Cram & Ovett - 1 Mile, IAC Coke Meeting, Crystal Palace, London 1983.

Steve Cram and Steve Ovett competing over the Mile at the IAC Coke Meeting, Crystal Palace, London in 1983.
Ovett had broken the 1500m World Record in Rieti on Sunday 4th Sept, won a 1000m race in Engelheim, Germany on Tues 6th and ran this race on Friday 9th Sept. He probably would have been jaded from the races and travel. However, he stepped on the track to meet the challenge of Cram.
Commentators - David Coleman and Brendan Foster.
BBC Coverage.

[@johnmoorely7275]

Wonderful to see Ovett warmly congratulating Cram at the end of the race and Cram warmly acknowledging it - two greats in more than just athletic terms. Excellent commentary, as usual, by Coleman

[@alanfretten6709]

I was there just on the finish line, one of the best races I've ever seen the atmosphere was amazing and the applause went on for ages. Athletics could do with more of these head to head races. It's such a shame that apart from this race the top middle distance runners of the day mostly avoided racing each other outside of major championships.

[@tommytempo1]

Ovett had broken the 1500m World Record in Rieti on Sunday 4th Sept, won a 1000m race in Engelheim, Germany on Tues 6th and ran this race on Friday 9th Sept. He no doubt, would have been jaded from the races and travel. However, he stepped on the track to meet the challenge of Cram.

[@antonrossouw8015]

Those were the days, the commentators was in a different class. So well informed.

[@guy1804]

Great commentary "Cram with the elegant stride and Ovett the patrol in second place". Trademark classic from the great David Coleman

[@tonyalder]

He didn’t have an elegant stride in LA84 actually his head was bobbing and he was well beaten

[@michaeldixon8342]

Great race!

[@worldcupwonders]

Those were the days !

[@ronaldofenomino857]

England ruled the middle distance in the 80’s. The Fab 3 I call them. Coe, Ovett and Cram! 🚀

[@downtherabbithole1353]

This was the golden era of middle distance running

[@joemcm1]

two winners

[@soulyrasheed]

change of the guard... even great Stevie satisfied

[@waynebell9762]

Proper tear up!

[@derekclatterbridge1646]

Ovett magnanimous, as always, in defeat.

[@guidomonferra3937]

Forza in essere ottimale (di quella gara, gara in quel giusto momento) con il metodo più consono alla massima resa distribuendo nella preparazione quantità di agilità, rapidità e tenuta aerobica. Chi è riuscito a farlo senza intoppi ma potenziandosi progressivamente sempre di più esaltando così le proprie caratteristiche vincerà questa gara.

[@jontyarnold8522]

I still want Ovett to catch him....

[@mathematics5573]

I have always thought that a fit younger Ovett from 1977 to 1981, could have caught Cram and beaten him at the end. Ovett at his best was probably a bit better than Cram at his best. Ovett did set more world record,

[@johnforster1593]

You can want what you want pal Cram beat him all ends up

[@MAOLALAIDH]

@@mathematics5573 Cram's bests were faster though....

[@samhardy6319]

They were all great at their best, but Cram had 1.42.88 800m pace so probably had the edge of Ovett at his peak.

[@mathematics5573]

@@johnforster1593 Only just. Ovett is clearly past his best days, and he still kept up with Cram.

[@stuartchester6899]

That still rose the hairs on my neck donkeys years later .Talk about evenly matched . Cogniscenti s race .Pity the mile is dead and buried now with the mile record static for years at I think around 3.44 ish

[@mathematics5573]

i his 1977 mile of 3.54, he runs the last 100m in 12 or 13. He runs it 1 to 2 secondsfaster than this race. That means the Ovett from 1977 could have beaten Cram in this 1983 race.

[@jamescarpenter6585]

Ovett lost 20-30% of his kick after the “railing accident”…showed he still had World Class strength though. Cram destroyed a fully fit Coe with the same tactics in his world mile record and again when winning European 1500 title. Sadly, Cram turned up at ‘84 nursing himself back from injury.

[@mathematics5573]

@@jamescarpenter6585 I'd hardly say Coe was fully fit in 1985. He was past his best years,

[@keithbate9405]

@@mathematics5573 Maybe but that was Coe's best ever time over the mile !

[@samhardy6319]

They both dawdledd at the beginning, had to make up ground, then kicked from quite some distance out so any final kick would be diminished. Ovett's 1977 race was run quite differently.

[@KryptonitetoallBS]

@@jamescarpenter6585 Cram never beat a fully fit Coe. The closest time when Cram won was the 1500 in 1986, but Coe had still missed almost the whole of 1985 with illness and injury and he'd just ran all the heats and final of the 800 when beating Cram, but he was 30 by this time as he was the older man. He'd also had various illnesses in previous years including toxoplasmosis. The nearest thing we ever saw to Coe and Cram being in their prime and fully fit was LA 1984 Olympic 1500 metre final. Cram had won the World Championships in 1983 taking advantage of Coe and Ovetts absence. Coe had missed most of 1983 with injury and illness but came back in 84.