Steve Smythe charts the middle-distance runner’s early years through the 1970s in the first part of an Ovett race history special
Steve Ovett is uniquely the only athlete to win major championship golds at 800m (Olympics), 1500m (Europeans) and 5000m (Commonwealth).
His first mention in AW was 50 years ago in 1970 and his biggest honour, the Olympic gold, came 40 years ago in 1980.
No other athlete had his unique blend of speed and endurance that as a junior saw him win national titles at 400m and over six miles of cross-country.
And who else would run a half-marathon a few weeks before the biggest race opportunity of his life at the 1977 World Cup?
It is true he cannot match Coe’s Olympic record with a gold and bronze to his rival’s two golds and two silvers and Coe also clearly has the edge in record breaking, especially as that range included multiple records at 800m and 1000m.
However Ovett arguably had the better competitive record. In 1974 all the way through to just before the 1984 Olympics, not one British athlete beat him at 800m and that included wins over Coe in both the Europeans and Olympics. He ran in three Olympic 800m finals and also gained two European silvers.
From 1977 to the Olympic final in 1980 he won 46 consecutive races at 1500m and mile and though he lost in Moscow, he still then went on to win a staggering number of races at the longer distances until 1986.
Here we give detailed information of over 150 of his best races in chronological order from his English Schools 400m win in 1970 to his Commonwealth 5000m gold in 1986.
1970 (age 14)
English Schools Championships, junior boys 400m, Solihull, July 11
1st 51.8
He was a 400m runner initially and ran 53.7 in September 1969 (just one tenth outside the UK age best) and it was a win in the 1970 Sussex Schools in 51.6 (a fifth outside the UK age 14 best) that got him his first mention in AW magazine (pictured below) and a month later he won his first major title as he set a championship record and won by 15 metres.
1971 (age 15)
Pollitt Trophy 800m, Brighton, April 24
2nd 1:56.8
He lost to an older athlete (John Barrow’s 1:56.6) and in doing so gained his first picture in AW with a remarkable three-plus second PB.
English Schools Championships, inter boys 400m, Crystal Palace, July 10
3rd 50.4
As a first year intermediate had to settle for bronze as he matched his semi final time. R Owen won in 49.9.
AAA Youth Championships, Wolverhampton, August 7
1st 49.8
Passing 200m in 23.5, he held on to break 50 for the first time and win his first AAA title from P Sankey (50.5).
Invitation, Crystal Palace, August 22
1st 1:55.3 (UK age 14 record)
In his previous 800m, two months earlier, he had been a disappointing fifth in the Southern Youths but he bounced back with a UK age-14 best to break Graham Side’s 1:55.6 and defeat English Schools champion Neville Price (1:56.9).
1972 (age 16)
English Schools Cross-Country Championships, inter boys 7km, Hillingdon, March 25
2nd 21:42
Showed unprecedented cross-country ability though well beaten by Kirk Dumpleton (21:19) but perhaps of more significance he did beat the one year younger Seb Coe in 10th (22:05) by the same margin Dumpleton beat him.
Newham Games 600m, April 26
2nd 1:19.5
Showed promising blend of speed and endurance as he chased home 400m Olympian and 800m Commonwealth Games 800m finalist Martin Winbolt-Lewis (78.7).
Sussex Schools Championships 800m, Brighton, June 17
1st 1:52.5
Despite little opposition – he won by 12 seconds – he set an UK age-16 best as he continued his improvement race by race.
English Schools Championships, inter boys 800m, Washington, July 8
1st 1:55.0
Took his first major domestic title at 800m and his last schools title as on a dusty cinder track, he won by three seconds from Mike Naldrett (1:58.0).
AAA Youth Championships 400m, Kirkby, July 23
1st 49.1 (PB)
Retained his title with a PB and won by three metres from Phil Grimshaw.
Youth Invitational, Crystal Palace, August 20
1st 48.4 (PB/UK Youths record)
A month after his national title, showed further improvement as he broke the UK Youths record in style ahead of triple jumper Gary Doerr (51.0). it meant he topped the UK rankings by over a second.
1973 (age 17)
English Schools Cross Country Championship, senior boys 8km Swindon, March 24
2nd 26:35
Kevin Steere (26:00) won easily but Ovett did gain revenge over Dumpleton (4th in 26:47).
Golden Wonder 600m, Newham, May 2
1st 1:20.0
Slower than the previous year but this time he won and at 17 gained the notable scalp of Pete Browne, who in the previous eighth months had finished fifth in both European outdoor and indoor 800m championships.
Southern Junior 1500m, Crystal Palace, June 15
1st 3:51.6 (PB)
In his first major 1500m, he toyed with the opposition – led by British junior international Paul Williams (3:53.6) – and upset a few by gesticulating how easy it all was.
Southern 800m Championships, Crystal Palace, June 23
2nd 1:48.4 (PB/UK age 17/18 record)
He resumed rivalries with Browne and followed him through a 53.9 first lap but though he could not get by in the straight, he set a four-second PB and easily broke the UK age 17/18 record.
AAA Championships 800m, Crystal Palace, July 14
6th 1:47.3 (PB/world age 17 best) (1:47.5 heat (PB/world age 17 best))
He broke Erwin Gohlke’s 1:48.1 world age 17 best in his heat and then went faster in a final won by Andy Carter (1:45.1) in a British and British all comers-record.
City Charity Mile, Motspur Park, July 25
2nd 4:00.0 (UK Junior record/PB) (3:44.8 1500, UK Junior rec/PB)
Some way down on winner Nick Rose (3:58.4) he passed four men in the straight as he run a 57.2 last lap and 26 last 200m and set a British junior record – and he also bettered the 1500m record with 3:44.8.
France v UK ‘A’ 800m, Sotteville, August 4
3rd 1:49.6
Made his senior international debut as France’s Sanchez won (1:48.9).
London Fire Brigade 1000m, Crystal Palace
1st 2:20.0 (UK Junior record/PB)
Produced a 54.3 final circuit to set another UK junior record as he beat Mike Fromant (2:21.2).
European Junior Championships, 800m, Duisburg, August 26
1st 1:47.53
He won his first major title but only just as he held back from a fast 52.6 first lap. He caught front-running future world champion Willi Wulbeck (1:47.57) with virtually his final stride. Ivo Van Damme, who went on to win medals at the 1976 Olympics, was fourth.
Commonwealth Games Trials, 800m, Crystal Palace, September 29
3rd 1:48.4
A long hard season caught up with him as he faded to third as double Olympian Colin Campbell won in 1:48.0 which got him selection for Christchurch at Ovett’s expense which generated much complaint on the AW letters pages.
1974 (age 18)
Southern Junior Champs 400m, Crystal Palace, June 15
1st 47.5 (PB)
Glandular Fever took out his winter season but 80 minutes after a 49.7 heat (his first one lap for over a year), took half a second off his PB to catch his future pacemaker Bob Benn (47.7). He would never improve this time.
Southern Championships 800m, Crystal Palace, June 22
1st 1:47.6
Gained revenge on Browne (1:47.8) and Campbell (1:48.5) taking the lead at the bell but struggled in a 28.2 final 200m.
UK v Poland 800m, Warsaw, June 30
1st 1:46.8 (PB)
Won his first international from team-mate David McMeekin (1:47.2) as he went inside 1:47 for first time.
AAA Championships 800m, Crystal Palace, July 13
1st 1:46.9
Seventh at 600m, 12 metres behind the leader, he produced a Dave Wottle-type finish to catch UK record-holder Carter (1:47.0) with his last stride.
Brigg Mile, Haringey, July 17
1st 3:59.4 (PB)
A 55.1 last lap gained him an easy win by nearly three seconds and his first sub-four (the youngest ever Briton to do so) and a European junior record.
GB v Czechoslovakia 800m, Edinburgh, July 7
1st 1:48.8
Followed up his first ever win over Carter in the AAA’s with another and also out-sprinted Olympic finalist and European runner-up Jozef Plachy in a slow run race.
European Championships 800m, Rome, September 4
2nd 1:45.77 (PB)
Just 18 years old, he set a one second PB and gained a silver medal in his first senior championships (pictured below) but was dismissive of his run as he was boxed when Luciano Susanj (1:44.1) burst away with a 25 last 200m. Finishing strongly he went from fifth to second in the straight passing world record-holder Marcello Fiasconaro (1:46.3) who was sixth.
1975 (age 19)
National Indoor Championships 1500m, Cosford, February 1
5th 3:45.9
He surprisingly led through 400m (58.5) and 800m (1:58.4) and 1000m (2:29.0) but faded as Phil Banning won in a Commonwealth and UK indoor record of 3:42.2.
National Cross-Country, Junior 6M, Luton, March 1
1st 32:06
Showing unprecedented endurance he won at a canter by 35 seconds from Paul Kenney. Future London Marathon winners Mike Gratton and Hugh Jones were 24th and 29th respectively.
Stockholm Mile, June 30
9th 3:57.0 (PB), 3:39.5 1500m (PB)
He set a PB but after passing 1500m in 3:39.5, he faded badly as John Walker won (3:52.2) with Frank Clement (3:55.0) passing Ovett in the straight to set a UK record in seventh.
European Cup Semi Final 800m, Crystal Palace, July 13
1st 1:46.7
Cheered by the home crowd In his best run of the year, he burst clear at 600m to win easily from Marian Gesicki (1:47.5).
National League 200m, Barking, July 26
1st 21.7 (some think 22.7!)
He won the race but doubt remains about the time. Even 22.7 would be a PB.
AAA Championships 800m, Crystal Palace, August 2
1st 1:46.1
He retained his title with his second fastest time but was unhappy as he laboured with a 27.5 last 200m to narrowly hold off Browne (1:46.4)
European Cup Final, 800m, Nice, August 17
1st 1:46.6
At the semi finals he upset the British press by suggesting he would not run the final as he felt he was not at his best but after some good sessions he changed his mind and won easily with a 26.0 last 200m from former European champion Dieter Fromm (1:47.4).
1976 (age 20)
Inter-Counties 800m, Crystal Palace, May 31
1st 1:47.3
He won comfortably with two fairly even laps with Alan Gibson second (1:48.50). Coe was second in the Mile at the same meeting.
Olympic Trials 800m, Crystal Palace, June 5
1st 1:46.7
He easily qualified for his first Olympics as he burst away 200m out to win from Glen Grant (1:48.0).
Olympic Trials 1500m, Crystal Palace, June 12
1st 3:39.6
A 55-second first last lap gave him victory as he burst between a small gap between future Olympic finalists Dave Moorcroft and Frank Clement close to the finish and then celebrated wildly before the line.
Olympic 800m/1500m, Montreal, July 24
5th 1:45.4 (PB)/3:37.7 ht (PB)/3:40.3 semis
Much to his annoyance, the first 300m of 800m races (a failed experiment!) in this year were run in lanes, and with an outside lane, the then 20 year-old went off too slow and then used too much energy catching up when they broke. It did not help that the race was at a cracking pace and won in a world record 1:43.5 by Alberto Juantorena (below, with Ovett and Ivo Van Damme behind).
In his 1500m heat, he ran a 39.0 last 300m to defeat Thomas Wessinghage (3:37.9) in a PB but got balked in his semi and, tired in his fifth race of the Games, failed to qualify.
AAA Championships 800m, Crystal Palace, August 14
1st 1:47.3
Retained his title by taking the lead 60 metres out in comfortably out-sprinting Olympic 1500m champion John Walker (1:47.8).
Zurich 800m, August 18
5th 1:45.5
His best post Olympic run saw him a well beaten fifth but just miss his PB as Mike Boit, absent from Montreal due to the African boycott, won in 1:43.9 from Van Damme (1:44.0).
1977 (age 21)
National Cross-Country Championships, Parliament Hill, March 5
13th 45:11
Just over a minute behind winner Brendan Foster over nine hilly and muddy miles, he was just two seconds down on future National champion Julian Goater.
Kingston, Jamaica, 1500m, May 13
2nd 3:39.8
He beat world record-holder Filbert Bayi (3:39.9) but just lost to Steve Scott (3:39.8) and was not to be beaten again at 1500m/mile until the Olympic final, well over three years and 45 races later.
Phillips 3000m, Crystal Palace, May 18
2nd 7:53.4 (PB)
In front of a record 14,000 crowd, ran a 57.4 last lap, in setting a 25-second PB but just failed to catch Bayi (7:53.3) in an exciting finish.
Belfast Mile, May 28
1st 3:56.2 (PB)
Ran a 54 last lap in a slow run race to set a PB and go seventh all-time in the UK.
UK Champs 1500m, Cwmbran, June 12
1st 3:37.5 (PB)
In the first ever UK Championships, ran a 54.9 last lap and would have broken UK record (3:37.4) had he not waved to the crowd. Paul Lawther was second in a Northern Ireland record (3:38.8).
Debenham Games Mile, Crystal Palace, June 26
1st 3:54.7 (PB/UK record)
Olympic champion John Walker burst ahead 250 metres out but he was easily run down by Ovett 70m out who set his first British record much to the delight of a capacity 20,000 crowd. Wilson Waigwa was second in 3:55.2 and Ari Paunonen (3:55.7) broke Ovett’s European junior record.
European Cup Semi Final 1500m, Crystal Palace, July 16
1st 3:39.1
A 53.5 last lap gave him a very easy win and helped Britain qualify for the final. Mark Nevens was second (3:40.0).
Gateshead Games, 5000m, July 30
2nd 13:25.0
Though he could not match future double Olympic champion Miruts Yifter’s 54.6 last lap, in his first serious 5000m he beat British Olympic distance runners Dave Black, Bernie Ford and Ian Stewart to go eighth all-time in the UK.
European Cup Final 1500m, Helsinki, August 13
1st 3:44.9
He left it late but a 52.6 last lap easily disposed of Wessinghage (3:45.4).
Dartford Half Marathon, August 20
1st 65:38
Entered on the day when a flight to an Edinburgh race was cancelled and despite heat and hills, he beat 1976 British marathon champion and Olympian Barry Watson by 21 seconds.
World Cup 1500m, Dusseldorf, September 3
1st 3:34.5
Ovett went into the first ever IAAF World Cup as a promising young Brit yet to prove himself at the very highest level but ended it as the world’s most exciting runner. Olympic champion John Walker led down the back straight on the last lap in a fast race but Ovett produced one of the greatest change of paces in history as he blasted an unparalleled 11.8 100m on the final bend.
Walker was so shocked, he dropped out on the final bend. Had the Briton run through the line he would have broken the European record as he went eighth all-time with his UK record. Thomas Wessinghage was a distant second in 3:36.0.
Coca-Cola Meeting Mile, September 9
1st 3:56.6
A capacity 18,000 crowd enjoyed another easy win as he beat Wessinghage (3:57.5) again with a 26.0 last 200m despite early celebrations.
Wattenscheid 3000m, September 23
1st 7:41.3 (PB)
Six metres down on future world record-holder Henry Rono 200m out, he burst past the Kenyan in the straight (7:41.9) and went second all-time in Britain to Brendan Foster courtesy of a 2:29.5 last 1000m. He would never run faster at 3000m.
1978 (age 22)
Inter Counties Cross-Country Championships, 12km, Derby, January 21
1st 37:49
He won his first major senior cross-country title from future world marathon record-holder Steve Jones (38:00).
National Cross-Country Championships 15km, Luton, March 4
4th 42:24
It was his best ever senior National as he finished fourth in a top class race won by Bernie Ford (41:34) but he was narrowly ahead of the likes of Steve Kenyon, Dave Black and Mike McLeod.
Southern Counties Invitation 2000m, Crystal Palace, June 3
1st 4:57.8 (UK record/PB)
A 56.9 last lap helped move him to equal third all-time in the world as Nick Rose (4:59.6) followed him home with the fifth best time.ever.
UK v GDR 1500m, Crystal Palace, June 10
1st 3:53.8
A 51.6 last lap destroyed world leader Jurgen Straub (3:54.1) who was to get his revenge two years later.
Malmo 1500m, July 26
1st 3:37.6
He gained a Prague qualifying time with a clear win over Steve Scott (3:41.3).
Turku 800m, July 27
1st 1:45.4 (eq PB)
A day after his 1500m he had a rare excursion over two laps that saw him win and equal his PB from the Olympics and gain another Prague qualifier to open the possibility of a double bid.
Oslo 1500m, August 3
1st 3:35.8
Set a world lead but was given a much tougher race by Scott (3:36.0).
Rotary Watches Mile, Crystal Palace, August 23
1st 3:57.7
Produced a 24.4 last 200m, despite waving to the big crowd as he finished well clear of Mike McLeod (3:59.4).
European Championships 800m/1500m, August 31/September 3
2nd 1:44.1 (UK record/PB), 1st 3:35.6
He had not prepared specifically for the 800m and had only run one international standard two-lapper in the past two years though seemingly his major rival Coe ran a far too fast 49.32 first lap with Ovett third in 49.9. Coe faded on the second lap and Ovett kicked past in the straight but he was himself shockingly passed by relatively little-known Olaf Beyer (1:43.8), who had actually been ahead of Ovett at the bell.
Ovett’s run was ridiculously portrayed as a failure by some in the press, but it was a British record and ranked eighth all-time in the world and was only 0.6 off Alberto Juantorena’s world record. He still had his main event to go and there he kicked 200m out and despite celebrating early he covered that stretch in 24.8 to win easily from Eamonn Coghlan (3:36.6) and Commonwealth champion Dave Moorcroft (3:36.7). Beyer was ninth.
IAC Coca-Cola Meeting 2 miles, Crystal Palace, September 15
1st 8:13.51 (World best/PB)
Having pulled out of the meeting earlier in the week, due to tiredness after Prague, he changed his mind and was then involved in one of the greatest ever duels on a British track. Bronislaw Malinowski led through the mile in a slow 4:08.8 and they were six seconds down on Brendan Foster’s world record schedule three laps from the finish. Then Henry Rono, who had set 3000m, 5000m, steeplechase and 10,000m world records during the season, started a series of surges to break Ovett but a sprint was followed by a jog and the record looked impossible at the bell (7:17.7).
Rono gave it everything down the final back straight but Ovett eased past him at the start of the straight and gave a wave to the crowd. A 55.8 last quarter gave him a world best by 0.2 of a second with Rono (8:14.7) setting a Kenyan best.
Oslo Mile, September 20
1st 3:52.8 (UK record/PB)
In wet and windy conditions and four degrees centigrade and not helped by poor pace making (55.0 first lap), Ovett was still on world record schedule at the bell (2:53.0) but struggled in the cold and on his own but did regain the UK record from Frank Clement (3:54.2) despite a laboured 59.8 last lap.
Golden Mile, Tokyo, September 25
1st 3:55.5
This time high humidity slowed times as he won easily in front of a 60,000 crowd from Francis Gonzalez (3:57.3) in a race that was supposed to be the premier mile race of the year.
1979 (age 23)
National Cross Country Championships 15km, Luton, March 3
6th 47:41
Was just 31 seconds back on the winner Mike McLeod (47:10) and ahead of previous winners Tony Simmons (47:56) and Brendan Foster (49:03) and future winner Dave Clarke (48:46).
UK v Germany v Poland, Bremen, June 23
1st 3:41.7
A 52 last lap gave him another easy win over Wessinghage (3:42.4).
AAA Championships 1500m, Crystal Palace, July 14
1st 3:39.1
There was controversy in the heats when Ovett ran diagonally to finish in lane eight which some claim was disrespectful to his opponents. In the final (below), Kevin Steere, who had beaten him in the English Schools cross-country six years earlier ran a 1:54.7 first 800m to lead by 40 metres but Steere took 65 for his last lap to Ovett’s 54.9 as he won from Graham Williamson (3:39.3) but Ovett raised Steere’s hand at the finish.
Cologne 800m, August 19
2nd 1:45.0
While Coe had set three world records in 41 days (800m, mile, 1500m), Ovett had been relatively quiet in big race action but had won a 1500m in Gothenburg (3:36.6), 600m at Crystal Palace (76.0) and a mile in Berlin (3:54.1) earlier in August and here he ran his second fastest ever 800m as he lost to US champion James Robinson (1:44.7).
Rotary Watches Games Mile, Crystal Palace, August 31
1st 3:49.6 (PB/UK all-comers’ record) (3:34.0 1500m PB)
Buoyed by his fast 600m and 800m, here he became the third fastest man in history with a three-second PB as he followed Wessinghage (3:50.6) through three and a bit laps but could not find his usual kick and his 28.0 last 200m left him 0.6 short of Coe’s world record. He also set a 1500m PB (3:34.0).
Brussels 1500m, September 4
1st 3:32.2 (PB)
His 1500m PB lasted less than a week. Wulbeck, who had beaten Ovett by one position in the Olympics, took on the pace up to 1200m (2:50.8) though the Briton wanted faster and though he was over a second down on Coe’s corresponding time in his world record, he finished much the faster. Effectively as his time was 3:32.11, he missed equalling the world record (3:32.1) by a hundredth of a second. John Robson went ninth all time in second (3:33.9).
Koblenz 1000m, September 6
1st 2:15.91 (UK record/PB)
Two days later, he ran superbly to easily break John Boulter’s 10-year-old British record (2:18.2) and come within half a second of the European record as he beat a competitive field including Mike Boit (2:16.2) and World Cup 800m and 1500m winners Maina (2:16.3) and Wessinghage (2:16.9).
IAC/Coca-Cola Mile, Crystal Palace, September 14
1st 3:55.3
In his 11th race in less than a month, and in cold, windy conditions, he tried for a fast time but eased home, 15 metres clear of Steve Cram (3:57.1).
» Photographs by Mark Shearman
» See part two of Ovett’s career history from 1980 onwards here
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