News Archive

Thursday 14 October 2004 Britain’s David Moorcroft and Christopher

Chataway, two former World 5000m record holders met for a special anniversary

last night at the Kingsmeadow track in Kingston, Surrey.

The date 13 October 2004 was the 50th Anniversary of the occasion on which

Chataway at a London versus Moscow City match at London’s White City

stadium met with the then World record holder and newly crowned European

champion Vladimir Kuts in what turned out to be an epic clash over

5000m.

Kuts led from the gun with Chataway only taking the lead in the last 20

metres, in a fierce confrontation which slashed a full five seconds off the

World record which passed to the feet of the fleet Briton in 13:51.6. Kuts

finished second in 13:51.7.

Kuts who recaptured the record just ten days later in Prague - he was to set

another two 5000m records later in his career - and in 1956 became Olympic

5000m and 10,000m champion is sadly no longer living, but yesterday evening

Chataway, who has since had a distinguished career in national politics,

decided to celebrate the anniversary in the only appropriate manner by having a

race over a 5000 m!

In a fun track outing, UK Athletics Chief Executive David Moorcroft who

broke the World 5000m record in 1982 (13:00.41), joined Chataway and a field of

approximately 30 ...