Steve Smythe looks at the British distance running legend’s races in the 12 years in the run-up to his world 5000m record

Dave Moorcroft’s career is best remembered for a stunning world 5000m record and a European 3000m record but he also won two Commonwealth golds, two European medals and competed in three Olympics.

Here we cover his competitive record in the period from his first junior successes to his world record year in 1982 which is more than 120 races.

Dave Moorcroft’s major race summary 1970-1982

1970
February 28 English National Youth Cross Country, Blackpool 206th (1 Colin Falconer)

August 1 AAA Junior 1500m, Kirkby 6th 3:55.7 (1 Ron MacDonald 3:50.5)

1971
March 6 English National Youth Cross Country, Norwich 7th (1 Dave Black)

March 20 AAA U20 Indoor 1500m, Cosford, 1st 3:55.8 (PB)

May 1 AAA 12-stage Road Relay, Sutton Park, Fastest 14:27

May 12 Birmingham 1500m, 1st 3:48.6 (PB)

May 31 Leicester 1500m, 2nd 3:48.5 (PB) (1 Ian McCafferty 3:48.4)

June 3 Loughborough 1500m, 2nd 3:46.1 (PB) (1 John Kirkbride 3:46.1)

June 12 Emsley Carr Mile, Edinburgh, 9th 4:07.5 (PB) (1 Peter Stewart 4:00.4)

July 24 AAA Under-20 3000m, Crystal Palace, 6th 8:22.8 (PB) (1 Dave Black 8:00.8)

August 7 AAA Under-20 1500m, Wolverhampton, 1st 3:51.9

August 30 Junior 3000m, Crystal Palace, 2nd 8:14.2 (PB) (1 Dennis Coates 8:12.4)

September 25 UK v FRG v SWE U20 1500m, Landau, 6th 3:56.8 (fell) (1 Christian Collisy 3:52.9)

1972
January 28 AAA Indoor 1500m heat, Cosford, 5th 3:55.6 (1 Ray Smedley 3:50.5)

March 4 English National Junior Cross-Country, Sutton Park, 12th 32:33 (1 Black 30:43)

March 25 English Schools Cross Country Senior Boys, Hillingdon, 3rd 25:22 (1 John Lee 25:09)

April 29 AAA 12-stage Road Relay, Sutton Park, 2nd fastest 14:51 (1 Allan Rushmer 14:42)

May 5 Crystal Palace Mile, 5th 4:03.3 (PB) (1 Jim Douglas 4:02.2)

June 10 Emsley Carr Mile, Crystal Palace, 10th 4:18.5 (1 P Stewart 3:55.3)

July 1 UK v FRG v SWE U20 1500, 4th 3:56.4 (1 Barry Smith 3:54.5)

July 14 AAA 1500m heat, Crystal Palace, 5th 3:45.7 (PB) (1 P Stewart 3:41.3)

1973
March 3 English National Junior Cross-Country, Parliament Hill, 16th 31:29 (1 Neil Coupland 30:21)

April 28 AAA 12-stage Road Relay, Derby, Fastest leg 13:00

May 28 Inter Counties Mile, Warley, 4th 4:07.7 (1 Walter Wilkinson 4:06.4)

June 16 Edinburgh 1500m, 2nd 3:43.0 (PB) (1 1 Phil Banning 3:42.9)

June 30 UK v GDR 1500m, Leipzig, 3rd 3:45.5 (1 Klaus-Peter Justus 3:44.7)

July 13 AAA 1500m heat, Crystal Palace, 8th 3:49.6 (1 Graham Crouch 3:45.5)

August 17 Midland league 5000m, Stoke, 1st 14:31.0 (PB) (2 Falconer 14:31.6)

September 14 5th Coke Mile 4:01.9 (PB) (1 Ben Jipcho 3:56.2)

September 29 7th Commonwealth Games Trials 1500m, Crystal Palace, 7th 3:53.8 (1 Kirkbride 3:42.5)

1974
April 27 AAA 12-stage Road Relay, Sutton Park, 5.6M, 6th fastest 25:30 (1 B Foster 24:28)

May 1 Loughborough 5000m, 1st 14:04.8 (PB) (2 Dave Slater 14:05.8)

July 2 Coventry 3000m, 1st 8:07.0 (PB) (2 Terry Colton 8:14.0)

July 12 AAA 1500m Heat, Crystal Palace, 4th 3:44.5 (1 Crouch 3:43.8)

August 10 Emsley Carr Mile, Crystal Palace, 7th 4:11.5 (1 Frank Clement 3:57.4)

1975
May 12 UAU 5000m, Birmingham, 2nd 14:11.8 (1 Smedley 14:09.4)

June 5 Loughborough 1500m, 1st 3:43.0 (PB) (2 B Smith 3:43.7)

June 12 Belgrade 1500m, 1st 3:40.7 (PB) (2 Ismet Abazi 3:41.6)

July 26 Gateshead Mile, 4th 3:59.9 (1 John Walker 3:57.6)

August 1 AAA 1500m heat, Crystal Palace, 1st 3:40.52 (PB) (2 Danie Malan 3:38.1)

August 2 AAA 1500m final, 10th 3:51.3 (1 Malan 3:38.1)

August 30 Stretford Mile, 1st 3:58.8 (2 Clement 3:58.9)

September 13 UK v SWE 1500m, Edinburgh, 1st 3:54.9 (2 Ove Berg 3:56.8)

September 21 International Student Games 1500m, Rome, 4th 3:42.6 (1 Thomas Wessinghage 3:39.7)

1976
January 24 AAA Indoor 1500m, Cosford, 1st 3:45.6 (2 Barry Smith 3:46.6)

March 13 English National Cross-Country, Leicester 2nd 43:39 (1 Bernie Ford 43:26)

May 12 Loughborough 3000m, 1st 7:58.6 (PB) (2 Malcolm Prince 8:16.0)

May 15 Athens 1500m, 2nd 3:40.2 (PB) (1 Henryk Wasilewski 3:39.8)

June 12 Olympic Trials 1500m, Crystal Palace, 2nd 3:39.89 (PB) (1 Steve Ovett 3:39.64)

June 17 Loughborough 5000m, 1st 13:58.4 (PB) (2 Brian Cole 14:10.2)

July 29 Olympic 1500m heat, Montreal, 2nd 3:40.69 (1 Eamonn Coghlan 3:39.9)

July 30 Olympic 1500m, semi, 3rd 3:39.88 (PB) (1 Walker 3:39.7)

July 31 Olympic 1500m final, 7th 3:40.94 (1 Walker 3:39.2)

August 6 Coke 1000m, Edinburgh, 3rd 2:19.0 (PB) (1 Ivo Van Damme 2:17.5)

August 14 AAA 1500m, Crystal Palace, 2nd 3:41.63 (1 Rod Dixon 3:41.4)

August 18 Zurich 1500m, 4th 3:38.91 (PB) (1 Walker 3:37.8)

August 22 Gateshead Mile, 2nd 4:00.4 (1 Walker 3:59.9

August 30 Emsley Carr Mile, Crystal Palace, 1st 3:57.06 (PB) (2 Filbert Bayi 3:57.5)

1977
January 22 Christchurch 1500m, 1st 3:39.8 (3 Walker 3:42.6)

January 29 Auckland 1500m, 2nd 3:40.3 (1 Walker 3:38.1)

Pic: Mark Shearman

1978
June 13 Florence 1500m, 2nd 3:39.46 (1 Wilson Waigwa 3:38.5)

June 24 AAA 1500m, Crystal Palace, 1st 3:42.92 (2 Amar Brahmia 3:44.3)

July 9 Gateshead Mile, 1st 3:56.60 (2 Foster 3:56.97)

August 11 Commonwealth 1500m heat, Edmonton, 3rd 3:41.47 (1 Waigwa 3:41.4)

August 12 Commonwealth 1500m final, 1st 3:35.48 (PB) (2 Bayi 3:35.59)

August 19 Edinburgh 800m, 2nd 1:49.15 (PB) (1 Tom McLean 1:49.0)

August 23 Crystal Palace 3000m, 1st 7:43.51 (2 Dixon 7:44.92)

September 1 European 1500m heats, Prague, 2nd 3:40.0 (1 Coghlan 3:40.0)

September 3 European 1500m final 3rd 3:36.70 (1 Ovett 3:35.59)

September 5 Frankfurt Mile, 1st 3:55.3 (PB) (2 Wessinghage 3:55.5)

September 13 Fana 1500m, Norway, 1st 3:36.6 (2 3:46.7)

September 15 Coke Mile, Crystal Palace, 1st 3:55.43 (2 Graham Williamson 3:55.82)

1979
May 12 Kingston Mile, 2nd 3:55.1 (1 Steve Scott 3:55.1)

May 16 Bannister Mile, Crystal Palace, 1st 3:56.53 (2 Francis Gonzalez 3:58.80

June 10 ENG v SCO v BEL v NOR 5000m, Gateshead, 1st 13:30.33 (2 Nick Rose 13:33.13)

June 30 European Cup Semi Final 1500m, Malmo 1st 3:46.3 (2 Helder de Jesus 3:46.9)

July 8 Gateshead Mile, 2nd 3:58.09 (1 Jozef Plachy 3:56.8)

July 13 AAA 800m heat, Crystal Palace, 1st 1:48.54 (PB) (2 Hoey 1:49.5)

July 14 AAA 800m final, 7th 1:48.60 (1 Scott 1:47.4)

July 17 Golden Mile, Oslo, 9th 3:54.35 (PB) (1 Sebastian Coe 3:48.95 WR)

1980
January 19 Christchurch 5000m, 3rd 13:29.4 (PB) 1 Mike McLeod 13:25.7)

February 16 Auckland 5000m, 1st 13:29.1 (PB)

June 4 Louvain 1500m, 1st 3:37.5 (1 Evert Hoving 3:40.7)

June 15 UK Championships 1500m, Crystal Palace, 1st 3:41.46 (2 Williamson 3:42.5)

June 21 UK Championships, 5000m, Edinburgh, 1st 13:41.8 (2 Rose 13:42.2)

June 27 London 2 Miles, Crystal Palace, 1st 8:18.57 (2 Nat Muir 8:19.37):

July 28 Olympic 5000m heat, Moscow, 5th 13:42.96 (1 El Hachemi Abdenouz 13:42.1)

July 30 Olympic 5000m semi, 9th 13:58.23 (1 Yohannes Mohamed 13:39.4)

August 8 Coke Mile, Crystal Palace, 4th 3:55.73 (1 Walker 3:54.4)

August 11 Budapest 1500m, 2nd 3:38.19 (1 Walker 3:36.8)

August 20 Nijmegen 800m, 2nd 1:48.37 (PB), (1 Hans-Peter Ferner)

August 25 Golden Mile, Crystal Palace, 10th 4:01.71 (1 Ovett 3:52.84)

August 27 Koblenz 1500m, 6th 3:39.70 (1 Ovett 3:31.36 WR)

August 31 ENG v SCO v NOR v YUG 3000m, Gateshead eq 1 8:01.0 (Rose 8:01.0)

September 5 AAA 800m heat, Crystal Palace, 5th 1:49.9 (1 James Maina 1:47.9)

1981
January 2 San Francisco Indoor Mile, 2nd 4:01.3 (1 Scott 3:59.6)

January 4 Los Altos 5M, 2nd 22:07.8 (1 Alberto Salazar 22:04.0)

January 21 Hamilton Mile, 1st 3:54.37 (2 Miroslaw Zerkowski 3:59.75)

January 24 Auckland Mile, 1st 3:55.49 (2 Ray Wicksell 3:56.23)

February 16 Christchurch 5000m, 1st 13:36.79 (2 Dick Buerkle 3:46.19)

March 7 English National Cross-Country, 4th 47:00 (1 Julian Goater 44:39)

March 28 World Cross Country, Madrid, 91st 36:44 (1 Craig Virgin 35:05)

June 7 IAAF Golden 5000m, Gateshead, 13th 13:37.51 (1 B Smith 13:21.14)

June 13 UK v GDR 1500m, Dresden, 1st 3:46.89 (2 Olaf Beyer 3:47.25)

June 27 Louvain Mile, 1st 3:54.93 (2 Mike Boit 3:56.27)

July 14 Lausanne 5000m, 1st 13:20.51 (2 Fernando Mamede 13:21.73)

July 26 ENG v SCO v HUN v NOR Mile, Gateshead, 1st 3:59.53 (2 Clement 4:00.40)

July 31 Crystal Palace 3000m, 1st 7:52.57 (2 Geoff Smith 7:52.68)

August 7 AAA 800m heat, Crystal Palace, 2nd 1:49.51 (Omar Khalifa 1:49.02)

August 16 European Cup 5000m, Zagreb, 1st 13:43.18 (2 Valerie Abramov 13:43.69)

August 26 Koblenz Mile, 4th 4:00.55 (1 Ovett 3:48.40 WR)

 

1982
January 14 Christchurch Mile, 3rd 3:57.12 (1 Scott 3:55.91)

January 18 Sydney Mile, 3rd 3:59.83 (1 Scott 3:58.82)

January 23 Christchurch 5000m, 1st 13:36.82 (2 Andy Lloyd 13:44.62)

January 30 Auckland 5000m, 1st 13:31.22 (2 Tom Birnie 13:39.43)

March 6 English National Cross-Country, Leeds, 4th 42:56 (1 Dave Clarke 42:19)

April 24 National 12-stage Road Relay (5.6M) , Sutton Park, 24:27) fastest ( 2 Allister Hutton 24:50)

June 13 Gateshead 3000m, 1st 7:52.5 (2 Waigwa 7:54.9)

June 26 Oslo Mile, 3rd 3:49.34 PB (3:34.3 PB) (1 Scott 3:48.53)

July 7 Oslo 5000m, 1st 13:00.42 (WR) (2 Ralph King 13:20.85)

July 17 ENG v KEN v JPN v ESP 3000m, Crystal Palace, 1st 7:32.79 (ER) (2 Sydney Maree 7:33.l37)

July 23 AAA 800m heat, Crystal Palace, 1st 1:48.29 (PB) (2 Roland Weedon 1:49.88)

July 24 AAA 800m final, 5th 1:46.64 (PB) (1 Peter Elliott 1:45.61)

July 27 Hengelo 1500m, 1st 3:33.79 (PB) (2 Ray Flynn 3:37.39)

August 20 Talbot Games 2 miles,.Crystal Palace, 1st 8:16.75 (PB) (2 Peter Koech 8:17.05)

August 30 Heinz British Games Mile, 1st 3:57.84 (2 Ian Stewart (2) 3:58.50

September 8 European 5000m heats, Athens 1st 13:30.28 (2 Werner Schildhauer 13:30.49)

September 11 European 5000m final, 3rd 13:30.42 (1 Wessinghage 13:28.90)

October 7 Commonwealth Games 5000m final, 1st 13:33.00 (2 Rose 13:35.97)

October 13 Melbourne 5000m, 1st 13:23.6

October 16 Wadonga Mile, 1st 3:56.9

October 17 Sydney Mile, 1st 3:59.76

To read about Dave Moorcroft’s top 20 races, CLICK HERE

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