Coe chronicles: 1987 to retirement in 1990
The first three parts of this series are available on the AW website here. The final three parts are available to subscribers exclusively in the AW Clubhouse.
Seb Coe's last few seasons did not go exactly to plan. There was no 5000m, no records and no major championship medals although he did contest his first Commonwealth final.
He was devastated to miss the Olympics after originally being selected but his Olympic place was inexplicably taken away by the British Amateur Athletics Board (BAAB), though he showed enough in his 1989 season and World Cup run in particular to show the British federation made a major error in 1988.
» The first part of our ‘Coe chronicles’ looks at his greatest top 10 races. Click here to read.
» Part two analyses his early races as a teenager. Click here to read.
» Part three covers Coe’s races from 1976 to his first world records in 1979. Click here to read.
» Part four covers his competitions from 1980 to 1983. Click here to read.
» Part five looks at the 1984 to 1986 seasons including his second Olympic gold. Click here to read.
» Part six, here, revisits the twilight of his racing career from 1987-1990.
Nike Chingford League 5M, Victoria Park, February 7
3rd 23:20 (PB)
An indoor tour in the USA had to be cancelled due to flu and he returned to competition at this probably slightly short course He was beaten by Steve Crabb (23:00) – who would gain Olympic selection the following year – and evergreen UK road racer Keith Penny (23:04).
Hillingdon 5, Ruislip, February 15
8th 23:43 (PB)
On this tougher course, he found the competition hard too though was only 21 seconds down on the winner Peter Tootell (23:22). Kevin O’Connor (23:23), Karl Harrison (23:24), Penny (23:35), Nick O’Brien (23:38), Andy Catton (23:40) and Gary Ribbons (23:42) all enjoyed the scalp of the double Olympic champion.
The 1974 European 10,000m silver medallist Tony Simmons (23:46) and Dumpleton (his English Schools conqueror 15 years earlier at nearby Hillingdon Park) ran 23:57 to complete the top 10.
England v USA 3000m, Cosford, March 13
1st 7:54.33
With all eyes on him making his serious track debut at 5000m in Zurich in the summer, he opened his track campaign with that in mind and just missed his PB as he took the lead just after the bell in completing a smooth-looking 2:33 final kilometre to win from Brian Abshire’s 7:55.49 (see right).
Thames Valley Harriers Relay, Cranford, March 28
3.5M: 16:15 (fifth fastest)
In his fourth successive running - previously 16:16, 16:15 and 16:08 - he maintained his consistency and ran leg four moving from fourth to second.
Basildon’s future UK 10,000m record-holder Eamonn Martin set off 20 seconds clear of Steve Harris - Britain’s leading runner in the European 10,000m and he incredibly ran Martin (16:11) down with a stunning 15:47 fastest leg to win by four seconds.
Southern 12-stage Road Relay, Wimbledon, April 4
3.3M: 15:26 (second fastest)
He ran leg four moving from sixth to second and predictably only his team-mate Harris was faster with 15:12 as Haringey finished just 21 seconds down on the winners Luton in finishing a very close third.
British League 800m, Portsmouth, May 9
1st 1:46.18
In his outdoor track debut and still insisting he was focussing on a fast 5000m for the season, and having done no real speedwork, he showed how sharp he was following John Gladwin through 400m in 53.8 and then kicking past the Commonwealth 1500m runner-up (1:46.81) 80 metres out.
He won by five metres in a British League record. His last 400m was around 52.2. He also produced a 46.8 4x400 leg.
An Achilles tendon injury though would stop him doing any more track races in the season and he was unable to take up his World Championship selection.
East Rutherford 3000m, New Jersey, February 13
DNF
His return race after a nine-month break could not have gone much worse. Not at full fitness he was lapped in a race won by Brian Abshire (7:41.57) though curiously Coe dropped out with just 200m to go
At the meeting Peter Elliott, who was to be a thorn in Coe’s side in the summer, set a UK indoor mile record.
England v USA 3000m, Cosford, March 12
2nd 8:05.80
He finished but was well beaten by his England team-mate and the World Championships 1500m representative Adrian Passey (7:57.84) in what would prove to be his last ever indoor race.
TVH Road Relays, Cranford, March 19
16:12 (3rd fastest) Team 4th
Quicker than 1987 and within range of his best ever time, he moved up from 10th to third on leg three though was surprisingly outkicked at the end of his leg. Only Olympic 10,000m finalist Nick Rose (15:56) and Mike Williams (16:11) were quicker.
Southern 12-Stage Road Relay, Wimbledon, March 26
15:24 (3rd fastest). Team 2nd
This time he was 15 seconds down on 1987 but he did easily run the fastest on leg eight and in his silver medal winning team. Overall though he was a lot slower than fastest leg Ovett (who was otherwise going to have a poor 1988) who ran 15:03 and John Sherban (15:17). Coe did not run for Haringey in the National 12-stage.
Middlesex Championships 800m, Enfield, May 14
1st 1:48.8
In his first outdoor track race for a year, he again supported his county, having unusually missed last year’s race through injury. He produced a fairly similar performance to 1986 where he also ran a 52.9 second lap as he easily beat Neil Ovington (1:51.6).
GB v USSR/France 800m, Portsmouth, June 19
1st 1:48.63
The time was slow but a 51.88 second lap did see off UK champion Paul Herbert (who ran 1:45.64 in the recent UK race but 1:49.22 here).
Lausanne 800m, June 24
2nd 1:45.50
After two slow races, he produced his fastest time since 1986, following James May through a 50.25 first lap to be well clear into the second lap. In blustery conditions, he was still five metres clear as he hit the straight but was picked off by fast finishing world 1500m champion Abdi Bile’s 1:45.25.
Peugeot Talbot Games 800m, Crystal Palace, July 8
1st 1:46.13
Coe must have thought he had done more than enough for Olympic 800m selection when he ran a perfect tactical race and strong last 200m to sprint past future Olympic champion Paul Ereng (who ended up fourth in 1:47.14) as Steve Heard followed him home in 1:46.69.
Peter Rono, who would win the Seoul 1500m, was ninth in the 1500m while the future 5000m winner John Ngugi was outsprinted by Paul Davies-Hale, who did not even make the GB team.
Rapperswil 1500m, Switzerland, July 31
1st 3:37.74
Needing a qualifying time for Seoul at the longer distance, he comfortably achieved it but unfortunately picked up a cold.
AAA Championships 1500m, Birmingham, August 8
4th heat 3:45.01
He had complained all season of the controversial first two past the post system and with Cram having won the Dream Mile in 3:48.85 and doing the 800m here, he knew he had to run the 1500m even though he was the reigning double Olympic champion if he wanted to guarantee selection. Unfortunately, illness meant he was struggling and even if his heat he was fading in the last 200 metres.
Subsequently, he was well beaten by Passey (3:43.64), Steve Halliday (3:44.54) and Mark Kirk (3:44.55) and he failed to make the final even as a fastest loser where he would run have against Ovett on an UK track for the first ever time.
The final was won by Elliott (3:44.48) and Crabb (3:45.33) who secured their Seoul places.
The 800m was won by Cram from McKean who confirmed their two-lap places though ultimately both would bow out in the 800m quarter finals in South Korea. The selectors chose Coe at 800m and Cram for 1500m for the third spot in the team but sensationally the British Board refused Coe’s selection and chose Elliott to double which ultimately caused an ill-judged media frenzy (mostly against Elliott).
It meant though after four Olympic medals in the previous two Games he wouldn’t even be in the British team. The IOC even discussed giving him a wild card spot but that was never followed through.
Berlin 800m, August 26
2nd 1:47.87
In a slow tactical race, McKean (1:47.60) comfortably outkicked Coe, who was at least now back to full health.
Koblenz 800m, August 28
2nd 1:43.93
If Koblenz did nothing to show the British Board they had made a mistake, this race may have shown that writing off Coe was a mistake. He couldn’t hold world indoor champion Jose Luis Barbosa (1:43.34) but with his fastest time for three years he did beat 1:42.28 man Sammy Koskei (1:44.06) and showed he would surely have made the Seoul final at the very least.
The bronze medal there ultimately was taken in a fast race in 1:44.06.
Rieti 1500m, August 31
3rd 3:35.72
His one decent 1500m of the year and his final race of the season did not prove he would have necessarily have been a factor in Seoul at this distance as he lost to future world indoor 3000m champion Gennaro di Napoli (3:34.72) and Passey again (3:35.14) but he did beat Olympic selection Crabb (3:36.24).
TVH Road Relay 5x3.5M, Cranford, March 25
16:11 (3rd fastest)
After saying he would never run for Britain again after Seoul, he changed his mind and was selected for the European Indoor 800m, but had to withdraw with a calf injury and returned to competition in his almost annual trip to Cranford. His sixth and final run came after a successive 16:16, 16:15 and 16:08, 16:15 and 16:12! He moved from eighth to second. Only Swansea’s Nigel Adams (15:59) and Geoff Hill (16:03) were quicker.
South of England 12 stage Road Relays, Wimbledon, April 1
15:41 3M 553 yds (8th fastest)
Running leg six, he moved Haringey from eighth to fourth but it was his slowest ever time even though he was easily his club’s quickest on the six short legs and contributed to their team silver and did overtake former English National champion Bernie Ford.
Ovett was eight seconds quicker than Coe with an equally modest run on leg eight but for once over the same distance. The 1983 World Championships 5000m representative Dave Clarke was easily fastest with 15:07 with Seoul Olympian Crabb (15:20) second best.
Middlesex Championships 800m, Enfield, May 20
1st 1:47.2
He kept his county run of wins going but had his hardest race in the event yet as Crabb (1:47.9) finished five metres down with Richard Lynch (1:48.0) also close by.
Euro Clubs Championships 800m and 1500m, Belgrade, June 3/4
1st 1:46.60, 1st 3:51.89
Haringey could only finish fifth but he easily won his two races with a reasonable 800m and a tactical 1500m victory.
Birmingham Invitation 800m, June 24
1st 1:46.83
The race was part of the Britain v Soviet Union v Germany match though came the day after the actual match 800m won by McKean in 1:48.10.
Olympic 400m hurdler Martin Gillingham blasted the first lap in 49.77 with Coe right behind. He was still on world record pace at 600m but died a death in the last 100m and completed his second lap in not much under 57 and only just about held off Kevin McKay (1:46.94).
Roverto 800m, July 21
1st 1:45.97
Again his winning margin was just 0.11 of a second ahead of a fellow Brit and this time he was followed in by 1983 European Junior champion Ikem Billy (1:46.08) who had never been so close before.
Viareggio 800m, August 2
1st 1:46.04
He kept his unbeaten run going this time outsprinting Senegal’s Moussa Fall.
AAA Championships 1500m, Birmingham, August 13
1st 3:41.38
At the fourth attempt he finally won a AAA 1500m title but not without difficulty. Crabb fell just before the bell and in stumbling and having to hurdle Crabb (pictured below), Coe lost 15 metres and hurt his hamstring. He gradually closed and then produced a stunning 25.4 last 200m to easily run down Britain’s European Cup representative Tony Morrell (3:41.93). His 51.8 final circuit also ensured a spot in England’s Commonwealth Games team and got him Britain’s World Cup spot.
A very upset Ovett, who finally got to run against Coe on a British track, just went through the motions and was 9th in 3:45.85 having claimed Andy Norman had exclusively offered him money to compete against Coe.
Zurich Weltklasse 1500m, August 16
2nd 3:34.05
Ten years after setting a world record he returned to Zurich for the last time and was given a big send-off. In his fastest 1500m for three years, he was well placed throughout and produced a 54.8 last lap despite a tight hamstring after his stumble at Birmingham.
However, he was two metres short at the finish behind Kenyan Wilfred Kirochi (3:33.85), who would go on to win the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games and the next World Championships.
Cologne 800m, August 20
4th 1:45.13
Through 800m in just inside 52 seconds he did set a clear season’s best and had a good battle throughout the last lap with European Cup 800m winner McKean (who would also win the World Cup) but the Scot held him off to finish third in 1:44.89 but both were well down on winner Ereng (1:44.01).
Berne 800m, August 29
1st 1:43.38
All those who had written Coe off as yesterday’s man were made to look foolish as he ran his fastest 800m for four years and went second in the world rankings. He followed the pacemaker through 400m in 50.7 and then pushed clear along the backstraight and held his form well to win by over 10 metres from Babacar Niang (1:45.07). Tony Morrell (1:45.13) was fourth.
World Cup 1500m, Barcelona, September 9
2nd 3:35.79
In what proved to be his last great race, Coe moved ahead at 1200m (2:57.74) and began to accelerate. He led into the straight but world champion Bile, the world leader at 3:30.55, kicked up to his shoulder and then cut across him. This caused Coe to check his stride and try and kick again and he finished four feet down having covered the last 300m in 38 seconds despite losing a few metres.
Bile won in 3:35.56 with Jens-Peter Herold filling the same position as the Olympics in third. The British team protested but the appeal was inexplicably thrown out 2-1.
McVities 800m, Crystal Palace, September 15
1st 1:45.70
Eight years after pacing him to a still-standing world record in Florence, world 800m champion Billy Konchellah led through the bell in 50.74 from Coe (51.6) but Coe was ahead at 500m and well clear at 600m in 77.85.
As it was his last ever race in Britain, he chose to cruise in and wave to the crowd in the knowledge that he had also sewn up a Commonwealth 800m place too. Billy, already confirmed in the Auckland team, was 10 metres back in second in 1:46.81.
Coe received a standing ovation from the crowd at the stadium where he had set a 1:56.0 PB 16 years earlier.
Hobart 1000m, January 4
1st 2:21.0
In his first track race of a new decade, he comfortably held off 1982 Commonwealth 800m champion Peter Bourke (2:21.5) in very windy conditions.
Sydney 800m, January 14
1st 1:47.66
After a 55.5 first lap, he went to the front and with a 52.1 last 400, he comfortably held off Brian Whittle (1:48.18) and Matt Yates (1:48.46), two athletes who would ultimately beat him in Auckland (pictured below).
Commonwealth Games 800m, Auckland, February 1
6th 1:47.24 (1:49.83 ht, 1:47.67 semi)
After only finishing fourth in his semi final and unable to change pace, things did not look promising for Coe and he struggled in a rough and messy final finishing sixth ahead of an equally poor McKean (1:47.27).
Little-known Kenyan Sammy Tirop (1:45.98) was a shock winner with Yates (1:46.62) also surprising with a huge PB and his late sprint ensured he was a clear UK No.1 ahead of Whittle (1:46.85) in fourth.
Afterwards it transpired Coe had a respiratory infection and he subsequently withdrew from the 1500m heats and his career was over. Elliott, in his greatest ever form, easily won the 1500m in 3:33.39.
Photographs by Mark Shearman
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