A Closer Look at: The Perfect Distance: Ovett & Coe-The Record-Breaking Rivalry

One of the unique aspects of track and field is the presence of several elements of competition within a single event. There is the race against the clock, the race against oneself, but most importantly, the race against other athletes. Though competition between individuals is the fundamental purpose of the sport, track in recent years has often come to be removed from this origin in the drive to produce world record performances. This has turned many "races" into record- breaking attempts with paid pacemakers as opposed to true competition between athletes. While these may be at times exciting to watch, it is the rare instances in which races between competitors are also able to produce record setting performances that make for some of the most memorable moments in track and field. In his book The Perfect Distance: Ovett & Coe-The Record-Breaking Rivalry (Orion Books, London, 2005, $15.00), Pat Butcher describes one such rivalry. His narrative shows how over the course of many years, Olympic Games, and World Championships, this rivalry was able to produce races that were both record setting and true tactical races between competitors.

Butcher takes the reader back to the 1970's era of British dominance of the middle distance events. He explains the importance of the Ovett-Coe rivalry, as these athletes, "Were the moving forces for an unprecedented period of British hegemony in international middle distance running, a decade when British athletes won every major international title at 1500 meters, and held every world record from 800 to 5000 meters." In particular, Butcher is able to stress how important it was that much of this rivalry was fought out in the mile and 1500 events. He describes how the mile in particular, with the history of Sir Roger Bannister and the first sub-four minute mile having taken place on British soil is indeed the "perfect distance" for which this rivalry to play out. As he states, "The mile! Four laps of the track. Like a four-act play. Prologue, Exposition, Action, Denouement. All inside four minutes. Aristotle could not have conceived a better dramatic formula." Butcher goes so far as to suggest that the Ovett-Coe rivalry and the athletic feats performed by each of these runners surpass the achievements of Sir Roger Bannister since Bannister relied upon pacers. Butcher believes that these "rabbits" have led to a decline in the sport by taking away the emphasis on individual competition.

Throughout the book Butcher stresses that while each of these athletes by himself was a remarkable talent, it was the competition between the two with one athlete serving as a foil to the other that made them legendary. Butcher begins with a description of Ovett, whom he presents as somewhat of a rebel, coming from a relatively tough background. Butcher stresses Ovett's inherent athletic ability, as he became a dominant force in British running from the age of 15 when he won the English Youths title in the 400 meters while also excelling in events ranging from the long jump to the half-marathon. However, in spite of his great talent, an extremely protective mother and a personality described by one individual as, "a little aloof...He wasn't really an approachable athlete. I think he had this attitude that, I like running, I'm good at running, but that's it," did not often endear him to the media or fans. The story then shifts to Seb Coe, who is many ways Ovett's diametric opposite. Coe was described as a "timid youngster, a late developer, [who] was as cautious in public as he was later in politics." In contrast to the naturally gifted Ovett, Coe develops slowly through hard work under the tutelage of his father, Peter, who becomes his primary coach. As Butcher describes, "If Ovett typically brought to mind the 'chancers,' the pro athletes from the nineteenth century, the hard men who lived on their wits and rough talent, then Coe was the late twentieth-century equivalent of the patrician Oxbridge athlete, who lived in sheltered academe and wafted rather than battled his way around the track." It is the presence of these differences that set the stage for their rivalry and sparked fans to favor one athlete over the other.

Butcher continues to alternate between the athletes throughout the remainder of the narrative, which extends through the 1984 Olympic Games with Coe defeating Ovett and the up-and-coming Steve Cram to defend his 1500 Olympic title. While at times Butcher digresses into his opinions concerning the current state of professional athletics and emphasizes details pertinent to British athletic history that may not be as relevant to the American reader, the book does a nice job describing the role that the Ovett vs. Coe rivalry played in shaping the nature of track and field. Further, with quotations from the athletes, their families, friends, competitors, coaches, and several pages of full-color pictures, Butcher gives a well-rounded description of each of these men. This book is a good read for anyone wanting to know more about these athletes and this era in track and field history.

Editor note: Elaine Binkley is senior at Denison University where she has earned NCAA Division III All American honors twice in cross-country. She has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All- America(R) Women's Track & Field/Cross Country first team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2005 and 2006. Elaine also earned All State honors in Cross Country and Track at Bishop Watterson High School.

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