Steve Cram

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Medal record
Olympic Games
Men's Athletics
Silver	1984 Los Angeles	1500 m
World Championships
Gold	1983 Helsinki	1500 m
European Championships
Gold	1982 Athens	1500 m
Gold	1986 Stuttgart	1500 m
Bronze	1986 Stuttgart	800 m
Commonwealth Games
Gold	1982 Brisbane	1500 m
Gold	1986 Edinburgh	1500 m
Gold	1986 Edinburgh	800 m

Steve Cram MBE (born October 14, 1960) is an English former athlete who vied with fellow English athletes Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett during their domination of middle distance running in the 1980s. He was the first man to run under 3 minutes and 30 seconds for the 1500 metres. Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arrow", he set world records in the 1500 metres, 2000 metres, and the mile, within 19 days in the summer of 1985. His mile time of 3:46.32 stood for eight years and is still the European record. This run was notable for the fact that this was an actual competitive race against Sebastian Coe & had significant variations in pace, lap-to-lap, rather than a typical even-paced, pace-maker led time-trial. It's been speculated that if Cram had run that race with even pacing, he would have recorded a time around 3:45.00 - 3:45.50 ( equivalent to 3:28.33 - 3:28.80 for 1500m using accepted conversion factor of 1.08 )

He competed as a teenager at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games in the 1500 m, in which Coe and Steve Ovett, 4 or 5 years older, vied for the gold medal. Cram finished far down the field but healthier for the experience.

Capitalizing on his Olympic experience, Cram became the 1982 European and Commonwealth Games champion at 1500 m.

In a 2006 interview Cram described an epic 1983 race against Steve Ovett at the Crystal Palace: "It was a cat-and-mouse affair - we both started off running at the back of the field. I beat him by little more than the thickness of a vest." (Quoted in "Face to face: Steve Cram", by John Gibson, May 2 2006, The Evening Chronicle, gazettelive.co.uk ). In the 1983 1500 m World Championship final, despite injury disrupting much of that season's training, he strategically beat a large field following Aouita's break with 500 m to go. Ovett was trapped in the pack, ultimately finishing fourth, while Cram outkicked Steve Scott and Said Aouita in the last 200 m. In a remark made in Cram's presence shortly afterwards which spoke to the depth of British milers, Ovett noted that Britain was the home of the Olympic champion, World champion and World Record holder in the 1500 m - and they are all different individuals. Cram also beat Coe in an 800 m at Gateshead in front of a record crowd, broadcast live on BBC.

An Olympic Games gold medal eluded him, although he did win silver in the 1500 m behind defending champion Coe in the 1984 Los Angeles games when not completely fit.

Arguably his greatest year was in 1985 when he was virtually invincible. He beat the reigning 800 m Olympic Champion, Joaquim Cruz, over the 800 m in 1:42.88, broke three world records (1500 m, Mile, 2000 m) within a 19 day span, and recorded a British All Comers Record over the 1000 m, running 2:12.88 (the second fastest 1000 m in history at the time behind Coe's 2:12.18). He was the first man to run under 3:30.00 for the 1500 m, just beating Said Aouita in Nice (running 3:29.67 to Aouita's 3:29.71). During this season he said (and indeed demonstrated) that he could win from any position and happily ran near the back of world class fields before unleashing his kick, often with a lap or so to go. This tactic and his effortless acceleration made him one of the most exciting middle distance runners to watch.

Cram's good form continued into the 1986 season in which he won both the 800 m and 1500 m at the Commonwealth Games (his winning 800 m time - 1:43:22 - is still the games' record). Later in the season he won the bronze in the European Championships over 800 m behind Seb Coe and Tom McKean while beating Coe to the gold medal over the 1500 m. Also that year he was awarded the MBE.

He was favourite to win the gold medal over 1500 m at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 but a calf injury just before the games in a 1000 m race meant that he was only able to finish fourth in a close race. Injury dogged him throughout his remaining years although he made the semi final over the 1500 m at the 1993 World Championships. He retired from athletics in 1994.

Cram now works as a television presenter and athletics commentator predominantly for the BBC and as a motivational speaker. He has married Alison Curbishley. He was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1983. He remains the UK record holder over 1,500m.

[edit] Personal bests

Distance	Mark	Date
800 m	1:42.88	1985
1000 m	2:12.88	1985
1500 m	3:29.67	1985
Mile	3:46.32	1985
2000 m	4:51.39	1985
2 Miles	8:14.93	1983
5000 m	13:28.58	1989
Marathon	2:35	1999

Preceded by Daley Thompson	BBC Sports Personality of the Year 1983	Succeeded by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean
Preceded by Carl Lewis	United Press International Athlete of the Year 1985	Succeeded by Diego Maradona