nick rogers

David Moorcroft is one of those Coventry sporting names we probably don't make enough noise about. On 7 October 1982, the Coventry-born runner lined up for England in the 5,000 metres at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. He won. Moorcroft crossed the line in 13 minutes 33 seconds, taking Commonwealth gold ahead of fellow Englishman Nick Rose. But here's what makes that achievement even more impressive. Moorcroft hadn't arrived in Australia simply as one of the world's best runners. He arrived as the fastest 5,000-metre runner who had EVER lived. Just three months earlier, Moorcroft had run an astonishing 13:00.41 in Oslo, smashing the existing 5,000m world record by almost six seconds. He came painfully close to becoming the first human being to run the distance in under 13 minutes. He missed it by 0.42 seconds. And Moorcroft was very much one of ours. Born in Coventry, he went to Woodlands School and competed for Coventry Godiva Harriers, the club he had joined as a youngster. His 1982 season was extraordinary. World record holder. Commonwealth champion. European Championship bronze medallist. He had already won Commonwealth gold over 1,500 metres four years earlier in Edmonton too. So for a period in 1982, when people anywhere in the world looked up the fastest 5,000 metres ever run by a human being, the name at the top was: David Moorcroft. Coventry. 44 years ago today, he added another gold medal to the collection. 🥇 Coventry has produced some incredible sportspeople over the years, but this achievement deserves to be remembered alongside any of them. 💙 Who would YOU put in Coventry's sporting Mount Rushmore? And does David Moorcroft make your top four?