John Walker (athlete)

John George Walker, CBE, (born January 12, 1952 in Papakura) is a former middle distance runner from New Zealand.

Walker is best known for being the first human being to run the mile in under 3:50 minutes, posting a time of 3:49.4, breaking the existing world record by over 1.5 seconds. He also won the Olympic Games 1500 metre run in Montreal in 1976. This achievement came during an Olympic games that were boycotted by 22 African countries to protest against a tour of South Africa by the so-called "All Blacks", the New Zealand national rugby team. Although Walker was still hoping to set a world record, the Africans' absence was probably felt. Walker won the race in the relatively high time of 3:39.17, the slowest Olympic 1500 finish in 20 years.

Walker had already achieved world prominence in 1974 when he ran second to Filbert Bayi in the 1500 meter run at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was a remarkable race, since not only did both Bayi and Walker better the previous world record, but also it featured the fourth, fifth, and seventh fastest performances of all time. Its status as one of the all-time great 1500 metre races is assured by virtue of the fact that Walker, 22 at the time, and Bayi, 21, would prove dominant over the distance. Although it seemed that the boycott denied Bayi (who was Walker's main rival) the opportunity to challenge for the 1500 metre title, Bayi likely would not have competed, anyway, because of an attack of malaria that he suffered. Walker would justify his Olympic Gold over several record-breaking years. Also at the 1974 Commonwealth Games Walker won the bronze medal in the 800 metre run in 1:44.92, his lifetime best for the distance, and still the second-fastest New Zealander ever, behind Peter Snell.

Throughout his career as a world-class miler Walker was coached by Arch Jelley, a school principal, and a middle distance runner himself, whose work with runners has been typified by meticulous training programmes on a scientific basis and effective communications in person.

Walker broke the World Record in the mile run with a time of 3:49.4 minutes set at Göteborg, Sweden, on 12 August 1975, bettering the previous time set by Filbert Bayi. It was the first time that the Three minutes and 50 seconds barrier had been broken, and it was a full 10 seconds faster than Roger Bannister's historic sub-Four-Minute Mile of 3:59.4 that was run twenty-one years previous.

Walker's new record lasted until 17 July 1979, when it was lowered by the Briton Sebastian Coe.

Walker also held the world record for the 2000 metre run, running 4:51.4 minutes in Oslo, Norway, on 30 June 1976. This bettered by nearly five seconds the ten-year-old record of Michel Jazy. Steve Cram would not better Walker's record by running 4:51.4 at Budapest, Hungary until 4 August 1985. Indoors, Walker broke the 1,500 metre world record with a time of 3:37.4 in 1979.

In 1982 in Oslo, Norway, Steve Scott (3:47.69), John Walker (3:49.08), and Ray Flynn (3:49.77) took the top three spots in The Dream Mile, establishing American, New Zealand, and Irish national records for the mile in the same race. All three national records stood for 25 years until July 21, 2007, when Alan Webb broke Scott's American record. Walker and Flynn's times remain national records. The same year Walker gained a second silver medal in the 1500 metre run at the Commonwealth Games when he finished behind Steve Cram, of the United Kingdom.

Walker later became the first man in history to run 100 sub-4 minute miles, achieving that feat just before fellow miler Steve Scott of the U.S.A.. Walker ended his racing career with an astonishing 135 sub-four-minute miles.

In 1996, Walker announced that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease. He now operates an equestrian shop in New Market in Auckland, New Zealand with his wife, Helen, and he is also a Manukau City Councilor. Walker and his wife have four children: Elizabeth, Richard, Timothy, and Caitlin.

Personal Bests

External links

* [http://www.olympic.org.nz/Athletes/AthleteProfile.aspx?Print=&ContactID=1171&id=3774 Biography New Zealand Olympic Committee]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=6893 Page with Photo, one of two at "Sporting Heroes"]
* [http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/biographies/country=NZL/athcode=3067/index.html IAAF Biography]

Video Links

* [http://www.flocasts.org/flotrack/coverage.php?c=145&id=7295 Video Interview of John Walker talking about his Olympic Win]