John Walker (runner)
Encyclopedia
Sir John George Walker, KNZM
, CBE
, (born 12 January 1952 in Papakura
) is a former middle distance runner from New Zealand
.
Walker was the first person to run the mile
in under 3:50, and won the Olympic Games 1500m
in Montreal
in 1976.
in the 1500 meter run at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch
, New Zealand
. In one the greatest 1500 m races held to that time, Walker and Bayi both broke the existing world record, and others in the race recorded the fourth, fifth, and seventh fastest performances ever. Additionally, Walker won the bronze medal in the 800 metres
in 1:44.92, his lifetime best for the distance, and still the second-fastest New Zealander ever, behind Peter Snell
.
Throughout his career as a world-class miler Walker was coached by Arch Jelley, a school principal, and a middle distance runner himself, whose work with runners has been typified by meticulous training programmes on a scientific basis and effective communications in person.
in the mile run
with a time of 3:49.4 minutes set at Göteborg
, Sweden
, on 12 August 1975, bettering the previous time of 3:51.0 set earlier that year by Filbert Bayi
. It was the first time that the Three minutes and 50 seconds barrier had been broken, and it was a full 10 seconds faster than Roger Bannister
's historic sub-Four-Minute Mile of 3:59.4 that was run twenty-one years previous. He was named Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News the same year.
Walker's new record lasted until 17 July 1979, when it was lowered by the Briton Sebastian Coe.
The following year Walker broke the world record for the 2000 metres, running 4:51.4 in Oslo
, Norway
, on 30 June 1976. He smashed the existing ten-year-old record held by Michel Jazy
by nearly five seconds; Walker regarded this run as the best he ever ran. Steve Cram
would not better Walker's record by running 4:51.4 at Budapest
, Hungary
until 4 August 1985. Indoors, Walker broke the 1500 metre world record with a time of 3:37.4 in 1979.
However Walker was a favourite to win the 1500 metres due to the African boycott of the Games weakening the field. The 1500 metres final started at a slow pace going through 800 metres in 2:03. The race would come down to a fast finish. In a bid to out-sprint runners that were quicker over 800 metres, Walker started his finishing sprint 300 metres from the finish, fading in the last 20 metres holding out Ivo Van Damme
and Paul-Heinz Wellmann
to win the gold medal.
Although it seemed that the boycott denied Bayi (who was Walker's main rival) the opportunity to challenge for the 1500 metre title, Bayi likely would not have competed, anyway, because of an attack of malaria
that he suffered. Walker would justify his Olympic Gold over several record-breaking years.
In 1982 in Oslo
, Norway
, Steve Scott (3:47.69), John Walker (3:49.08), and Ray Flynn
(3:49.77) took the top three spots in The Dream Mile, establishing American, New Zealand, and Irish national records for the mile in the same race. All three national records stood for 25 years until 21 July 2007, when Alan Webb
broke Scott's American record. Walker and Flynn's times remain national records.
. He moved up up to the 5000 metres distance for both the 1984 Olympic Games and the 1986 Commonwealth Games
with limited success. He raced at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
competing in both the 800 and 1500 metres, where he was tripped early on in the latter.
Walker became the first man in history to run 100 sub-4 minute miles in 1985, achieving that feat just before fellow miler Steve Scott of the U.S.
As his career wore on, leg injuries and stomach cramps started to affect his training. In the early 1990s he aimed to be the first runner aged over 40 to run a mile under four minutes, but his attempts failed due to a leg injury. At this point his international career had shown remarkable longevity - spanning almost two decades. Walker ended his racing career with an astonishing 135 sub-four-minute miles.
He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, and in 1996 the Olympic Committee awarded him with the Olympic Bronze Order.
. He now operates an equestrian
shop in Newmarket in Auckland
, New Zealand
with his wife, Helen, and was a Manukau City Councillor. Walker and his wife have four children: Elizabeth, Richard, Timothy, and Caitlin.
On 1 June 2009 in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, Walker was appointed Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
Video links
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, (born 12 January 1952 in Papakura
Papakura
The Papakura District was the name of a local council territory in New Zealand's Auckland Region that existed from 1989 until 2010. The area made up the southernmost part of the Auckland metropolitan area....
) is a former middle distance runner from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Walker was the first person to run the mile
Mile run
The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...
in under 3:50, and won the Olympic Games 1500m
Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metres
These are the official results of the Men's 1,500m metres event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. The final was held on Saturday 31 July 1976 and was contested by 9 athletes. The semi-finals were held on 30 July 1976 and were contested by 18 athletes...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1976.
1974 Commonwealth Games
Walker achieved world prominence in 1974 when he ran second to Filbert BayiFilbert Bayi
Filbert Bayi is a former Tanzanian middle-distance runner of the 1970s who set the world records for 1500 metres in 1974 and the mile in 1975...
in the 1500 meter run at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In one the greatest 1500 m races held to that time, Walker and Bayi both broke the existing world record, and others in the race recorded the fourth, fifth, and seventh fastest performances ever. Additionally, Walker won the bronze medal in the 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
in 1:44.92, his lifetime best for the distance, and still the second-fastest New Zealander ever, behind Peter Snell
Peter Snell
Sir Peter George Snell, KNZM, MBE is a former New Zealand athlete, now resident in Texas, United States. He had one of the shortest careers of world famous international sportsmen, yet achieved so much that he was voted New Zealand’s "Sports Champion of the Century"...
.
Throughout his career as a world-class miler Walker was coached by Arch Jelley, a school principal, and a middle distance runner himself, whose work with runners has been typified by meticulous training programmes on a scientific basis and effective communications in person.
World record breaking runs
Walker broke the World RecordWorld record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
in the mile run
Mile run
The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...
with a time of 3:49.4 minutes set at Göteborg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, on 12 August 1975, bettering the previous time of 3:51.0 set earlier that year by Filbert Bayi
Filbert Bayi
Filbert Bayi is a former Tanzanian middle-distance runner of the 1970s who set the world records for 1500 metres in 1974 and the mile in 1975...
. It was the first time that the Three minutes and 50 seconds barrier had been broken, and it was a full 10 seconds faster than Roger Bannister
Roger Bannister
Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known for running the first recorded mile in less than 4 minutes...
's historic sub-Four-Minute Mile of 3:59.4 that was run twenty-one years previous. He was named Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News the same year.
Walker's new record lasted until 17 July 1979, when it was lowered by the Briton Sebastian Coe.
The following year Walker broke the world record for the 2000 metres, running 4:51.4 in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, on 30 June 1976. He smashed the existing ten-year-old record held by Michel Jazy
Michel Jazy
Michel Jazy is a former French middle distance runner, who won the silver medal over 1500 metres at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. The race was won by Herb Elliott in a new world record time...
by nearly five seconds; Walker regarded this run as the best he ever ran. Steve Cram
Steve Cram
Stephen "Steve" Cram MBE is a British retired athlete. Along with fellow Britons Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s. Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arrow", Cram set world records in the 1500 metres, 2000 metres and the mile during a...
would not better Walker's record by running 4:51.4 at Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
until 4 August 1985. Indoors, Walker broke the 1500 metre world record with a time of 3:37.4 in 1979.
1976 Montreal Olympic Games
In the 800 metres Walker failed to advance to the semi-finals missing the top two qualifying spots in his heat running a time of 1:47.63.However Walker was a favourite to win the 1500 metres due to the African boycott of the Games weakening the field. The 1500 metres final started at a slow pace going through 800 metres in 2:03. The race would come down to a fast finish. In a bid to out-sprint runners that were quicker over 800 metres, Walker started his finishing sprint 300 metres from the finish, fading in the last 20 metres holding out Ivo Van Damme
Ivo Van Damme
Ivo Van Damme was a Belgian middle distance runner.Van Damme was born in Dendermonde. He played football until he was 16, but then switched to athletics...
and Paul-Heinz Wellmann
Paul-Heinz Wellmann
Paul-Heinz Wellmann was a West German middle distance runner who specialized in the 1500 metres.As a teenager he won the silver medal at the 1970 European Junior Championships...
to win the gold medal.
Although it seemed that the boycott denied Bayi (who was Walker's main rival) the opportunity to challenge for the 1500 metre title, Bayi likely would not have competed, anyway, because of an attack of malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
that he suffered. Walker would justify his Olympic Gold over several record-breaking years.
New Zealand records
During 1981 he set a New Zealand all-comers' mile record of 3:50.6 in Auckland.In 1982 in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Steve Scott (3:47.69), John Walker (3:49.08), and Ray Flynn
Ray Flynn (athlete)
Raymond P. Flynn is a retired middle distance runner and sports agent. A native of Longford in Ireland, Flynn won the mile at the Great Britain Championships against other high school runners. He earned an athletic scholarship to East Tennessee State University where he ran cross country and track...
(3:49.77) took the top three spots in The Dream Mile, establishing American, New Zealand, and Irish national records for the mile in the same race. All three national records stood for 25 years until 21 July 2007, when Alan Webb
Alan Webb (athlete)
Alan Webb is an American athlete. He holds the American record in the mile, with a time of 3:46.91. He competes professionally for Nike.-High school:...
broke Scott's American record. Walker and Flynn's times remain national records.
Running twilight
At the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane he won the silver medal in the 1500 metres finishing behind Steve CramSteve Cram
Stephen "Steve" Cram MBE is a British retired athlete. Along with fellow Britons Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s. Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arrow", Cram set world records in the 1500 metres, 2000 metres and the mile during a...
. He moved up up to the 5000 metres distance for both the 1984 Olympic Games and the 1986 Commonwealth Games
1986 Commonwealth Games
The 1986 Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland for the second time. The Games were held from 24 July-2 August 1986.-Organisation and Controversy:...
with limited success. He raced at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
1990 Commonwealth Games
The 1990 Commonwealth Games were held in Auckland, New Zealand from 24 January-3 February 1990. It was the 14th Commonwealth Games, and part of New Zealand's 1990 sesquicentennial celebrations. Participants competed in ten sports: athletics, aquatics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, judo,...
competing in both the 800 and 1500 metres, where he was tripped early on in the latter.
Walker became the first man in history to run 100 sub-4 minute miles in 1985, achieving that feat just before fellow miler Steve Scott of the U.S.
As his career wore on, leg injuries and stomach cramps started to affect his training. In the early 1990s he aimed to be the first runner aged over 40 to run a mile under four minutes, but his attempts failed due to a leg injury. At this point his international career had shown remarkable longevity - spanning almost two decades. Walker ended his racing career with an astonishing 135 sub-four-minute miles.
He was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, and in 1996 the Olympic Committee awarded him with the Olympic Bronze Order.
After running
Also in 1996, Walker announced that he was suffering from Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. He now operates an equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
shop in Newmarket in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
with his wife, Helen, and was a Manukau City Councillor. Walker and his wife have four children: Elizabeth, Richard, Timothy, and Caitlin.
On 1 June 2009 in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, Walker was appointed Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
Personal bests
| Distance | Time | Place | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 m | 1:44.92 | Christchurch | 1974 |
| 1000 m | 2:16.6 NR New Zealand records in athletics The following are the national records in athletics in New Zealand maintained by New Zealand's national athletics federation: Athletics New Zealand .... |
Oslo | 1980 |
| 1500 m | 3:32.4 | Oslo | 1975 |
| Mile | 3:49.08 NR New Zealand records in athletics The following are the national records in athletics in New Zealand maintained by New Zealand's national athletics federation: Athletics New Zealand .... |
Oslo | 1982 |
| 2000 m | 4:51.4 NR New Zealand records in athletics The following are the national records in athletics in New Zealand maintained by New Zealand's national athletics federation: Athletics New Zealand .... |
Oslo | 1976 |
| 3000 m | 7:37.49 NR New Zealand records in athletics The following are the national records in athletics in New Zealand maintained by New Zealand's national athletics federation: Athletics New Zealand .... |
London | 1982 |
External links
- Biography New Zealand Olympic Committee
- Page with Photo, one of two at Sporting Heroes
- IAAF Biography
Video links