he was still able to produce world class performances off limited training. The majority of his training was completed with other world class runners (brendan foster, micky mccloed,david sharpe etc..)His steady runs would usually start at a slow pace e.g 6 minute mile but would end up with the last couple of miles ran at sub 5 pace. Typical hard sessions would include mile reps on the road, 1200 meter time trials on the track in sub 2.50 and speed sessions such as 8 * 200 in 25 with 30 second recoveries.
think 85 was the one year Cram wasn't injured - he had problems in 84 and in 86 then onwards. 85 he won the Northern XC at Thirsk racecourse at a canter and went on to run 3.29 /3.46 / 1,42 and 4.51 for 2K. Legend.
and hes now boneing a bird a lot younger than him. fair play.
who is he boneing? Is it an athlete? I heard a rumour about him and ex 400 metre international Alison Curbishley!
Yes, 1985 must have been when I saw Cram kick ass in Oslo and run 3:46. He crossed the line and floated another 200m at 60 second pace. He looked fresh. Amazing! I still think he could have run two seconds faster that day if the rabbit was pushing a little faster. He looked like Morcelli did; invincible.
As amazing as the mile was, his 1500 at Nice may have been better and his 800 vs Cruz (Rieti?) may have been even better 1:42 and change. What a freakin year and still didn't get AOY. Aouita got it instead.
Very true, Swoosh. Cram kicked butt that year. Said, though, was tough on several occassions and was veratile. I think it was a draw. One raced more (Said) and had really good performances, and the other had a record in one event, close in two others (Cram).
I used to watch cram train when i was a kid and he ran 3.42 not 3.47 at 16. My dad was the Physical Ed. teacher at his school so had the opportunity to see him develop at a young age. He started off running 400 metres at school and was very very good at it, but he did not have it all his own way, he had a younger brother Kevin who was his equal up to the age of about 15 when he drifted away from teh sport, there was only 10 months between them, sadly he died last year from some kind of anuerism whilst out jogging. There was also another guy in his year at school, who packed up on leaving school who won run him close. Of course when he did start to make it theer were other great very young British milers on the scene, Tim Hutchings and Graham Williamson being almost as good, Williamson never seemed to get the breaks of Crammy but was nonetheless very taleneted.
He trained at my local track and I remember him training very very hard, he was naturally gifted but had a tremendous work effort. Watching him in full flight was one of the most impressive sights in sport, his stride was supposedly 12/13 feet in full flow. I remember him doing sessions of 400 metre turn arounds at the track with maybe 20 secs recoveryin 57/58. Interesting thing was his protege David Sharpe, World Cup winner, European silver medallsit and 1.43 guy used to be able to match him in sessions and would often run away on the last lap. Sharpey was world junior champion and had atendency to run like Borzokovsky, I honestly think he had more talent that Crammy but he was nuts. his training revolved around teh odd 4 mile spin about 7 minute mile pace with a park session and a track session per week. He drove fast cars, liked to party and was not particularly bright but he was a great runner. 1 hour before the European 800 final nobody could find hima nd teh team management were searching everywhere for him, he was found eating a roast dinner in the athletes canteen, 50 minutes later he was on the track and ran 1.45 for a silver medal to Tom McKean. he stopped racing around the time Crammy packed up and yet he was only about 26, a real waste of talent.
The good thing about Crammy was that in teh winter he raced on the road and country, he was very good over 10 miles, 48 minutes and was an accomplished Xc runner, winning the NE county champs, no mean feat in those days, consideringa lot of teh guys were world class. Never fulfilled his 5k potential.
Being an American, I didn't see Cram much. But I was in Nice one summer coaching an athlete and I saw Cram walking down the street one day. The thing is, he was walking faster than anyone I've even seen outside of race walkers. Small thing, but it was striking.
I was lucky to attend the Oslo WR. I remember how Coe came up on Cram with about 200 to go. Cram took a peak back and accelerated, gapping Coe by 5 meters. I agree he had a lot more in the tank that day.
Damn, forgot to add him to my list of heroes, some of which were local from my area.
Cram always has been my all time favorite miler. That stride. Reminds me now of watching Kipketer (800) before the Malaria. A beautiful thing to see.
An even more amazing thing considering the 3:42 at age 16 was that it was a solo affair! Imagine that if you will...
Monty
I started memorizing numbers and stats when I was a kid and Cram's 3:46 was the first one I remember regarding the mile. Just cause of that his name will always stick out in my mind. Ever since then finding out things about him makes it richer.
yowsa wrote:
Very true, Swoosh. Cram kicked butt that year. Said, though, was tough on several occassions and was veratile. I think it was a draw. One raced more (Said) and had really good performances, and the other had a record in one event, close in two others (Cram).
In 1985 Steve Cram broke three world records in 19 days - 1500m (3:29.67) in a race in which he beat Aouita, 1mile (3:46.32) in a race in which he beat Coe and 2000m (4:51.39). He was 3rd fastest in the world at 800m (1:42.88) in a race in which he beat reigning Olympic Champion Cruz and for good measure also clocked 2:12.88 for 1000m.
Aouita was amazing but 85 was Cram's year.
I always thought Cram was the most perfect miler formwise I had ever seen...unlike El G came along.
I still have the 85 mile record on tape. Cram was capable of at least 3:44 that evening. He blew away from Coe on the backstretch. Guys are right in saying that 85 was the year he wasn't injured. He usually had calf problems, etc. He'd be in the thick of it today, with his PR's of 1:42, 3:29, 3:46, etc. He ran a 2:12.8 1k in 85 in horrible conditions. If the wind hadn't been so bad, he'd have run low 2:11's at least. If he hadn't been injured in 84, I think he'd have taken the 1500 from Coe. Going into the 88 Games, Cram was hurt bad, again. He had beaten everyone at the Dream Mile, (Bile, Elliot, etc.) and was the fave ... until he blew his calf out. Bad luck.
I've got that 3:46 mile on tape as well as the first sub-3:30 1500m, and Coe's 1:41 800m. It was unbelievable how Cram blew Coe away on that last lap in Oslo.
yowsa wrote:
I recall that Steve Cram was injured the year that he set the world record for the mile run. He looked effortless in that 3:46 race, I swear he could have run another lap at the same pace. I recall also that he was limited to running only about 5 miles per run due to the injury, but ran the miles at 5 minute pace. Anyone out there know what he did for workouts that year? Bazza...you got any info? Other Brits?
HEAVE USE OF EPO LIKE COE AND OVETT...
there was no epo then
Trackhead, any chance of negociating a copy of those races? I would pay you for the materials and shipping etc.