{{Short description|Athlete with world records in middle and long distance running}} {{for|the English footballer|Dave Moorcroft (footballer)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Use British English|date=May 2012}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = David Moorcroft | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE|DL}} | image = Dave Moorcroft.jpg | caption = at Coventry walk of fame unveiling 16 May 2008 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|4|10|df=y}} | birth_place = Coventry, England | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Former Chief Executive of UK Athletics | sport = Athletics | event = middle-distance | club = Coventry Godiva Harriers | spouse = Linda | height =180 cm | weight =66 kg | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's athletics}} {{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}} {{MedalCompetition|European Championships}} {{MedalBronze|1978 Prague|1500 m}} {{MedalBronze|1982 Athens|5000 m}} }} '''David Robert Moorcroft''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|OBE|DL}} (born 10 April 1953) is a former middle-distance and long-distance runner from England, and former world record holder for 5,000 metres. His athletic career spanned the late-1970s and 1980s. He subsequently served as the Chief Executive of UK Athletics from 1997 to 2007.<ref name=CO>{{cite web|url=https://coventryobserver.co.uk/sport/athletics-coventry-godiva-harriers-receive-visit-from-club-legend-david-moorcroft-obe/ |title=ATHLETICS - Coventry Godiva Harriers receive visit from club legend David Moorcroft OBE |website=Coventry Observer |date=24 February 2022 |access-date=1 June 2025}}</ref> He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1983 and promoted to an Officer (OBE) in 1999, in both cases for services to athletics.<ref>United Kingdom list: {{London Gazette |date=10 June 1983 |supp=y |issue=49375 |pages=15 }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=55513 |date=12 June 1999 |pages=12 |supp=y }}</ref> In March 2023, he was appointed a Deputy lieutenant of the West Midlands.<ref name="DL">{{cite web|title=West Midlands Lieutenancy - Deputy Lieutenant Commissions|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/4321583|publisher=London Gazette|access-date=31 March 2023|date=31 March 2023}}</ref>
== Early life == Moorcroft was born to Robert and Mildred (née Hardy) Moorcroft on 10 April 1953 in Coventry,<ref name=Debretts2005>{{cite book|title=Debrett's People of Today 2005|edition=18th|isbn=1870520106|publisher=Debrett's|page=1157}}</ref> Warwickshire and he has an elder sister Valerie. He was a pupil at Woodlands Comprehensive School and Tile Hill College.<ref name=Debretts2005/> He studied Physical Education and Sport Science at Loughborough University. In 1997 he received an honorary degree of Doctor of Technology from Loughborough University. He has been a member of the Coventry Godiva Harriers athletics club since 1964 and was previously the club's president.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/winners-godiva-awards-coventry-3091099 |title=All the winners of the Godiva Awards, Coventry |website=Coventry Telegraph |date=17 October 2008 |access-date=1 June 2025}}</ref>
==Running== Moorcroft made his senior debut for Great Britain in 1973 and competed in his first Olympic Games in Montreal 1976, placing seventh in the 1,500-metre final.<ref>Matti Hannus, "The Montreal Olympic Book" / Montrealin Olympiakirja, published in Finland in 1976</ref> He won gold in the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton at 1500 metres. Just four weeks later, he won the bronze medal at the same distance in the European Athletics Championships in Prague.<ref>Pat Butcher, The Perfect Distance: Coe&Ovett – The Record-Breaking Rivalry, London: Weidenfeld&Nicolson, 2004</ref> In the 1980 Moscow Olympics, he suffered from stomach problems and was eliminated in the 5,000-metres semifinals.<ref>"The Moscow Olympic Book" / Moskovan olympiakirja, edited by the "Runner" / Juoksija magazine's journalists and published in Finland in 1980</ref>
Moorcroft had a remarkable season in 1982, where he broke the 5,000 m World Record by 5.79 seconds (without the use of pace-making).<ref>{{cite web|title=The night that Moorcroft took Bislett's breath away|url=https://worldathletics.org/heritage/news/david-moorcroft-bislett-mowa|website=Museum of World Athletics|publisher=World Athletics|access-date=3 April 2023|date=19 November 2021}}</ref> His time of 13:00.41 set at the Bislett Games in Oslo stood for three years until broken by Saïd Aouita (though it remained a British record until 2010 and a European record until 1997). He remains the last non-African to set a 5,000 m world record. In the 1982 running season, he set a personal record in most distances, but probably ran too many races or for some other reason lost his peak shape before the European Athletics Championships in Athens. There he took the bronze medal at 5,000 metres, losing to West Germany's Thomas Wessinghage and East Germany's Werner Schildhauer.<ref>Butcher, The Perfect Distance; "The Big Events of Top Sports Until 1982" / Huippu-urheilun suurtapahtumat vuoteen 1982 asti, published in Finland in 1982; "The Big European Championships Book" / Suuri EM-kirja, published in Finland in 1990</ref>
The same year, he won gold in the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane over 5,000 m, he broke the European and British 3,000 m record with a time of 7:32.79 (less than a second off Henry Rono's 7:32.1 world record) and he demonstrated his lower end range by recording 1:46.64 for 800 m and 3:49.34 for the mile. His 3,000 m time remained a British record until it was broken by Mo Farah on 5 June 2016.
He competed in his third and final Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, however, suffering from a groin injury, he placed only 14th in the 5,000 metres final.<ref>"The Big Olympic Book" / Suuri Olympiakirja, edited by the "Runner" / Juoksija magazine's journalists and published in Finland in 1984; The Olympic Games, a book published in the early 2000s</ref> He continued to compete for Britain internationally until the late 1980s.
Following his retirement from top-level competition, he continued running and his time of 4:02.53 over a mile in Belfast in 1993 was at the time a world masters record for the 40+ age group.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}
== Broadcasting and charity work == Moorcroft covered athletics events for BBC television and radio between 1983 and 1997 and at the same time, he was developing the Coventry Sports Foundation for which he was Chief Executive from 1981 to 1995 (and remains a Trustee).{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}.
For the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Moorcroft provided track and field analysis for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He commentated for Channel 4 at the 2011 World Athletics Championships. During the 2012 London Olympics he again served as a track and field analyst for Canadian television, this time for the CTV-led Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium.<ref>{{cite web|title=CTV announces first names of London 2012 broadcast team|url=http://www.canadiansportcentre.com/news/newsletter-archives/47-july-26-2011/364-ctv-announces-first-names-of-london-2012-broadcast-team|publisher=Canadian Sport Centre Calgary|access-date=11 August 2012|date=26 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119113921/http://www.canadiansportcentre.com/news/newsletter-archives/47-july-26-2011/364-ctv-announces-first-names-of-london-2012-broadcast-team|archive-date=19 January 2013}}</ref> In 2016, he performed the same role for CBC/Radio-Canada's coverage of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.<ref>{{cite web|title=David Moorcroft: Analyst, Athletics|url=http://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/david-moorcroft.html#.V7l-yZgrKUk|website=CBC Media Centre: Bios|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=21 August 2016|date=August 2016}}</ref> He will again be providing athletics colour commentary with CBC's broadcasting team for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.<ref name="cbc2024">{{cite web |title=CBC Reveals Olympic Games Broadcast Team Ahead of Paris 2024 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/press-release/cbc-reveals-olympic-games-broadcast-team-ahead-of-paris-2024 |website=CBC Media Centre |publisher=CBC |access-date=6 August 2024 |date=15 July 2024}}</ref>
Moorcroft is Chair of the parkrun UK Board<ref>{{cite web|title=about us|url=https://www.parkrun.org.uk/aboutus/|website=parkrun UK|publisher=parkrun|access-date=8 July 2022|date=July 2022}}</ref>
== UK Athletics == He was appointed as Chief Executive of the British Athletic Federation in 1997 at a time when the finances of athletics in the UK were perilous. Indeed, two weeks later the federation was placed into administration, leading to the creation of a successor body: UK Athletics. He remained Chief Executive until January 2007 – having announced his decision to resign in August 2006.<ref name=CO/>
Under his leadership, the federation rebuilt financially through a combination of sponsorship, broadcasting and public funds. On his departure UK Athletics' turnover was over £18 million per annum. One of his final acts as Chief Executive was helping to secure a £50 million investment from Norwich Union into athletics at all levels up to 2012. A new television deal was agreed which brought athletics back to the BBC and a series of televised events staged across the UK each year. The IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham and the EAA European Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh were held in 2003, and the rights were secured to stage the 2007 EAA European Indoor Championships in Birmingham, the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh and the 2007 EAA European Cup of Race Walking in Leamington Spa.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}
A network of new indoor training facilities were developed across the UK and a major refurbishment investment of English tracks took place, funded by the £41 million 'Legacy Fund' granted to athletics by the Government following the cancellation of the 2005 World Championships in London.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}
On the track, the British team had mixed fortunes. At the Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004, five gold medals were won – comparing favourably with a total of two golds in the previous three Games. However, the results in World and European Championships declined. On leaving UK Athletics, he pointed to positive signs with a new generation of athletes who were building towards London 2012.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}
==Personal life== Moorcroft married Linda on 5 July 1975.<ref name=Debretts2005/> They have two children, Paul and Lucy, and four grandchildren.
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{World Athletics}} *[http://www.pointfourone.com pointfourone] * [http://www.iglobalfitness.net iGlobalFitness] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410054504/http://www.iglobalfitness.net/ |date=10 April 2009 }} * [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=2765 Sporting Heroes] * [http://joininuk.org/ Join In Local Sport] {{s-start}} {{s-ach|rec}} {{succession box|before=Henry Rono |title=Men's 5000 m World Record Holder|years=7 July 1982 – 22 July 1985 |after=Saïd Aouita}} {{s-sports}} {{succession box|before=Steve Scott|title=Men's 3,000 m Best Year Performance|years=1982|after=Doug Padilla}} {{succession box|before=Henry Rono|title=Men's 5,000 m Best Year Performance|years=1982|after=Fernando Mamede}} {{s-end}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 1500m Men}} {{Footer Commonwealth Champions 5000m Men}} {{Footer UK NC 1500 Metres Men}} {{Footer UK NC 3000 Metres Men}} {{Footer UK NC 5000 Metres Men}} {{British Indoor Athletics Championships men's 1500 metres champions}} {{Footer WBYP 1500m Men}} {{Footer WBYP 3000m Men}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moorcroft, David}} Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:English men middle-distance runners Category:British men middle-distance runners Category:English men long-distance runners Category:British men long-distance runners Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1978 Commonwealth Games Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1982 Commonwealth Games Category:European Athletics Championships medalists Category:World record setters in the sport of athletics Category:Alumni of Loughborough University Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Deputy lieutenants of the West Midlands (county) Category:People educated at Woodlands Academy, Coventry Category:Medallists at the 1978 Commonwealth Games Category:20th-century English sportsmen Category:Athletes from Coventry Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics Category:Competitors at the 1975 Summer Universiade