When Brendan Foster Dominated Middle Distance Running

Sir Brendan Foster CBE (born 12 January 1948 is a British former long-distance runner, athletics commentator and road race organiser, who founded the Great North Run, one of the sport's most high profile half-marathon races. As an athlete, he won the bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics, and the gold medal in the 5,000 metres at the 1974 European Championships and the 10,000 metres at the 1978 Commonwealth Games. He has provided commentary and analysis on athletics, particularly long-distance events, for BBC Sport since the end of his running career.

[@user-hg5ex6cf1o]

one the best athletes of his time love him so much 😮

[@josephazzopardi322]

I think Foster is one of those great runners who did not manage to win the Olympic gold medal but there are many others; for example Ron Clarke, Steve Cram, Harry Rono, Kiptanui, Jazy, Jipcho to name but a few.

[@KevinBower-gy5be]

David Coleman's commentary. Extraordinary. Quite remarkable.

[@elizabethkelly586]

Big Bren. Gutsy and talented. He's still one of the best ever ❤

[@Millennial_Mike]

I worked with his sister for years in a education without realising lol.

[@jstevenson7121]

Loved Bren. 'Peoples Hero' Tough to judge his dominance, though. Yes, 2 WR, but in minor distances. Pity he peaked in non-OLY years, and was off-color in Montreal (although even when fit he was never better than on-form Viren or Lopez).

[@WithBACON]

Quibble: Lopes.

[@sanderslongdrive]

No male athlete ever ran with more balls than Bren. Except maybe Semenya.

[@runningbroscience1534]

Hahaha 😂

[@mikenealon4042]

😅 foster too would lol

[@Petespans]

[@tommytempo1]

Foster won one Commonwealth Games Gold medal, not two as Cram says here. Respect to Brendan and his great achievements, but I wouldn't say that he dominated World Middle Distance Running.

[@david2804me]

Foster was a very good runner and then commentator and then organiser etc but he was never a middle distance runner except for about 10 minutes early in his career....he absolutely never dominated it.

[@johnmc3862]

Great runner, never dominated in fairness.

[@soulyrasheed]

his best race is not there - Commies 5000m final '74

[@schmidcl77]

Not sure, is he vegan or why u uploaded it 🤷‍♂️

[@runningbroscience1534]

Is a Vegan not allowed love Athletics?

[@randyevermore9323]

It's rare footage of an important figure in athletics. BF was the first distance runner, at least in my memory, to throw in 60-second laps in mid-race to break a field. It was extremely impressive at the time. As an aside, use of the term "heel-striker" was still decades away, but based in this clip, BF certainly fell in that category. Thanks for the upload, as always, Vegan Bro!

[@mattmoran4341]

He didn't dominate though..