British Orienteering is pleased to announce Steve Cram as British Orienteering's fifth President.
Steve Cram is a British retired track and field athlete and former orienteer.
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, Steve set world records in the 1500 m, 2000 m and the mile during a 19-day period in the summer of 1985. He was the first man to run 1500 m under 3 minutes and 30 seconds. He won the 1500 m gold medal at the 1983 World Championships and the 1500 m silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.Nicknamed "The Jarrow Arrow", after his home town, Steve set world records in the 1500 m, 2000 m and the mile during a 19-day period in the summer of 1985. He was the first man to run 1500 m under 3 minutes and 30 seconds. He won the 1500 m gold medal at the 1983 World Championships and the 1500 m silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games.
In 2000, Steve 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. Steve remains chairman of COCO, an organisation which currently provides sustainable sources of quality education to children living in poor, remote parts of East Africa.
In 2008 Steve was appointed Chancellor of the University of Sunderland, replacing Lord Puttnam, and in 2009 was elected as President of Jarrow & Hebburn Athletics Club.
Steve now works as a television presenter and athletics commentator, motivational speaker and athletics coach.
Steve’s introduction to Orienteering as a teenager seemed like a marriage made in heaven for a map-loving, running enthusiast. He has so many happy memories of belting through forests and across moorland, often recklessly, occasionally with surprising accuracy!
"The thrill of the find always outweighing the sense of bewilderment at my own navigational shortcomings. It also gave me on my mantras I hold to this day….the map is never wrong!"
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