1981 Golden Mile-Seb Coe(WR),Brussels

The last and most assured of Coe's three mile world records,run just two days after his rival Steve Ovett had taken the mile WR off of Coe. A class field (no Ovett,of course) had no answer to Coe's speed,only the Kenyan Mike Boit giving him much of a race.Coe took over a second off of the WR,the evergreen Boit following in a new African record.

[@fonsjac]

That is one of the most elegant miles ever run, and maybe one of the most incredible athletic performances of all time!

[@user-qk7vv3mx1s]

He was an elegant runner was Seb. he glided over the track.

[@jerrygolan7763]

That was the golden age of running!! Love Eamon Coughlan

[@kevinkilduff2064]

Jerry, I too enjoyed watching Eamon and then Marcus, along with Flynn and Treacy. The Irish did indeed enjoy a Golden Age. Not sure either Eamon or Marcus, both world class in their own rights, especially indoors, where they were essentially unbeatable, could match on the outdoor oval the Brits of the time-Coe, Ovett, Cram and later the Africans. But indoors Eamon and Marcus were giants!

[@kevinkilduff2064]

Some will argue Hicham or Said or Ovett, Morcelli or Cram. For my money Seb is the best middle distance runner in history.

[@KryptonitetoallBS]

No argument from me. EPO wasn't heard of in the late 70's and early 80's. During the 1990's it's use was rampant. For me the top 3 best runners ever were 1. Coe 2. Ovett 3. Morceli. Far, far to many question marks over the sudden improvement of times by El Guerrouj.

[@itsinthetreesitscoming7431]

Coe's the best because of his range and the margins he created when he broke records. 1.41.7 for 800 is still a staggering time to this day and still will be half a century later, which is frankly ridiculous....

[@drrsc]

thnx for posting - Coe the elder got quite excited giving Sebby his splits at the 200m marker. That was a remarkable final 100 meters.

[@runninggirl2765]

It was like Seb glanced back at his coach dad and said "I'm doing all I can!"

[@rodneyallister9877]

I was a Runner for 30 year the best mile l could do was 5 minute.mile pace Now 80 years old I loved running

[@murkymurk8305]

Thank you. Love the period where athletes wore different kits. Didn't know Coe hit a kerb and still went on to WR. Great run by Boit and of course Byers who may have gone a bit too fast.

[@donny2327]

In his Hallamshire Harriers singlet too. Iconic run

[@booklover3959]

AWESOME!!! And good quality picture too which is hard to find in these older races. Seb Coe...A Deserved Legend. I think that is his coach and dad on the field urging him on and going nuts. His dad was a great coach by the way. Thanks for posting this.

[@johnjones9689]

The man at 4:04 urging Coe on is his dad, Peter.

[@myopenmind527]

Spotted that too.

[@SirPeter6464]

Not actually allowed. Explicitly banned.

[@Robert-mn8gc]

4me Coe was the Best Middle Distance Runner 🏃‍♂️ going around. This period of time was just sensational 4 Middle Distance Running just like in the 1960's 😅

[@paulf9487]

I wonder what times the guy of this era could have run with wavelight technology.

[@deano27671]

He said in his biography that he regretted holding back over the last 500m in order to have a good kick at the end. This was probably because Boit was still with him, but he should have the confidence to realise Boit would not be a real threat. Coe said that had he "gone for the record at the bell", he'd have run 3:46.5 that night. Considering the pace was all over the place (55.3/58.0 for 1st 2 laps) and he had no drafting for 200m on the 2nd lap, I believe he could have run 3:45.0 that night.

[@redd605]

I agree if he had run the way he did in1979 1500m record and1000 m 1981 yes 3.45 or lower.look how long the 1.500 m and mile record today has last when running 100% confident.. and ability.

[@mickeymouse7861]

Not to mention the stumble, Deano!

[@APBCTechnique]

3:45 but he didn’t and never did after 😂

[@davidhaspell6417]

David Coleman, the finest commentator ever.

[@user-qk7vv3mx1s]

I once ran a mile in 4.55 and i nearly dropped dead after. The pace is increadible. to be a over a minute faster seems impossible.

[@redd605]

Tom Byers pacemaking was incredibly good ,this was another lap 3 mistake like Zurich by Coe 3 sec ahead , last lap could of been 3.44 .

[@user-wy8sj3ed3f]

В 1981 году произошла революция в среднем беге, в основном благодаря усилиям двух выдающихся бегунов- Коу и Оветта. Коу установил 4 мировых рекорда :800м 141.73, только Рудиша( 140.91) и Кипкетер( 141,11) , бегали быстрее, а на дворе уже 2022 год, 1000м 2.12.18: быстрее бегал только олимпийский чемпион Сиднея Нгени 211.96(1999), и два рекорда на милю 3.48.53 и 347.33( быстре бежало лишь 11 человек за всю историю, т.е в период с 1981по 2022).Лучший результат 2021 года 3.47.24( рекорд Бриллиантовой лиги). Оветт установил один рекорд( 3.48.40), но его серия великолепна: 348.40; 349.25; 349.66 на милю и 331.57, 331.95 на 1500м ( мировой рекорд 331.36 принадлежал ему).Если до 1981 года лишь три бегуна( Оветт 348.80; 349.57, Коу 348.95 и Уокер 3.49.4), бежали милю быстрее 3.50, то в 1981 уже 8 в общей сложности 14 раз ( к трем перечисленным прибавились Мэйри( ЮАР- США) 348.83; Бойт( Кения) 34945 ( официальный рекорд Африки), Гонсалес( Испания) 349.67; Скотт( США) 349.68- первый американец пробежавшим из 3.50( побил рекорд великого Джима Райана 351.1(1967)) и Крэм( Англия) 349.95

[@davidfrancis273]

Awesome run in a proper race!

[@simonedwards8888]

Dammit!!!!!! Coe tripped going into the third lap and held on untill a hundred to go,,,he held back,,, he was coasting!!!!!!!!! I knew it back then !!!!!!!just like the brilliant deano said,,,web was easily capable of 3,45 that night!!!!!!!! Faster !!!!!!!! Fuck what Jon roghan says,,,he was clean!!!!!!! And overt and cram,,, Elliott !!!!!!! fantastic!!!!!!!!!! The memories of these wonderful people will live on and inspire nations all over the world for centuries to come!!!!!!!!!!!!! Watch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In 36 years only one guy has beaten send kilometre by a tenth who ran3,43 for the mile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That shows what seb was capable,, worthy of,,,,,,, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ahead of his time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now you got people looking back and saying epo doesn't matter what they say cos genius Will always be slatted put down and shit on coz haters did nothing with there own lives jealous c u next Tuesday's lol!!!!!!!!!! Any way we are blessed,,,soooooooooooo blessed to have had three fantastic world class runners from England !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We need them now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And still people will doubt because of drugs!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know what you could be thinking Chris froome!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know its cycling and it was medication but there will always be doubt,,,,, Coe overt,cram Elliott from this great country were,,,are clean!!!!!!!!!!! Forward!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@pernskyw1289]

Simon...I agree with you 100%. And let's not forget Seb Coe is still the last person to hold the 800, 1000, 1500 and the mile at the same time. Athletes are too specialized these days. Henry Rono...Still the last person to hold 3000m 3000mst, 5000m and 10000m at the same time during the same era..... AAAAAhhhhhh.....the good ole days

[@SirPeter6464]

Best time athletics ever had. Just saw world records in competitive races. His father was actually not allowed to stand at track side and shout times. Yet always did it. Always thought that was a form of cheating.

[@LPCLASSICAL]

despite that - Coe invariably had abysmal pacing. This race was an exception and Byers did a good job. sorry - just seen Coe's splits - looks like Byers slowed badly on the 2nd lap.

[@deano27671]

that should have said "no drafting for 200m on the THIRD lap"

[@soulyrasheed]

sebs fastest mile... not perfect, but boit a legend, at 32 african records 3:49...

[@jeremyhomewood9573]

A few years later boit ran the fastest downhill mile in 3:27 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On the road !!!!!!!!!!!

[@OrbvsTomarvm]

more than a second off after nearly bitin the dust ...ffft.

[@sergelu]

El Guerrouj was 6

[@simonedwards5564]

When you take away SEBS third lap and add his lap his three laps time is 2:47 and bits,,,, cram is slightly faster with 2:47' (7?) That means had COE or cram been taken through 1,200m in 2,47 ,!!!!!!! Cram was definitely capable of 54/55 last lap in 1985 we would have seen a 3:45 mile for Coe and 3:44 for cram,,,,, who ran ,53''2 LAST LAP MEANING THAT WITH BETTER PACEMAKING HE WOULD HAVE ACHIEVED JUST THAT!!!!!!!!!

[@deano27671]

Coe said at the time of this WR that he kept something back for the last 100m, and that had he 'gone for it at the bell' he'd have run 3:46.5. Coe usually didn't kick until the last 100m, whereas Cram would go hard from 300 or 400 out and try to maintain that pace. I believe that in this form in 81, Coe was also capable of a 3:44 mile with perfect even pacing.

[@bwhitt2010]

57's x 3 laps average pace +56.3 roughly = 3:47.3 world record. All that distance training paid off; a lot of it in foul, less than ideal weather in Britain. With the effort he gave every day; had he been taller with longer stride length; like Steve Cram, or others, he might have gone even faster: say 56's x 3, + final 55 or 4:43; or final lap of 53 = 4:41 or even faster. You cannot compare athletes from different periods, there are too many different variables.

[@deano27671]

I used to think that Coe would have been faster had he been as tall as Cram, but I'm not sure that is the case. It has more to do with stride length in relation to the athlete's height, and in that respect I think there wouldn't have been much in it. Coe's 3:47.3 (55.3, 58.0, 58.6, 55.4) was off less evenly split laps compared to Cram's (57.2, 57.3, 58.6, 53.2) WR. The latter also ran many more Mile races than Coe did, who tended to run mainly 800s. I think both were capable of substantially faster at both 1500 and 1 mile.

[@bwhitt2010]

deano27671 thank-you deano; please explain your view of stride length/ height ration. I was just averaging lap splits, I did not know what the precise splits were. of course, if Coe were a taller version of himself, he would be fasger.

[@deano27671]

ben whittaker Hi.Tbh, I'm not an expert on the biomechanics or physiology of the sport. All I know is that Coe's leg length as a ratio of his total height is as impressive as Cram's. Coe's inside leg measurement was 34inches, which is long considering he was only 5'9". His stride length, while not as long as Cram's, was long for his height, and he had a faster leg 'turnover' than Cram. I don't think it just comes down to height as to whether someone will be faster. If you look at Gebreselassie & Bekele, they are only about 5'5" and 5'7" respectively. If Coe could be a 6' version of himself and maintain the same leg speed and aerobic ability, then yes, he would probably have been faster.

[@albertbrooksjr.1435]

Octavian Alexander What about later and great runner Hicham El Guerrouj?

[@gakaface]

I've been looking at this for a while. Of course the length of the leg does play a significant part but not as much as you might think. Sometime ago I analysed some videos of Coe and Juantorena over 800m. Coe took 190 ish strides to complete the last lap which gave him a stride length of 2.10 metres, whereas Juantorena took only 166 strides, giving him a massive 2.40 metre stride length - probably the biggest of any athlete ever. Rudisha took 171 strides in his WR in 2012. Next you work out the number of strides divided by the time taken. That's the cadence, or strides per second. Most athletes get to about 3.2 - 3.3 strides per second. Coe I measured on one run at 3.312 sps. Anyway, speed in metres per second, is sps x stride length. You can work things out from there. BUT what I find interesting really is, as your speed increases, so does stride length, and time off the ground. So I've noticed that even with short athletes such as Haile Gebreselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Daniel Komen, and Seb Coe, when they are running in the big events, they seem taller than they really are - how can that be? How can it be that a 5'9" tall athlete (Coe) looks almost the same height as a 6'1"or 6'2" athlete (Ovett and Cram)? Well, the answer is how fast they're running and consequently, how much elevation or bounce they're achieving in each stride off the track. But if you consider how ordinary people run when they're jogging/training, and you look at pros like Coe training, they're not that different. In training, we don't generate 2 metre stride lengths - that's almost a freaking long jump! Neither do the pros. Therefore, that longer stride must come from somewhere. I call it modified running. If you look carefully, you can see this in some athletes - Justin Gatlin has a clear modified running style, El Guerrouj had a clear modified running style, and Seb Coe had a modified running style but it is harder to see. Steve Ovett and Steve Cram didn't but if they did, they would have been even faster.

[@gakaface]

I just did a side by side comparison of this against El Guerrouj's mile WR. How could it be that El G is 4.2 seconds quicker? Here's the breakdown. Lap 1, Coe is just ahead of El G, with Byers' time of 54.92 for 400m, just 0.2s ahead of Coe. El G has two pacemakers in front of him who trip 440 yards in 55.07. This gives El G a 400m of approx 55.27. The next 100m is significant, for El Guerrouj. He would overtake Coe, and by 609m, he is a full second up. By the time lap 2 is complete he is 1.5 seconds ahead of Coe. On lap 3 he pulls away even faster, taking a further 2.5 seconds out of Coe. In Coe's race, the most significant slow part is when Byers drops out and Coe fails to raise the pace. He loses 1.5 seconds on the 200m from 1009m to 1209m. El Guerrouj reaches 1320 yards in 2:47.91, Coe was documented elsewhere as getting to 1320 yards at 2:51.9 - exactly 4 seconds difference. On the last lap, Coe fails to match El G for the penultimate 200m, losing a further 0.7s, but pulls back 0.5s of that on the final bend , with his final 100m sprint, making no overall impact on El G, as El G had Ngeny chasing him home, slows a little, but still matched Coe's kick. So, overall, Coe, with respect to El Guerrouj's WR, lost approximately 1.5 seconds on lap 2 and 2.5 seconds on lap 3, with laps 1 and 4 roughly even!

[@deano27671]

Yes, the pace really dropped on laps 2 and 3 for Coe, with 58.0 and 58.6! And he only really kicked at the start of the last straight. He clearly lacked a bit of confidence, preferring to keep something for the end. This could be due to the experience he had earlier that season in Stockholm, when he went with a suicidal pace, ran the entire race alone, miles in front of the pack, and was a bit vulnerable in the closing stages. You are not quite right about the final 100m. Coe's last 100 was 13.1(split taken by L'Equipe at the time), and he went through 1500m in 3:32.93, meaning his last 109.344m was 14.40. El G went through 1500m in 3:28.21, meaning his last 109.344m was 14.91, meaning Coe was 0.5 sec faster over the last 109m. Coe's last 200m was 26.9, while El G's was 27.8. So Coe was 0.4 faster round the last bend and then 0.5sec faster in home straight. I'm sure if Coe had been given laps of 56, 56 and 57 that night, he would have run 3:45. The difference between Coe and ELG, was that the latter competed in the EPO era when there was no test for it.

[@gakaface]

Hey Deano, great to hear from you. Thanks for your reply and I stand corrected. So with your more accurate numbers, I calculate the following. Coe's last lap, 400m, was 55.11s, while El Guerrouj's last 400m was 54.90s. Coe's penultimate 200m was 28.21s while El Guerrouj's penultimate 200m was 27.10s. So El Guerrouj took 1.11s out of Coe in the penultimate 200m, not 0.7s as I previously stated! Coe's last 200m was 26.9s. El Guerrouj's last 200m was 27.8s. Coe's penultimate 100m was 13.8. El Guerrouj's was 14.2. So Coe pulled back 0.4s on El Guerrouj on the final turn, not 0.5s as previously stated. And on the last 100 Coe ran 13.1 whereas El Guerrouj took 13.6, so Coe pulled back a further 0.5s on the last 100m. But overall, on the last lap, El Guerrouj ran it 0.21 faster than Coe, doing the damage in the first 200m of the lap.

[@mathematics5573]

I have heard Coe saying he could have run 3:43 for a mile, he would have just rained harder. in the modern era, Coe would have trained harder and run faster, and would have wasited HeG. I know HeG ran faster, but that is only because Coe was 20 yeare earlier. Coe has more weapons: 400m speed, 800m speed and endurance. Ovett could have beaten HeG as well. They were better runners than HeG.

[@jeremyhomewood9573]

@TakeAShowerStinky in third place !!!!!!!3:51 !!!!!!

[@jeremyhomewood9573]

@@mathematics5573 hey also had faster tracks a pacemaker that took him right up to the bell in 2:47'9 and EPO which they hadn't a clue about until way hey set his records !!!!! Of course SEB would have SMASHED heg ESPECIALLY on today's tracks and no FUKKIN DRUGS !!!!!!!!

[@simonedwards5564]

At 3:34 the commentator says SEB COE and the African world record holder,,,all these years and I just spotted this terrible glitch,,, the only WORLD RECORD Mike boit. possibly held was the fact that he was close to 40 YEARS 😂 OLD,,,,or well into his 30's when running astounding TIMES,,,,WOW 😄😄😄,

[@Trigger_000]

*Another lucky win for Coe.*

[@soulyrasheed]

boit's time was 3:49.45, 1/2 s faster than on graphics...

[@joemcm1]

coe and ovett were the only 1500/milers to break world records at a jog.coe was brilliant here,ovett was better tho

[@itsinthetreesitscoming7431]

just how the fuck do you figure that? Coe set far more world records, over a much greater range and won more major medals. To this day his 800 best is the third fastest ever nearly half a century on.....