Chariots of Fire. Seb Coe & Steve Cram

Great Ormand Street Hospital - Charity Appeal - Chariots of Fire Race, The Great Court, Trinity College Cambridge. Date Unknown!
Courtesy of Brian Ward

[@stevemorse108]

Seb Coe used to be a role model to me when I was at university as a sportsman and as a man with exceptional will power.

[@201081hero]

This was held on Saturday 29th October 1988.

[@jeffallinson8089]

Both legends running a historic race for a great cause. Everyone was a winner here!!

[@daledishman7155]

Marvelous, good show!

[@jasmineblack9778]

Thanks this is great

[@marriedkiwi]

When i saw this race my wife and i who immigrated to england felt finally proud to be called English

[@rodneyallister9877]

Brilliant 👍🌟

[@davebirse4843]

Too cool!!

[@TheSecondWitness]

They both beat the clock and the bell, because they only had to cross the finish before the final chime can no longer be heard. Great job Seb and Steve as well. First class track athletes, and first class individuals all the way.

[@matthewlockey5965]

I remember that

[@joejoejoe4577]

Cram too leggy for those ridiculous angular turns. Coe’s lower centre of gravity was a big advantage.

[@nickbamber268]

Coe took the lead at the start. Impossible to pass on a short square course like this.

[@ZeldaFitz]

I was in Cambridge this day but did not see the race

[@eoinbrennan3949]

What was the date?

[@ZeldaFitz]

@@eoinbrennan3949 mid/late October 1988. I’ve got the exact date in my diary, I just can’t be arsed to dig it out.

[@outsiders4951]

I'm surprised Cram agreed to do this. It's a course just short of 400 meters so he knew he wouldn't win as he had nowhere near the same degree of speed as Coe had. Must have been paid a decent amount for a guest appearance, that's all I can think of. Nice to see Coe dressed quint for the occasion, he's fucking brilliant to watch, so smooth and elegant in his running style, what a legend.

[@DerekDDuval]

Errr, charity

[@tomthumb3500]

Maybe he done it for fun.

[@gm2407]

Corners made it a competition.

[@markwilson1026]

Cram won Olympic gold in the 800. He's no slouch!

[@malehumanperson7901]

Cram didn't win Olympic gold in anything, let alone the 800. Great athlete, mind you.@@markwilson1026

[@nickbamber268]

Dangerous corners.

[@mathematics5573]

Seb at his best fitness, could have beaten the chimes by about 5 seconds. He could do 46sec 400m.

[@mikearndt2217]

45.7 on a stumble actually

[@ZeldaFitz]

I think this took place around September 1988

[@donny2327]

October something

[@ZeldaFitz]

@@donny2327 your correct

[@user-nq4rv3zn3i]

The distance suited Coe best; cram couldn't move his long legs properly

[@mathematics5573]

Issac Newton at his best, could have run around, as he tested his laws of motion.

[@glywnniswells9480]

Who has beaten the clock in History?

[@mathematics5573]

date 1988 or 1989.

[@donny2327]

October 1988, if memory serves. It was not long after Games in South Korea the month before, where Cram competed over the 8&15, with Coe not being selected for either (crazy decision). Cram wore his famous Jarrow club colors here; Coe was more casual; apart from his signature -model Diadora trainers.

[@redd605]

@@donny2327 I remember this I read a few years ago that they looked at the footage and both failed to do it,coe just missed it. By inches.

[@donny2327]

anfeild8 yes I think you can see that even on this footage; Coe seemed a split second behind. Still ....

[@justinrinaldi5159]

It’s on the completion of the chime, not the last stride of the bell. So even if the cottage shows the bell being struck, you have to listen for when the chime ends to see if they cross the line first.

[@outsiders4951]

@@redd605 They would have done it no problem (especially Coe) if the clock wasn't chiming faster than it used to. Coe can easily run 341 meters in less than 46 seconds, even if it is on cobbles in his trainers. He can run just under 46 seconds for 400 meters on the track FFS, so this feat would have been accomplished comfortably if not for the slight malfunction with the clock.

[@markmunozmusic2321]

It was reported that Coe beat the clock, so I find this video proving he didn't, , the race was to beat the clock , not record the best time of the race!!

[@MrEddipp]

they did the chime was still dying as they crossed the line.

[@winny8420]

Coe was just a better sprinter than Cram

[@APBCTechnique]

Cram beat Coe in their last track race at Euro 1500m in 86.

[@matthewlockey5965]

Yeah But Coe won the 800

[@APBCTechnique]

@@matthewlockey5965 my point was their last race the 1500m Cram won & Coe lost it 😢

[@David-be7jn]

check their head to head meetings coe wen most races u melt

[@paulwilliams8389]

​@@David-be7jn They only ever raced 7 times - Coe won 4-3 but two of the races were in 1980-81 when Coe was at his peak and Cram was a 19-20 year old still on the way up.

[@JohnDoe-yi4xd]

That doesn't look like 400 meters.

[@rodneyallister9877]

I am 80 years old A club runner I have raced against cram in the 3 a cross country nationals Steve cram Pulled our off the race Due to cramp rubbish just a good talker Mo Farah is a nother I ran for the three.A We were not paid to compete mo fatal had do half as much as a club athletic running

[@kingcurry6594]

Sorry, your name is??? Ah, never heard of you. Perhaps you should achieve something before criticising these legends.