The Brit stunned the world in 1984 by breaking the marathon world record at the Chicago Marathon.
Forty years ago on October 21, 1984, Steve Jones made history by winning the Chicago Marathon in 2:08:05, his first ever marathon finish. With that, the Welshman broke the world record.
The race was initially expected to be a showdown between two marathon greats: Olympic champion Carlos Lopez and reigning world champion Rob de Castella. However, it was RAF mechanic Jones who stole the limelight.
The then 29-year-old beat De Castella’s world record of 2:08:18, set in Fukuoka, Japan, by 13 seconds.
What made Jones’ feat even more impressive was his lack of awareness that he was on record pace. Unlike today’s runners who usually rely on watches, Jones ran without a watch. He only found out he was on track for the world record with two miles left in the race.
The two-time Olympian had attempted his marathon debut a year earlier at the 1983 Chicago Marathon, but had to withdraw at 17.5 miles due to an ankle injury.
His world record stood until April 1985, when Carlos López set a new mark of 2:07:12 at the Rotterdam Marathon.
Despite losing the record, Jones remained a dominant force in marathon running. The same year Lopez set a new record, Jones won the London Marathon in 2:08:16, despite a mid-race toilet stop.
Steve Jones (Getty)
Later in 1985, Jones returned to Chicago and ran 2:07:13, just one second off Lopez’s world record.
Although he missed out on the world record, this time he set a British record that stood for an impressive 33 years. It wasn’t until 2018 that Mo Farah finally broke it, clocking 2:05:11, also in Chicago.
In 1988, he set a course record of 2:08:20 to win the New York City Marathon. The year before, he was second in the Boston Marathon.
In all, Jones competed in 18 marathons, winning five major titles: Chicago in 1984 and 1985, London in 1985, New York in 1988, and Toronto in 1992.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary, you can find our original coverage of Steve Jones’ world record: Athletics Weekly Archive.
(From the first issue in December 1945 to the present day, current subscribers to our magazine can access this resource for free, while non-subscribers can pay just £399 a month for full access.
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