If you asked sports fans who watched television in the last 50 odd years ’Who were the Greatest milers they could think of, they would be likely to say Seb Coe, Steve Ovett & Steve Cram, as they all achieved World Records, won Olympic or World Championship titles. I would like to add Peter Elliott to those three names.
PETER ELLIOTT (Racing at 67 kg & 1.81/5’11 height Born Rawnmarsh, Rotherham, 9th of October 1962.
He did manage to beat Seb Coe in the Olympic Trials 1500 in 1984, when Coe had seemed invincible over the distance for British runners since 1976 then, later in Sheffield in 1990, he ran 3:32.69, which was a British All Comers record for Peter and his life time Best for 1500, with Steve Cram second on 3:33.03. One must add both Coe & Ovett were top of their ‘Powers’ in the late 70’s plus early 80’s and Steve Cram was coming through and, won the 1983 World Championship 1500. Perhaps Peter Elliott’s most convincing victory came in the Commonwealth Games 1500 in Auckland (NZ), on the 3rd of February 1990 when, he led for the whole of the last lap, with the Kenyan, Wilfred kirochi trying to get close enough to overtake him but, Peter Elliott, opened up an even larger gap in the final straight, sprinting into the finish to win comfortably in 3:33.29 with Kirochi timed at 3:34.41. Australian Steve O’Domoghue was 3rd in 3:35.14.
We often have favourite races we see and, I can remember rushing down stairs at home, to see on television ‘The Dream Mile’ in Oslo in 1991, when Peter won in 3:49.6.
New Zealander Dick Quax, an Olympic 5000 silver medallist in 1976 said to me “Unfortunately at the end of the day athletes are judged on Olympic medals more than anything else.”
So, with that in mind Peter achieved one, despite injury problems in 1988, at Seoul. He had been 4th in the 800 Fina and despite injury, just had enough time to come back from 4th in that Olympic 800 Final (1:44.12) and run in the Olympic 1500 Final.
The race went like this. Marcu O’Sullivan of Ireland led at 400m with 59.7 and the pace slowed to 2:00.3 at 800 with 21 year old, Peter Rono, taking the lead at 700m. The pace picked up in the, third lap with a 54.6 circuit and the kickers gathered Cram, Elliott and Herold but Rono refused to let anyone pass through out a last lap of 52.9, so Rono went on to win by one and a half metres from Elliott, with less than a metre separating second from fourth.
1st of October 1988. First six home 1 Peter Romo (Kenya) 3:35,96’ 2 Peter Elliott (GBR) 3:36.15, 3 Jens-Peter Herold (GDR) 3:36.21, 4 Steve Cram (GBR) 3:36.24,5 Steve Scott (USA) 3:36.99, 6 Han Kulker (NED) 3:37.08 (8 Finished).
Back in 1986 Peter Elliott was 3rd in the Commonwealth 800 behind Steve Cram and Tom Mckean. The next year 1987 Pater was 2nd in the World 800 Championships in Rome in 1:43.41 behind Kenya’s Billy Konchella who did 1:43.06.
It was right back in 1982 in August he joined Gary Cook Seb Coe and Steve Cram to do a World 4x 800 relay record of 7min 3.89sec,
BUT there was even more individual glory for Peter Elliott, who worked full time as a Joiner for British Steel when, he achieved an Indoor World 1500 record in Seville on the 27th of February 1990. His time 3:34.21. He also ran a British Indoor mile record in 1990 of 3:52.02. Peter Elliott was handy with middle distance racing on the road. He won the Fifth Avenue mile in New York City three times and his fastest of those weas 3:47.93 in 1990. Peter has had three people who helped him as coaches over the years, Bill Mc Robb at the time Peter won the r National Youth and Junior cross country Championships, and as an English Schools Champion 4 times plus doing a UK Best for a 16 year old of1:50.7 for 800 metres.
After he won the National Youths cross country at Leicester in 1979, as a Rotheram harrier of course we talked
I asked him “Who were the people he admired at the start of his career in the sport?
“I was not really inspired, just went down the Harriers, and it started from there when I was about 12 years old. The people I admired, I think Brendan Foster is one because of the things he has done for Gateshead and that area, Sebastian Coe has brought a name to South Yorkshire. I don’t class myself as one of them like that, as I want to be an individual and make my own mark”
In those days as a youth, what training did he enjoy most? “Quality work. I like fartlek and hills, I like circuit training, which I do once a week”
Bill McRobb comes in here to say “Although there are various theories about weights and middle distance running Peter has always had a good appetite for shifting weights. He is a very strong lad basically forgetting about any running attribute, he is very strong physically.”
Now retired from competition Peter Elliott still has enthusiasm for the sport and coaches & as a race organiser,. He was a Director of Running at Nova International and in 2004 became the Athletic Services Manager for Yorkshire at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.