The Perfect Distance: Ovett and Coe: The Record Breaking Rivalry by Pat Butcher (7-Jul-2005) Paperback

by Pat Butcher

Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe presided over the golden era of British athletics. Between them they won three Olympic gold medals, two silvers, one bronze, and broke a total of twelve middle-distance records. As far apart as possible in terms of class and upbringing, their rivalry burned as intense on the track as away from it. The pendulum swung between the pair of them—each breaking the other's records, and, memorably, triumphing in each other's events in Moscow in 1980. The Perfect Distance is both a detailed re-creation and a fitting celebration of the greatest era of British athletics.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Biography

Paperback

First published October 31, 2004

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. Okay, I had a cursory understanding of Sebastian Coe, Britain's greatest middle distance runner ever, as well as having met the great Peter Coe, Seb's father and coach. But, my understanding of Moscow 1980 and LA 1984 was so weak that this book illuminated everything with clarity for those races. A British book that feels very British, Butcher does not always provide the context needed for a non-British reader. For example, I do not fully understand the circuit or the sequences of Track & Field races in Europe (Oslo, Helsinki, Berlin, London, etc...) as well as knowing very little about England's geography and class divisions (Sheffield vs. Birmingham; the 80's history that Ovett & Coe distracted the world from which included the Falklands, the Miners' Strike, etc...).

Just a general all-around good book about two contrasting personalities, which never gets too close or too specific about their training, but paints a broad, clear picture of the world running community during those years.

I personally wanted to know more at every turn. What is Ovett like now? What really happened in July of 1984 when Coe stayed at Joe Newton's home in my hometown of Elmhurst, Illinois. How did Peter Coe reconcile some of his savagery towards his son at the end of his life? How does Seb Coe feel now as he stands front and center before the world, ambassador of London to the 2012 Games? His reputation to me is only enhanced, and I long to see videos of Coe and Ovett, truly amazing man who pushed themselves to the limit.

I wonder if this is a Magic & Bird type situation where two of the greatest ever made each other and themselves better by their head-to-head combat. Did Michael Jordan really ever have this? Do all modern athletes get this chance? Have to say no.

It always seems amazing to be transplanted back to a time where press boxes had to be wooed, writers picked up runners at the airport to drive them back to their cars, where the readers of the sports pages desired to hear from the runners... Our runners today are anonymous or outside of the mainstream athletic community, with little media exposure except for this glutton of attention every four years. It isn't right, it isn't fair, and we have to take what we can get and be happy.

Cheers to Coe and Ovett!

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insider's story about the greatest middle-distance rivalry of my lifetime...that was at its height just as I was learning to walk and run as a toddler.

I'm not sure who I prefer, Ovett or Coe. Ovett's free-spirited approach and natural athleticism is a purer kind of masculinity, but Coe's meticulous training and intentional development testifies to the virtuous kind of human achievement that can only come with personal discipline and smart planning.

This book is only interesting to anyone who cares about the history of middle distance running.

[James Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does exactly what it says on the tin. Fantastic race descriptions that build drama and tension, by an author clearly engrossed with the sport. Interviews with Coe and Ovett make it a truly authoritative account

“Ovett is responsible for one of the greatest put-downs in athletics history, when he described Thompson’s event, the decathlon, as ‘nine Mickey Mouse events and a slow 1500 metres”

[Owen Lindsell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good if you like running and have an idea about time, world records etc. Even better if you were around at the time this was happening. I was only a child, so barely remember it.

[Euan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read charting two of the great middle distance runners and arguably Olympians to ever represent GB. I find it strange to look back almost 50 years ago and think that people deemed themselves a “Coe” or “Ovett” person, I’d like to think I’d have rooted for them both.

Coe is a funny osity and I fear an outcome of parents living through their child, namely calling his father and coach “Peter” and being worked to the absolute bone. His almost patrician depiction then and now seems a caricature more than a reality in some ways. Ovett is similar, his rough and ready appeal seems slightly misguided and inaccurate. In sum, I’m saying the media confected a drama that didn’t ever really exist, or Coe and Ovett were in on it themselves.

[Quinn Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learning about the history and each athletes background was great but the author spent way too much time complaining about how he doesn’t think pacers should be allowed in track. Made the book longer than it should’ve been and tainted an otherwise cool story.

[Atlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Forty Seven of 2025: Interesting history of a period of athletics. Amusingly, it took about 80% of the book for it to make clear that the perfect distance was the mile race (a question my friends kept asking me as I was reading)

[Robert Tansey · Rating 4 out of 5]

One for the geeks, with lots of times and reports from obscure races. But also a brilliant picture of an unforgettable era. And it’s good that I’m a geek.

[Stephen Redwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Eighties were special for many things, but not much that captured my and the world's imagination quite like the rivalry between Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe, two of the greatest ever middle distance runners, who happened to be at their athletic peaks at that time. Their different backgrounds, personalities and running styles, Ovett all raw natural talent coupled with a blunt and remote demeanor, and Coe honed to become a great talent with a sophisticated and politically astute media presence, made them all the more attractive to the press and public who obsessed over them. Their dominance in the 800 and metric and imperial mile distances (the latter being the "perfect" one) in the period roughly from the Moscow to the Los Angeles olympics was astonishing. Other really great athletes like John Walker of New Zealand, Steve Scott of the US and the early brilliance of Said Aouita and Steve Cram, were all over-shadowed by for a while. For the Brits, this was a golden period for athletics, with several other British stars, including Daley Thomson, decathlete, Tessa Sanderson, javelin, and Andy Norman, policeman and (slightly dodgy?) promoter. It was a totally inspiring period for me as a young guy looking to shape his own identity in sport. I still remember the thrill of watching these athletes compete at what seemed to be superhuman levels. Pat Butcher has written a book about runners, probably mostly for runners, as he details each race, comparing times, even down to lap times - but if you are into this sort of thing, the mix of biography and race history is fascinating and recalls the adrenalin rush millions vicariously experienced at that time. I loved it, reliving the thrill of those races and remembering how charismatic they were. But it does make me reflect on how bland the sport has become or, maybe, like pop music, each generation has it’s own memorable athletes.

[Gregory Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Authoritative but Dull

I am a track and field afficianado and one-time wanna be middle distance runner. The Coe/Ovett era was a magical time in athletics and the battles and world records set by these two runners underpinned a golden era in British sport.

It would be overly simplistic to cast Coe as simply the good guy and Ovett as the baddie. They were both complex characters singing, and running, to their own tune. Coe was more media-friendly while Ovett was probably more athlete-friendly. Coe was from the north while Ovett was from the south, although, paradoxically, Coe was more upper-class while Ovett was definitely of working class stock. Coe often raced for records while Ovett generally raced to win. And on it goes.

I guess it is difficult, in a book such as this to not get bogged down in the clock - a tenth of a second here, a couple of meters there. At the end of the day these miniscule differences define a champion versus a mere competitor. But reciting the times does not a great story make! The drama of their rivalry can only really be captured by witnessing it, or maybe today via You Tube!

The book is a worthy effort to capture lightening in a bottle. But reading about a foot race is akin to watching paint dry! It is hard to think that athletics will ever see such a rivalry again - at least one that captures and captivates the public imagination. If it does, i probably won't read the book.

[James Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up watching these two. I feel blessed. This was not only a golden age for British athletics, it was a golden age for world sport. The intense rivalry and mutual respect between these two is a physical and mental war of attrition that lasted over a decade at the elite level. Brilliantly written with the gift of hindsight, this reflective book does justice to the subjects. Excellent sports book that transcends its subjects.

[Huw Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Only having heard about the Coe-Ovett rivalry in passing every 4 years and run middle distance races in school, I was keen to learn more about the great rivalry. The book is well researched and well written, giving a great insight into the pair, as well as other key players from the era.

[A D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book detailing the rivalry between Ovett, the most naturally gifted runner of his generation against Coe, the hardest working runner of his generation. Both won Olympic gold medals and had problems with injuries and in their personal lives. Ovett comes across as the more likeable character but you have to admire Coe’s determination.

[Christine Parkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read about the rivalry between Coe and Ovett and loved reading about nth infamous Crystal Palace race with Cram and Ovett as I was there! The book had too many stars in it for my liking which forced me to skip over certain parts.

[Lee Tait · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 star

[Isaac Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good but quite hard to write about athletics in an exciting way

[Supermanfriday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some people drop on in a lifetime.I never got to see England win the world cup,and never will.But I watched Ali,Tyson,Tiger Woods,Ashes 81,Botham,West Indies of the 70-80s,Liverpools european cups,Maradona,Carl Lewis,Daley Thompson,Borg,McEnroe,RedRum,Bolt,Alex Higgins,and many more...but when it comes to Athletes..this period in my life was jawdropping..Coe and Ovett did for British athletics and world middle-distance running,what no one could ever match.A respectful rivalry that pushed the boundries of each athlete..Breaking world records frequently and making other athletes.Phenomenal and the pair more important than Bannister and more british than sunday roast..

[Koji Kawano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I saw Men’s 1,500m Final at World Championships in Daegu this past August, I became a fan of the distance. These guys are running below 60 seconds each lap but the kick they show in the last 400m is just amazing. So, after the championships, I was reading some articles and stumbled upon this book, The Perfect Distance, that is being made into a film. I’ve heard of Sebastian Coe growing up, but I could not tell if he was a 800m or 10,000m runner. If I was more into track and field then... Read more.

[Nicola Howarth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anybody that enjoys their athletics and is old enough to remember the sheer excitement surrounding middle distance running in the early 80's will thoroughly love reading this book. It doesn't matter in which camp your loyalties lay, respect goes to each of these athletes as they brought hope amongst the most darkest of times. It was the era of British middle distance running at its best .....and we were the best in the world. A cracking read.

[Richard Mayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, incisive and insightful, with an interesting historical backdrop, Butcher's book is probably the best on Coe and Ovett and one of the best constructed and finely crafted running books on all time. As Butcher wryly comments, athletics does not often lend itself to good writing but his book is a welcome exception.

[Shane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess I'm just not as interested in British runners as I am American runners.

[Tom Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit heavy in places, but very well researched and excellently written. Overall, gripping stuff.

[Darren · Rating 3 out of 5]

In parts excellent but sometimes a slog. Has inspired me to run more though.