Steve Cram, English runner and coach
Stephen Cram, (born 14 October 1960) is a British retired track and field athlete. Along with fellow Britons Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett, he was one of the world's dominant middle distance runners during the 1980s. Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arrow", after his home town, Cram set world records in the 1,500 m, 2,000 m, and the mile during a 19-day period in the summer of 1985. He was the first man to run 1,500 m under 3 minutes and 30 seconds. He won the 1 500 m gold medal at the 1983 World Championships and the 1,500 m silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.
In 2000, Cram co-founded international children’s charity COCO (Comrades of Children Overseas) with British Army Major Jim Panton after running the Bosnia Comrades ultramarathon in 1998. Cram remains chairman of COCO, an organisation which currently provides education to children living in poor, remote parts of East Africa.In 2008, Cram was appointed Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, replacing Lord Puttnam, and in 2009 was elected as President of Jarrow & Hebburn Athletics Club.Cram now works as a television presenter and athletics commentator, motivational speaker and athletics coach. In 2021, he was elected as the new president of the British Orienteering Federation.