Steve Smythe compares the latest athletics marks with standards from 2008, 1998, 1988 and 1978

In terms of rankings, Athletics Weekly has never published so many marks across all the age groups in one issue before (see our bumper December 20 magazine) but here we analyse senior 2018 performances and compare them with last year and 2008, 1998, 1988 and 1978 to see whether the standards are progressing as they should.

We start with the men’s track events.

See also: Men’s field events | Women’s track events | Women’s field events

100m

The depth has dropped since last year but there is no doubt that 2018 stands up very well against its 10-year comparisons.

In 1978 Allan Wells was emerging (10.12) and in 1988 Linford Christie was Seoul runner-up (9.97) but the depth behind our two future Olympic champions was not that notable and you can see how much British sprinting has improved since the 70s.

At 10th there was less improvement on the last decade with interestingly James Dasaolu 10th best in 2008 with 10.26 but absent in 2018. This year Richard Kilty was 11th best with 10.26.

             10th    30th
1978     10.66    10.95
1988     10.44    10.69
1998     10.31    10.56
2008     10.26    10.58
2017     10.18    10.38
2018     10.25    10.43

200m

At 200m, despite the absence this year of quite a few big names such as Danny Talbot, the depth was up on last year even if No.1 Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake was exactly the same at 20.04.

What is encouraging this year is that two juniors make the top nine and they are followed by three under-23s in the top 12.

Back in 1978, Commonwealth champion Wells was a class apart and junior Mike McFarlane, who would famously tie with Wells in the next Commonwealths in 1982, was the only other runner to legally break 21 seconds with 20.97. This year 22 broke 21.

             10th    30th
1978     21.36    21.92
1988     21.02    21.53
1998     20.77    21.31
2008     20.97    21.37
2017     20.73    21.10
2018     20.59    21.06

400m

The depth is fractionally down on last year but it is disappointing in terms of the top 10 that this year is down on both 1988 and a lot down on 1998.

1988 was an Olympic year but it was 1998 that was exceptional with two at 44.38 or faster and five at 44.83 while this year 44.74 put Matt Hudson-Smith out on his own.

In 1978 two future Olympic champions ranked in the top 30 – Seb Coe (47.7) and Daley Thompson (47.8) – while another, Steve Ovett (48.4), was just outside.

             10th    30th
1978     47.1    48.2
1988     46.43    47.69
1998     46.12    47.49
2008     46.51    47.49
2017     46.49    47.31
2018     46.54    47.42

110m hurdles

British high hurdling was not at an all-time high in 2018 and the lack of international class is worrying. The 14.31 for 10th is the worst since 1985 after 1988, 2008 and 2017 were much the same in the 14.09/14.10 level.

World indoor champion Andrew Pozzi is out way on his own and he did not have a very good year outdoors.

             10th    30th
1978     14.86    15.75
1988     14.10    14.92
1998     14.22    14.77
2008     14.09    14.73
2017     14.09    14.78
2018     14.31    14.9

400m hurdles

This is a curious one in comparison terms. The top 10 at 50.94 is superb with two juniors in the top 10 but the 30 is poor and much worse than 30 years ago and the 50th (55.60) is the worst since 1973.

Back in 1988, Kriss Akabusi was out on his own and the only sub-50 runner despite the motivation of the Olympics and four went sub-50 this year. Top coach Lloyd Cowan was ranked 15th back in 1988. In 1978, there was only one sub-51.

             10th    30th
1978     52.4    54.1
1988     51.48    53.0
1998     51.2    53.39
2008     51.75    53.56
2017     51.71    54.25
2018     50.94    53.66

800m

The 10th at 1:47.12 compares well with recent years – the best for 26 years, and the 30th at 1:49.18 is good but down on last year.

The eighth at 1:45.73 is exceptional though – then a curious 1.31-second gap to ninth. Though good, it is not as good as 1988.

There were two sub-1:44s – Cram and Coe, who was inexplicably not selected – and European indoor champion David Sharpe was only ninth best at 1:45.70. Ovett was ranked 28th with 1:48.88 which would have got him 26th this year.

The 1978 depth was not impressive but did have Coe (1:44.0) and Ovett (1:44.1) on top.

             10th    30th
1978     1:48.8    1:50.5
1988     1:46.13    1:49.04
1998     1:48.31    1:49.71
2008     1:48.06    1:49.75
2017     1:47.29    1:48.92
2018     1:47.12    1:49.18

1500m

The standard is down on last year (especially notably at 10th) but at least there are a junior and three under-23s in the top 10.

Again it is surprising just how down it is on 30 years ago. Back then they had two in the top four at Seoul and the rankings are led by Cram’s 3:30.95, who was below his best in South Korea. Double Olympic champion Coe was only ranked sixth with 3:35.72 and Ovett seventh with 3:36.90, exactly the same as Jake Heyward’s time and ranking this year! Steeplechasers should note Mark Rowland’s 3:34.53 and Tom Hanlon’s 3:38.59.

1978 was notable for four between 3:35.5 and 3:35.7 – all from either the Commonwealth or European final.

             10th    30th
1978     3:41.79    3:45.7
1988     3:38.79    3:43.12
1998     3:41.9    3:45.69
2008     3:41.17    3:45.07
2017     3:38.35    3:43.64
2018     3:40.42    3:44.02

5000m

There is no 13-time ranked top Mo Farah this year and 10th is down compared to last year but 30th is up and back under 14 again and the depth is the best for almost 30 years.

It is still well below 1978 and 1988 though.

Just half a second covered the top four in 1978 headed by Mike McLeod’s 13:25.2 UK win ahead of Brendan Foster. It’s notable that quite a few in the top 30 back then – Andy Catton (13:45.2), Ray Smedley (13:46.0) and Nigel Gates (13:50.8) – are still competing well into their sixties 40 years later.

1988 was also incredibly competitive up top with less than three seconds covering the top eight headed by past Olympic steeplechaser Paul Davies-Hale’s 13:21.60. The past world record-holder Dave Moorcroft was 50th ranked then with 14:00.03 which would have ranked 33rd this year.

             10th    30th
1978     13:36.6    13:55.2
1988     13:31.66    13:53.48
1998     13:48.5    14:11.4
2008     13:57.88    14:11.87
2017     13:37.60    14:03.29
2018     13:43.75    13:58.52

10,000m

Standards are down on last year but there is no doubt that the Highgate Night of the 10,000m PBs has made a big difference to the lows around 2008 when 30th was a poor 31:31.8. In 2018, 13 of the fastest 16 achieved their run in the Highgate event.

In 1978, 29 of the 50 under 30 minutes were achieved at Crystal Palace. Only 28 broke 30 minutes this year.

Foster’s European record 27:30.3 headed the lists but only Dave Black (27:36.3) was also inside 28 and three did it this year.

Eamonn Martin’s UK record (and debut) 27:23.06 topped the rankings in 1988 where the previously mentioned Catton was 50th ranked at 30:04.4.

It is of course worth noting 40 years ago that the 10km on the road was never raced and now there is far more opportunity and 50 broke 30 on the road this year, so there is the potential to match the old numbers on the track.

             10th   30th
1978     28:37.1  29:31.0
1988     28:27.28    29:31.43
1998     29:24.15     30:52.87
2008     29:30.88    31:31.8
2017     29:01.76    29:48.41
2018     29:10.33    30:13.33

3000m steeplechase

The rankings seem encouraging up top with four sub 8:32 but it is well down on last year where the 10th was exceptional but further back the depth in steeplechasing is dire. 30th this year is 9:19.18, which would have placed 84th 40 years ago and 88th 30 years ago.

Back in 1988 Mark Rowland set his since unchallenged UK record of 8:07.96 in picking up Olympic bronze.

29th in the top 30 back then was the father of Britain’s fastest 800m runner this year, Geoff Wightman on 8:57.8.

The versatile elder Wightman also ranked in the top 100 at a number of events in 1988 including the 800m (1:51.9), mile (4:00.6), 5000m (13:42.80) and marathon (2:15:40)!

             10th   30th
1978     8:48.1    9:02.3
1988     8:42.52    8:58.11
1998     8:55.74    9:06.20
2008     8:58.74    9:21.5
2017     8:38.69    9:12.64
2018     8:47.88    9:19.18

» See the current 112-page double issue of AW for more end-of-year statistics

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