Стивен Джонс: путь валлийского марафонца к мировым рекордам.

Welsh runner

Stephen Henry Jones (born 4 August 1955) is a Welsh athlete who set the world record in the marathon in his first completed race at that distance at the Chicago Marathon in 1984, with a time of 2:08:05.

Jones grew up in Ebbw Vale, Wales and ran his first race at the age of 15 as a member of the Air Training Corps. Dissatisfied with working in a factory as a sewing machine mechanic, he became an aircraft technician for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1974, and joined the RAF's running team in 1976. After receiving an invitation to the 1983 Chicago Marathon Jones began training for that distance; he previously had specialized in the 5,000 and 10,000 m, and on 6 August 1984, he ran the 1984 Olympic 10,000 m event. He finished 8th with a time of 28:28.08. On 21 October 1984, a year after he had dropped out of the Chicago Marathon because of an injury, Jones won the event—his first completed marathon—with a time of 2:08:05, breaking the world record of Australian Robert de Castella by 13 seconds. In 1986, he won a bronze medal in the 10,000 m at the Commonwealth Games. In the European Championships shortly after, he once again competed in the marathon. Leading from the start and breaking away from the pack, Jones ran a brilliant race up to the 20 mile mark. At that point he was leading by over two minutes and on schedule for another world record. However, he then "hit the wall" and suffered terribly in the final six miles. He slowed to a virtual shuffle, but refused to quit as he watched other competitors catch and pass him. Two years later, in the 1988 New York City Marathon, Jones won by over three minutes with a time of 2:08:20. He was the first Welsh athlete to appear on the cover of the prestigious running magazine Running Times. Jones was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to sport. Jones lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Representing and 1983World ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland12th10,000 m28:15.03Chicago MarathonChicago, United StatesDNFMarathon —1984World Cross Country ChampionshipsNew York, United States3rdSenior race33:32Olympic GamesLos Angeles, United States8th10,000 m28:28.08Chicago MarathonChicago, United States1stMarathon2:08:05 WR1985London MarathonLondon, United Kingdom1stMarathon2:08:16 CRChicago MarathonChicago, United States1stMarathon2:07:13 CR/NR1986European ChampionshipsStuttgart, West Germany20thMarathon2:22:121986Commonwealth GamesEdinburgh, Scotland3rd10,000 m28:02.481987Boston MarathonBoston, United States2ndMarathon2:12:371988New York City MarathonNew York, United States1stMarathon2:08:20 CR1990Commonwealth GamesAuckland, New Zealand4thMarathon2:12:441992Toronto Shoppers Drug Mart MarathonToronto, Canada1stMarathon2:10:061993World ChampionshipsStuttgart, Germany13thMarathon2:20:04

In 2010, a video went viral featuring the Welshman's dramatic, tenacious finish to outrun the Tanzanian runner Gidamis Shahanga in the closing 80 metres of a 10000 metres race after having been caught with 110 metres remaining. Due to the vivid commentary the video is often featured in videos of "inspirational sports moments" or "remarkable comebacks". In the race, Jones was leading from the start with 30 metres margins up until the last 400 metres, at which point the commentary (from David Coleman) noted "But they are closing. And of course he (Jones) got very little finishing speed". Then Shahanga closed in rapidly. With 200 metres remaining, Jones glimpsed back and saw Shahanga, with the commentary famously noted, "Jones' looking for trouble and the trouble is there". Shahanga caught Jones with 110 metres remaining, when commentary noted "the African is going to steal the race in the last 80 metres", yet as soon the comment is made, Jones managed to comeback, accelerate and win the race with the time 27:55.2s. This 10000 meter run was an invitational race held in Memorial Van Damme Stadium, Brussels, 1983, hence not recognised in official competitive records.