Sebastian Coe, Baron Coe
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Sebastian Newbold Coe, Baron Coe, (born 29 September 1956), often referred to as Seb Coe, is a British sports administrator, former politician and retired
track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...
athlete. As a
middle-distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, ranging from 500 metres up to . The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distanc ...
, Coe won four Olympic medals, including
1500 metres The 1500 metres or 1500-metre run is the foremost middle distance track event in athletics. The distance has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896 and the World Championships in Athletics since 1983. It is equivalent to 1.5 kilomet ...
gold medals at the
Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
in
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
and
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
. He set nine outdoor and three indoor
world records A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...
in middle-distance track events – including, in 1979, setting three world records in the space of 41 days – and the world record he set in the
800 metres The 800 metres, or 800 meters (American and British English spelling differences#-re.2C -er, US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of a ...
in 1981 remained unbroken until 1997. Coe's rivalries with fellow Britons
Steve Ovett Stephen Michael James Ovett, (; born 9 October 1955) is a retired British track athlete. A middle-distance runner, he was the gold medalist in the 800 metres at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Ovett set five world records for 1500 metre ...
and
Steve Cram Stephen Cram, (born 14 October 1960) is a British retired track and field athlete. 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 Arro ...
dominated middle-distance racing for much of the 1980s. Following Coe's retirement from athletics, he was a
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
member of parliament from 1992 to 1997 for Falmouth and Camborne in Cornwall, and became a
Life Peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
on 16 May 2000. Coe headed the successful
London 2012 Olympic bid London 2012 was the successful bid to host the 2012 Summer Olympics, held in London with most events taking place in Stratford in the borough of Newham. The British Olympic Association had been working on the bid since 1997, and presented ...
for the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...
and became chairman of the
London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) was the organisation responsible for overseeing the planning and development of the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. It was jointly established by the UK Go ...
. In 2007, he was elected a vice-president of the
International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international governing body for the sport of athletics, coverin ...
(IAAF), and re-elected for another four-year term in 2011. In August 2015, he was elected president of the IAAF. In 2012, Coe was appointed Pro-Chancellor of
Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public university, public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university sinc ...
where he had been an undergraduate. Subsequently, in 2017, he was appointed as Chancellor. He is also a member of Loughborough University's governing body. He was one of 24 athletes inducted as inaugural members of the IAAF Hall of Fame. In November 2012, he was appointed chairman of the
British Olympic Association The British Olympic Association (BOA; ) is the National Olympic Committee for the United Kingdom. It represents the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), but also incorporate represen ...
. Coe was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award at the
BBC Sports Personality of the Year The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of just a single award of the same name. Several new awards have been introduced, and cu ...
in December 2012. At the 2024 Millrose Games, Coe was awarded The Armory's Presidents Award.2024 Millrose Games Booklet


Early life and education

Coe was born on 29 September 1956 at
Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital is one of the oldest maternity hospitals in Europe, founded in 1739 in London. Until October 2000, it occupied sites in Marylebone Road and at 339–351 Goldhawk Road, Hammersmith, but is now located betw ...
, Hammersmith, London. His father was athletics coach Peter Coe and his mother, Tina Angela Lal, was of half Indian descent, born to a Punjabi father, Sardari Lal Malhotra, and an English/Irish mother, Vera (née Swan). When he was less than a year old, Coe and his family moved to
Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...
, where he later attended Bridgetown Primary School and Hugh Clopton Secondary School in
Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...
. The family then moved to
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
where he attended
Tapton School Tapton School is a secondary school with academy status located in Crosspool, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is sited next to another secondary, King Edward VII School in Sheffield, and near to Lydgate Junior School in Crosspoo ...
, a
secondary modern school A secondary modern school () is a type of secondary school that existed throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland from 1944 until the 1970s under the Tripartite System. Secondary modern schools accommodated the majority (70–75%) of pupil ...
, at Crosspool which became a
comprehensive school A comprehensive school is a secondary school for pupils aged 11–16 or 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is restricted on the basis ...
while he was there and Abbeydale Grange School. He joined
Hallamshire Hallamshire (or Hallam) is the historical name for an area of South Yorkshire, England, approximating to the current City of Sheffield local government area. The origin of the name is uncertain. The English Place-Name Society describe "Hall ...
Harriers at the age of 12, and soon became a middle-distance specialist, having been inspired by David Jackson, a geography teacher at Tapton School who had been a cross-country runner. Coe was coached by his own father and represented
Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public university, public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university sinc ...
and later Haringey AC, now
Enfield and Haringey Athletic Club Enfield and Haringey Athletic Club is an Athletics (sport), athletics club based in North London, England. The club are based at three venues; White Hart Lane Community Sports Centre, New River Stadium, Lee Valley Athletics Centre and the Queen ...
when not competing for his country. Coe studied Economics and Social History at Loughborough University and won his first major race in 1977—an 800 metres event at the European indoor championships in
San Sebastián San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...
, Spain. At Loughborough University he met an athletics coach, George Gandy, who developed "revolutionary" conditioning exercises to improve Coe's running. His mother, Tina Angela Lal, died in London, in 2005, aged 75. His father, Peter Coe, died on 9 August 2008, aged 88, while Coe was visiting Beijing.


Athletics career

Coe first caught the public's attention on 14 March 1977 when he competed in the 800 m at the European Indoor Championships in San Sebastián, front-running the entire race and winning in 1:46.54, just short of the world indoor record. He ran in the Emsley Carr mile on 29 August 1977, outsprinting
Filbert Bayi Filbert Bayi Sanka (born June 23, 1953) is a Tanzanian former middle-distance runner who competed throughout the 1970s. He set the world records for 1500 metres in 1974 and the mile in 1975. His world record in the 1500 m was also the Com ...
of Tanzania in the home straight and winning in 3:57.7. Eleven days later, on 9 September 1977, he ran the 800 m at the Coca-Cola Games at Crystal Palace in a time of 1:44.95, beating Andy Carter's 1:45.12 to claim his first UK national outdoor record. Coe's 1978 season continued to show his progression in the middle distances, though he raced only sparingly, as in early June he had suffered a serious ankle injury whilst out on a training run. On 18 August 1978, he ran the 800 m at the Ivo Van Damme Memorial meeting in Brussels, where he far outclassed the field and stormed home in a time of 1:44.25, another UK national record. He first ran against his great rival
Steve Ovett Stephen Michael James Ovett, (; born 9 October 1955) is a retired British track athlete. A middle-distance runner, he was the gold medalist in the 800 metres at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Ovett set five world records for 1500 metre ...
in a schools cross country race in 1972. Neither won, nor did either win in their first major encounter, on 31 August 1978, in the 800 m at the
European Championships A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...
in
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. Ovett took second, breaking Coe's UK record with a time of 1:44.09, and Coe finished third; the race was won by the East German Olaf Beyer. According to Pat Butcher, Coe's father and coach Peter Coe had encouraged him to run as fast as he could from the start. The early pace was indeed exceptionally fast: Coe ran 200 m in 24.3, 400 m in 49.32, and 600 m in 1:16.2; he then slowed and finished third in 1:44.76. A few weeks later, Coe reclaimed the UK record at Crystal Palace, setting an all-comers' mark of 1:43.97 which ranked him second in the world that year. On 1 October 1978, Coe displayed to the world for the first time his phenomenal natural endurance by winning the Loughrea 4-Mile road race in Ireland in 17:54, defeating the likes of Eamonn Coghlan (who would win the 5000 m at the 1983 World Championships) and Mike McLeod (who would be the 1984 Olympic 10,000 m silver medalist), and breaking Brendan Foster's course record of 18:05. All this off a season which had been focussed on 800 m, with only one race at 1500 m or the mile. This was a warning to the world's top milers of what was to happen the following summer. The next year, 1979, Coe set three world records in 41 days. He set the first two in
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
, Norway, at 800 m (1:42.33) and the mile (3:48.95), then broke the world 1500 m record with his 3:32.03 in
Zurich, Switzerland Zurich (; ) is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The urban area was home to 1.45 ...
, becoming the first person to hold these three records at the same time. He easily won the 800 m at the European Cup in Turin in August, covering the last 200 m in 24.1, and anchored the British 4 × 400 m relay team with the quartet's fastest split, 45.5. He was voted Athlete of the Year by ''
Athletics Weekly ''AW'' (formerly ''Athletics Weekly'') is a monthly track and field magazine published in the United Kingdom by Athletics Weekly Limited. The magazine covers news, results, fixtures, coaching and product advice for all aspects of track and field ...
'' and ''
Track and Field News ''Track & Field News'' is an American monthly sports magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson and Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includ ...
'' and was ranked number one in the world at 800 m and 1500 m; no other athlete since has ranked number one at these distances in the same year. In 1980, Coe broke
Rick Wohlhuter Rick Wohlhuter (born December 23, 1948) is a retired American middle-distance runner. Wohlhuter won the national indoor championship in the 600 yards in 1970. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1971, and later qualified for the 1 ...
's world record for 1000 m with a time of 2:13.40. He held all four middle-distance world records—the 800 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, and mile—simultaneously (another unique feat) for one hour until Ovett broke his mile record. In the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Ovett and Coe each won the other's speciality: Ovett the 800 m and Coe the 1500 m. Coe took second in the 800 m after running what he described as "the worst tactical race of my life", while Ovett took third in the 1500. It was Ovett's first defeat at one mile or 1500 m in three years and 45 races. Coe covered the last 400 m in 52.2 and the last 100 m in 12.1 seconds, the fastest-ever finish in a championship final at this distance. Coe began 1981 with an indoor world record of 1:46.0 for 800 m at Cosford in February. On 10 June, he set a world 800 m record in
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; his 1:41.73 remained unbeaten until August 1997. As of 2025, his time still stands as the UK record and puts him in a tie with
Nijel Amos Nijel Carlos Amilfitano Amos (born 15 March 1994) is a Botswana Middle-distance running, middle-distance runner who competes in the 800 metres. He won the silver medal at the Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2012 London Olympics, which was ...
for the eighth fastest man ever at the distance (Only bettered by
David Rudisha David Lekuta Rudisha, State Commendations of Kenya, MBS (born 17 December 1988) is a retired Kenyan Middle-distance running, middle-distance runner who is the world and Olympic record holder in the 800 metres. Rudisha won gold medals in the 800 ...
,
Wilson Kipketer Wilson Kosgei Kipketer (born 12 December 1972) is a Danish former middle distance runner. With a personal best of 1:41.11, Kipketer is tied with Emmanuel Wanyonyi as the second fastest of all time over the 800 meter distance, behind David ...
,
Djamel Sedjati Djamel Sedjati (also written Sejati, , born May 3, 1999, in Tiaret) is an Algerian middle-distance runner specializing in the 800 meters. He is the fifth fastest man in history at the distance, behind Marco Arop, Emanuel Wanyonyi, Wilson Kipk ...
, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Marco Arop, Gabriel Tual, and
Bryce Hoppel Bryce Hoppel ( ; born September 5, 1997) is an American middle-distance runner who specializes in the 800 meters. He is the reigning 800 meters world indoor champion having won gold at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships - Men's 8 ...
). A month afterwards he set another world record with 2:12.18 for 1000 m, which was to last 19 years and to this day (2025) has only been bettered once. At this time, Coe was more than 1.7 seconds (about 14m) faster than anyone in history at both distances. Between these two record-breaking runs he won the Europa Cup 800 m semifinal, running the last 100 m in 11.3 (the fastest final 100 m ever recorded in a major international race), and achieved a personal best of 3:31.95 at 1500 m, despite dreadful pacemaking (he went through 400 m in 52.4 and 800 m in 1:49.1, the fastest start ever in an international 1500 m race at the time) by US 800 m runner James Robinson, who passed 400 m in 51.5. In August, Coe won the gold medal over 800 m at the European Cup final with a blistering last 200 m in 24.6 and last 100 m in 11.9. He then bettered the standard for the mile twice, first with 3:48.53 in
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
and then with 3:47.33 in
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, on either side of Ovett's world record in Koblenz (3:48.40). His 3:47.33 remained on the all-time top-10 list until 31 May 2014. Coe ended the season with gold over 800 m at the World Cup in Rome in September with 1:46.16 (and a 12.0 last 100 m), and remained undefeated at both 1500 m/mile and 800 m for the entire season, as he had in 1979. ''
Track & Field News ''Track & Field News'' is an American monthly sports magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson and Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includ ...
'' and ''Athletics Weekly'' magazines voted Coe Athlete of the Year, an honour he had also won in 1979. Although he had a short season in 1982 because of injuries in June and July, Coe still managed to rank number one in the world in the 800 m and to participate in a world-record 4 × 800 m relay. Coe, Peter Elliott, Garry Cook and
Steve Cram Stephen Cram, (born 14 October 1960) is a British retired track and field athlete. 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 Arro ...
ran a time of 7:03.89, which would remain the world record for 24 years. Coe's leg was the fastest of the day, a solo 1:44.01. Heavily favoured for the 800 m at the 1982 European Championships in Athletics in Athens, he unexpectedly finished second; the next day British team doctors revealed that he had been suffering from glandular fever. Coe decided to withdraw from the 1500 metres in those championships. Coe began 1983 with world indoor records at 800 m in Cosford, England (1:44.91, breaking his own 1:46.0 from 1981) and 1000 m (2:18.58) in
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
, but he spent much of that year battling health problems, including a prolonged bout with
toxoplasmosis Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease caused by ''Toxoplasma gondii'', an apicomplexan. Infections with toxoplasmosis are associated with a variety of neuropsychiatric and behavioral conditions. Occasionally, people may have a few weeks or month ...
. He missed the inaugural
IAAF World Championships in Athletics The World Athletics Championships, known as the IAAF World Championships in Athletics until 2019, are a biennial athletics competition organized by World Athletics, formerly International Association of Athletics Federations. Alongside Olympic ...
. The disease was severe, and he spent several months in and out of hospital. He returned to competition in 1984 and was selected at 800 m and 1500 m for the
1984 Olympic Games The 1984 Olympics may refer to: *The 1984 Winter Olympics, which were held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia *The 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an i ...
in Los Angeles, despite having been narrowly beaten by Peter Elliott in the AAA Championships. In the 800 m he took silver behind
Joaquim Cruz Joaquim Carvalho Cruz (born 12 March 1963) is a Brazilian former middle-distance runner, winner of the 800 meters at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He is one of only ten men, and in August 1984 became the second man, to run the 800 metres in less th ...
of Brazil, but in the 1500 m final—his seventh race in nine days—he took the gold in an Olympic record of 3:32.53. He ran the last 800 m of the race in 1:49.8, the last lap in 53.2, and the last 100 m in 12.7. He remains the only man to win successive Olympic 1500 m titles. Coe had planned to have a somewhat quiet season in 1985, partly because of the intensity of the previous year's efforts to get himself ready in time for the Olympics, as well as a planned move up to 5000 m, which never materialised. He suffered a recurrence of a back problem which had plagued him on and off since 1980; this caused him to miss several weeks of midseason training. He nevertheless managed to run some fast times towards the end of the season, but he lost his mile world record to Cram, who beat him in Oslo. In 1986, Coe won the 800 m gold medal at the European Championships in Stuttgart, beating
Tom McKean Thomas McKean (born 27 October 1963) is a Scottish former middle-distance runner representing Great Britain and Scotland internationally. He was European champion over the 800 metres in 1990, and a world (1993) and European (1990) indoor champ ...
and Cram with a stunning last 200 m of 24.8 and 100 m of 12.4. It was his only 800 m title at an international championship. He took the silver in the 1500 m behind Cram, the mile world record holder proving too strong in the homestretch. He then ran his personal best over 1500 m with a 3:29.77 performance in
Rieti Rieti (; , Sabino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, with a population of 47,700. It is the administrative seat of the province of Rieti and see of the diocese of Rieti, as well as the modern capital of the Sabina region. T ...
, Italy, becoming the fourth man in history to break 3:30 at the distance. For the fourth year in his career (1979, 1981, 1982 & 1986), he was ranked No. 1 in the world at 800 m, and he was in the top two for 1500 m for the fifth time. Coe sustained a foot injury in 1987 after winning an 800 m and running a 4 × 400 m leg for his club, Haringey, and was out for the entire season. The following year he was not selected for the British 1988 Olympic Games team after he failed to advance from the heats of the 1500 m at the Trials in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...
. He had shown good early season form, but he picked up a chest infection after a spell of altitude training. The ''
Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'' ran a campaign and the president of the
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
,
Juan Antonio Samaranch Juan Antonio Samaranch y Torelló, 1st Marquess of Samaranch ( Catalan: ''Joan Antoni Samaranch i Torelló'', ; 17 July 1920 – 21 April 2010) was a Spanish sports administrator under the Franco regime (1973–1977) who served as the seventh ...
, unsuccessfully tried to have the rules changed in Coe's favour. It was said that India was willing to include him on its national team on account of his mother's Indian heritage. Coe had a final good season in 1989, when, in his 33rd year (at age 32), he won the AAA 1500 m title, was ranked British number one for both 800 m and 1500 m, ran the world's second-fastest 800 m of the year (1:43.38), and took the silver medal at the World Cup over 1500 m. He retired from competitive athletics in early 1990, after having to bow out of the
1990 Commonwealth Games The 1990 Commonwealth Games () were held in Auckland, New Zealand from 24 January – 3 February 1990. It was the 14th Commonwealth Games, and part of New Zealand's 1990 sesquicentennial celebrations. Participants competed in ten sports: at ...
in
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
, New Zealand with yet another chest infection. He ended his career having run sub-1:44 for 800 m in eight different years.


Trinity College's Great Court Run

A scene in the 1981 film ''
Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 historical drama, historical Sports film, sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Summer ...
'' recreates a race in which competitors attempt to run round the perimeter of the Great Court at
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...
in the time it takes the clock to double-strike the hour at midday or midnight. Many have tried to run the around the court in the 43.6 seconds that it takes to strike 12 o'clock. Known as the Great Court Run, students traditionally attempt to complete the circuit on the evening of the
matriculation Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used no ...
dinner. The only persons recognised to have actually completed the run in time are David Cecil in 1927 and Sam Dobin in 2007. It was thought that Coe had succeeded when he beat Steve Cram in a charity race in October 1988 in a time of 42.53 seconds. A video of the race, however, apparently shows that Coe was 12 metres short of the finish line when the last chime sounded, so Trinity College never officially accepted his time.


Political career

Coe was elected as Member of Parliament for Falmouth and Camborne in
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
, for the Conservative Party, but lost his seat in the 1997 general election. He returned to politics for a short time as Leader of the Opposition
William Hague William Jefferson Hague, Baron Hague of Richmond (born 26 March 1961) is a British politician and life peer who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 1997 to 2001 and Deputy Leader from 2005 to 2010. He was th ...
's chief of staff, having accepted the offer of a
Life Peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
age on 16 May 2000.


Scandals


Violation of Ethical Standards through backroom deals

Coe served as a Chairman of the London 2012 Bid Committee, and also as a Chairman of the
London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) was the organisation responsible for overseeing the planning and development of the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. It was jointly established by the UK Go ...
. Throughout and following the bidding process, critics lambasted Coe for allegedly compromising the integrity of London's 2012 bid through aggressive tactics and alleged backroom deals. They argued that his forceful lobbying overshadowed the need for transparency and accountability, suggesting his drive to win came at the cost of ethical standards.


World Athletics Presidential Election Corruption

Sebastian Coe's election as the
International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international governing body for the sport of athletics, coverin ...
(IAAF) President was overshadowed by allegations of his ties to Papa Massata Diack, the son of former IAAF President Lamine Diack, who was at the center of a corruption, extortion and doping scandal, and was sentenced to prison as a result. Text messages indicated that Diack Jr. played a key role in securing votes for Coe, providing insider information and support during the election. Diack Jr. said Coe would not have become IAAF president without his help.


Coe's Politics in Sport – A departure from IOC's Neutrality Principle

Sebastian Coe has faced significant criticism for his stance on Russian and Belarusian athletes in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine. In a strong defense of
World Athletics World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...
' ban, Coe emphasized that he could not remain neutral in the matter, citing his personal feelings about the conflict. This position has been challenged by Russian officials, including
Russian Olympic Committee The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is the National Olympic Committee representing Russia. Its current president during IOC suspension is Mikhail Degtyarev. The membership of ROC is currently suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC ...
President Stanislav Pozdnyakov, who accused Coe of pursuing a "Russophobic" agenda. Coe has resisted the
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
’s recommendations for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competitions as individual neutrals under certain conditions, insisting he is "not a neutral". Such assertion of Coe contradicts the IOC's principle of political neutrality, as outlined in the Olympic Charter and Code of Ethics.


Russian Doping Scandal: Cover-up and misleading of the Parliament

Coe has faced serious allegations of misleading a UK parliamentary committee regarding the timing and extent to which he was aware of the doping and corruption issues within the
IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...
. Evidence showed that Coe received an email detailing the corruption and extortion claims months before a German television documentary exposed the scandal. He was also accused of blocking the release of a report from the
University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (; ), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The University of Tübingen is one of eleven German Excellenc ...
with the extent of doping.


Coe’s controversial plans for an Olympic shake-up

Coe's bid for
IOC The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based in L ...
presidency is marred by divisive proposals that have sparked widespread criticism. Coe's radical idea of relocating indoor summer sports to the
Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...
is seen as a reckless move and chaotic strategy that could disrupt the harmony and balance of both events, while irreparably damaging its credibility.


Coe's unilateral move on prize money divides Olympic Community

In May 2024, IOC President
Thomas Bach Thomas Bach (born 29 December 1953) is a German lawyer, former foil fencer, and Olympic gold medalist. He has served as the ninth president of the International Olympic Committee since 2013, the first ever Olympic champion to be elected to tha ...
suggested that instead of offering prize money for Olympic gold medalists in Paris,
World Athletics World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...
should focus its funding on supporting athletes at the other end of the spectrum. This came after World Athletics, led by Sebastian Coe, broke a 128-year tradition by announcing it would become the first sport to offer $50,000 in prize money for its Olympic champions. The announcement was met with sharp criticism from several IOC members, and leaders of other international sports federations, which accused Coe of failing to consult them prior to his unilateral move.


Sports administration career


London 2012 Olympic Games

When London announced its bid to hold the 2012 Olympics, Coe became an ambassador for the effort and a member of the board of the bid company. With the May 2004 resignation of chairman Barbara Cassani, Coe became the chairman for the latter phase of the bid. As Coe was a well-known personality in Olympic sport, it was felt he was better suited to the diplomatic finesse needed to secure the IOC's backing. Coe's presentation at the critical IOC meeting in July 2005 was viewed by commentators as being particularly effective, against tough competition from Paris and Madrid, and the London bid won the IOC's blessing on 6 July. Coe attended the
2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...
held in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
to see how the city coped with the challenges of hosting. Lord Coe noted the Games had "gradually recovered from its tumultuous start" and queried that he "never thought the British would find rivals in their preoccupation with the weather which is almost elevated to an Olympic event" as he credited
VANOC The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) () was the non-profit organization responsible for planning, organizing, financing and staging the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics. Esta ...
for meeting unforeseen challenges such as the unseasonably warm weather of Cypress Mountain. Coe added "Rarely have I seen a host city so passionate and so ready to embrace the Games". Coe was instrumental in asking
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
to star in '' Happy and Glorious'', a short film featuring
James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...
, which formed part of the
2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony The opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics took place on the evening of Friday 27 July 2012 in the Olympic Stadium, London, during which the Games were formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proc ...
. The director of the ceremony,
Danny Boyle Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on the films ''Shallow Grave (1994 film), Shallow Grave'' (1994), ''Trainspotting (film), Trainspotting'' (1996) and its sequel ''T2 Tra ...
first pitched the idea to Coe, who loved it so much that he took it to
Edward Young Edward Young ( – 5 April 1765) was an English poet, best remembered for ''Night-Thoughts'', a series of philosophical writings in blank verse, reflecting his state of mind following several bereavements. It was one of the most popular poem ...
, Deputy Private Secretary to the Queen. A friend of Coe's from their days of advising William Hague, Young "listened sagely, laughed, and promised to ask the Boss". Coe was subsequently informed that she would love to take part.


FIFA

Coe was appointed the first chairman of
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
's independent watchdog, the
FIFA Ethics Committee The FIFA Ethics Committee is one of FIFA's three judicial bodies. It is organized in two chambers, the ''Investigatory Chamber'' and the ''Adjudicatory Chamber''. Its duties are regulated by several official documents, most importantly the ''FIFA ...
. The commission will judge all cases alleging conflicts of interest and breaches of FIFA rules. FIFA president
Sepp Blatter Joseph Sepp Blatter (born Josef Blatter; 10 March 1936) is a Swiss former association football, football administrator who served as the list of Presidents of FIFA, eighth president of FIFA from 1998 to 2015. He has been banned from participatin ...
made the announcement in Zurich on 15 September 2006 and said: "It is perhaps a surprise but it has been very well received. We have found an outstanding personality in the world of sport, a great personality in the Olympic movement." His appointment makes him one of the most senior Englishmen to work for FIFA. He stood down from this post to join the English committee that failed to bring the
2018 World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in l ...
to England, with Russia chosen to host instead.


International Association of Athletics Federations

In 2007 Coe was appointed as vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and was reappointed in 2011. When Lamine Diack president of the IAAF announced that he was standing down in 2013 seemed likely to announce Coe as his successor as there had never been an election for the President position. Coe, in November 2014 announced that he would stand for election for this position in 2015. In December 2014, Coe unveiled his manifesto, 'Growing Athletics in a New Age.' On 19 August 2015, in Beijing, he was elected president of IAAF against
Sergey Bubka Sergey Nazarovych Bubka (; ''Serhiy Nazarovych Bubka''; born 4 December 1963) is a Ukrainian former pole vaulter. He represented the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991. Bubka was twice named Athlete of the Year by '' Track & Field News ...
, by 115 votes to 92 votes. On 17 August 2023, in Budapest, he was re-elected unopposed for a third and final term of office as President. In 2015 Lord Coe's presidency of IAAF created turmoil when major sponsor
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
terminated a multimillion sponsorship deal four years early.


British Olympic Association

Following the London Olympics, Coe was appointed as Chairman of the
British Olympic Association The British Olympic Association (BOA; ) is the National Olympic Committee for the United Kingdom. It represents the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), but also incorporate represen ...
, replacing Lord Moynihan.


Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Coe has been appointed a member of the
Tokyo 2020 The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
Olympic Games Coordination Commission representing the
Association of National Olympic Committees The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) is an international organization that affiliates the current 206 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Every two years, it gathers all it ...
.


International Olympic Committee

On 17 July 2020, Coe was elected a member of the
International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...
. In September 2024, he was announced as one of seven candidates in the running to succeed
Thomas Bach Thomas Bach (born 29 December 1953) is a German lawyer, former foil fencer, and Olympic gold medalist. He has served as the ninth president of the International Olympic Committee since 2013, the first ever Olympic champion to be elected to tha ...
as IOC president. He received eight votes at the
144th IOC Session The 144th IOC Session was held in Costa Navarino, Pylos, Greece, from 18 to 21 March 2025. At this session, Zimbabwean former Olympic swimmer Kirsty Coventry was elected as the tenth President of the International Olympic Committee, becoming the ...
in March 2025, with
Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Leigh Coventry Seward (née Coventry; born 16 September 1983) is a Zimbabwean politician, sports administrator and former competitive swimmer. She will become the 10th president of the International Olympic Committee in June 2025, being ...
winning the election.


Personal life

After graduating in 1980, and a few months after his exploits on the track in the 1980–81 seasons, Coe got a job as a research assistant at the Loughborough University of Technology in the department of Physical Education and Sports Science. At this time he shared a semi-detached home with his close friend Steve Mitchell. In 1990, when resident in
Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, Coe married Nicky McIrvine, a former Badminton Horse Trials, Badminton three-day-event champion, with whom he has two sons and two daughters. The marriage ended in divorce in 2002 after twelve years. In 2003, Coe began a relationship with Carole Annett; the couple wed in 2011. She is the daughter of former England cricket captain M. J. K. Smith. Coe is a worldwide ambassador for Nike, Inc., Nike and owns a string of health clubs with a membership of more than 20,000. He is a member of the East India Club, a private gentlemen's club in St James's Square. He has supported London athletic events such as the London 10K of Nike and the British 10K charity race. On 12 February 2010, Coe was the 19th runner on the 106th day of the Vancouver Olympic Torch Relay. Coe's leg was along the Stanley Park Seawall. In October 2012, Coe was appointed chairman of Chime Communications plc, Chime Communications sports marketing subsidiary, CSM Sport and Entertainment. The company also entered into an 'option agreement' to buy Coe's 93% interest in CLG, the firm which acts as a vehicle for his earnings from speeches and appearances. Coe appeared in an episode of the BBC TV series ''Who Do You Think You Are? (British TV series), Who Do You Think You Are?'', which showed that he is descended from John Astley (painter), John Astley, the portrait painter, Jamaican sugar farmers and slave owners, George Clarke (governor), George Clarke, Lieutenant Governor of New York Colony, and Edward Hyde of Norbury. Coe retired from the House of Lords on 31 January 2022. He is a columnist for ''The Daily Telegraph''.


Honours

Coe was made an Honorary Doctor of Technology (Doctor of Technology, Hon DTech) by his alma mater,
Loughborough University Loughborough University (abbreviated as ''Lough'' or ''Lboro'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public university, public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university sinc ...
in 1985. In November 2009, he was awarded an honorary degree as Doctor of Science (Hon DSc) from the University of East London. In 2009, he also was awarded an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He also received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Sunderland in 2011. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1982 New Year Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1990 New Year Honours. On 16 May 2000, he was created a
Life Peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. Life peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister. With the exception of the D ...
as Baron Coe, ''of Ranmore in the County of Surrey''. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 2006 New Year Honours for services to sport. In the 2013 New Year Honours, Coe was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) for services to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. He represented the Order at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla, 2023 Coronation. He was presented with the first Prince of Asturias Award (Sports category) in 1987. After his work in delivering London 2012 Coe was presented with an Olympic Order. Coe received another lifetime achievement award at the Laureus World Sport Awards. Coe has also received three separate awards at the
BBC Sports Personality of the Year The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of just a single award of the same name. Several new awards have been introduced, and cu ...
ceremony: The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, main individual award in 1979, a "BBC Sports Personality of the Year#Special Gold Award, Special Gold Award" in 2005 and the "BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award, Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2012. A building at the Nike world headquarters in Beaverton Oregon was named after Sebastian Coe in 2017. Coe is a longtime Nike athlete and was recognised by Nike as a great middle-distance runner. The 'Nike Sebastian Coe building' was designed to emphasise connectivity. Coe was included in ''The Sunday Times "100 Makers of the 21st Century" list. In 2018 he was recognised as a Tourism Australia, Tourism Australia's Friend of Australia, in conjunction with the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. In addition in 2018 Coe was awarded an OLY post nominal title from World Olympians Association. At the 2024 Millrose Games, Coe was the recipient of The Armory's Presidents Award.


Personal bests

(WR) indicates personal best which was also a World Record when set.


References


Further reading

*


External links

*
England Athletics Hall of Fame citation

Parliament & the 2012 London Olympics – UK Parliament Living Heritage
* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coe, Sebastian 1956 births Living people People from Hammersmith Athletes from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Athletes from Sheffield Sportspeople from Stratford-upon-Avon British sportsperson-politicians Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Conservative Party (UK) life peers Life peers created by Elizabeth II English male middle-distance runners British male middle-distance runners Olympic athletes for Great Britain Olympic gold medallists for Great Britain Olympic silver medallists for Great Britain Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field) Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field) English Olympic competitors Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games competitors for England Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1990 Commonwealth Games BBC Sports Personality of the Year winners European Athletics Championships medalists World record setters in athletics (track and field) Presidents of the Organising Committees for the Olympic Games British sports executives and administrators English autobiographers Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Cornwall UK MPs 1992–1997 English people of Indian descent Sportspeople of Indian descent Laureus World Sports Awards winners Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire Sportspeople awarded knighthoods Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour British International Olympic Committee members Recipients of the Olympic Order Recipients of the Paralympic Order Fellows of the Royal Institute of British Architects Alumni of Loughborough University People educated at Tapton School European champions for Great Britain Presidents of World Athletics Track & Field News Athlete of the Year winners BBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Medalists at the 1980 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Peers retired under the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 UK MPs who were granted peerages