Eamonn Coghlan
Encyclopedia
Eamonn Christopher Coghlan (born 21 November 1952) is an Irish
Senator
and former athlete, who specialised in middle distance track events and the 5000 metres
. He is a 3-time Olympian
and former world champion in the 5000 m.
Born in Drimnagh
, a successful amateur running career in Ireland led to a scholarship in the United States
, where he won four NCAA titles in track running
and ran a sub-four minute mile
to set an Irish record
at 22 years of age. He soon set the European record over the distance. His speciality was the indoor mile run
– he gained his nickname, "The Chairman of the Boards", as a result of being the seven-time champion of the Wanamaker Mile
. He broke the indoor mile world record on four occasions, and also set the world record over 1500 m.
He finished fourth in the 1500 m at the 1976 Summer Olympics
, finished fourth again in the 5000 m at the 1980 Summer Olympics
, and made the 5000 m semi-final in his last Olympic appearance at the 1988 Summer Games
. He experienced greater success in the 1500 m at the European Athletics Championships: he won the 1500 m at the 1979 European Athletics Indoor Championships, and outdoors took silver in the event at the 1978 European Athletics Championships. He was also the 5000 m champion at the IAAF World Cup in 1981 and he became the world 5000 metres champion at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics
.
After competitive retirement, he continued to race and became the first man over 40 years old to run a sub-four minute mile. He has appeared as a panellist on Irish broadcaster RTÉ
and released his autobiography, Chairman of the Boards, in 2008.
In May 2011, Coghlan was appointed as a Senator
by the Taoiseach
Enda Kenny
.
, County Dublin
, Republic of Ireland
and later also became a naturalized United States
citizen. He lived in Rye
, New York
for a number of years in the 1980s before returning to live in Ireland but has retained his €0.75 million property in Rye and still spends time there. He was a childhood friend of Brian Kerr, who went on to manage the Irish national football team.
Coghlan's first running club was the Celtic Athletic Club. On its breakup he moved to the Metropolitan Harriers club where he won the Leinster
colleges 5000 m title in 1970. The following year he won the All-Ireland 1500 metres and 5000 metres titles. In 1971 he was offered a scholarship by Villanova University
. The famous running coach James 'Jumbo' Elliott invited Coghlan to train for the Villanova track and field team. While there he won four NCAA individual titles over 1500 meters and the mile. On 10 May 1975 Coghlan ran his first sub 4 minute mile in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
setting a new Irish record (3:56.2). One week later, on 17 May, he broke the long standing European Outdoor Mile record of Michel Jazy
, in a time of 3:53.3 in Kingston, Jamaica
. This record lasted until August 1976. He graduated from Villanova University, Pennsylvania, USA in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Communications.
with a time of 3.52.6 in San Diego in 1979. He lowered this to 3:50.6 in 1981 and then bettered it to 3:49.78 in 1983 at New Jersey's Meadowlands Arena indoor arena. His record stood until 1997 when it was broken by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj
in a time of 3:48.45. It is still the second fastest indoor mile of all time and is still, 28 years on, a European record. Coghlan's 1983 time was the fastest mile ever run in the United States until 10 June 2007, when Daniel Kipchirchir Komen
ran 3:48.28 outdoors in Eugene, Oregon
. It remains one of only four sub-3:50 miles run on American soil. By and large, Coghlan was more successful at indoor running notwithstanding a later world title in 1983 over 5000 meters.
Coghlan also set the record for the indoor 2000 meter run at 4:54.07 in 1987 which stood until Haile Gebrselassie
of Ethiopia ran 4:52.86 in 1998. Coghlan won the world famous Wanamaker Mile
at the Millrose Games
in NYC's Madison Square Garden
a record seven times (1977, 1979–81, 1983, 1985, 1987) his last win being at the age of 34. His record stood for over twenty years with Bernard Lagat
winning for an eighth time in 2010: Coghlan fired the starting pistol to the record-breaking race and presented Lagat with a trophy.
(& remains Ireland's only ever male World Champion gold medallist) to follow two fourth places in the Olympics (in the 1500 meters in 1976 and the 5000 meters in 1980).
In the 1976 Olympics, he probably made a mistake by taking the lead at 500 metres and by not accelerating enough before the winner, John Walker, passed him at 1200 metres. Thus he lost valuable energy which he would have needed in the home straight's struggle against Walker, Belgium's Ivo van Damme and West Germany's Paul-Heinz Wellman. In the 1980 Olympics 5,000 metres he probably made a mistake by sprinting to the lead at the start of the last back straight.
In any case, he led the race for only a few seconds before Ethiopia's Miruts Yifter
kicked past him on the inside. By contrast, in the 1983 World Championships in Athletics
5000 metres, Coghlan was in peak shape and ran intelligently, catching the Soviet Union's Dmitry Dmitriyev on the last back straight and sprinting past him with about 120 metres to go. He ran the last 1000 metres very fast, in 2:24.77, and won the race by 1.67 seconds, despite clearly slowing down in the final metres. He also won silver at the 1978 European Championships in Prague over 1500 m, behind Steve Ovett of Great Britain, and in 1979, he competed in his only European Indoor Championships (he raced sparingly on the European indoor circuit due to his indoor commitments in the US), taking the gold medal in the 1500 m in Vienna. He missed out on the 1982 European Championships and the 1984 Olympic Games due to injury. He won the IAAF World Cup in 1981 over 5000 m. Coghlan was eliminated in the 5,000-metre semifinals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics
In total, Coghlan ran 83 sub 4 minute miles, indoor and out.
Coghlan works as director of fundraising and development for Our Lady's Hospital and is a regular panellist on Ireland's television station RTÉ
for athletics programs. He has occasionally coached Irish international runners such as Niall Bruton
.
He and his wife, Yvonne, have four children. His youngest son, John, is one of Ireland's leading junior athletes. His eldest son, Eamonn, is a golf professional in the United States. Whilst Michael, took a different road, appeared on TV3's Total Xposure and is an aspiring actor. His eldest child, Suzanne, has a career in banking.
In 2008, he served as Grand Marshall for Dublin's St Patrick's Day parade.
Coghlan's book Chairman of the Boards was released in 2008.
In May 2011, he was appointed as a Senator
by the Taoiseach
Enda Kenny
.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
Senator
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
and former athlete, who specialised in middle distance track events and the 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
. He is a 3-time Olympian
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and former world champion in the 5000 m.
Born in Drimnagh
Drimnagh
Drimnagh is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the Southside of the city between Walkinstown, Crumlin and Inchicore, bordering the Grand Canal to the north and east. Drimnagh is in postal district Dublin 12.-Early to Medieval:...
, a successful amateur running career in Ireland led to a scholarship in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he won four NCAA titles in track running
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and ran a sub-four minute mile
Four Minute Mile
Four Minute Mile is the first full-length album released by Kansas City, Missouri emo band The Get Up Kids.-Recording:The album was recorded in April 1997 on a budget of $4,000. It was produced by Shellac bassist Bob Weston in Chicago over the course of two and a half days. It was released by...
to set an Irish record
Irish records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in Ireland maintained by Athletics Association of Ireland .-Men:-Women:-Men:-Women:+ = en route to a longer distanceA = affected by altitudea = aided road course according to IAAF rule 260.28...
at 22 years of age. He soon set the European record over the distance. His speciality was the indoor mile run
Mile run
The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...
– he gained his nickname, "The Chairman of the Boards", as a result of being the seven-time champion of the Wanamaker Mile
Wanamaker Mile
The Wanamaker Mile is an event held annually at the Millrose Games in New York City's Madison Square Garden.The event is an indoor one-mile race. It was first held in 1908, and in 1926 became known as the "Wanamaker." It is named in honor of the head of the Wanamaker's Department Store in New...
. He broke the indoor mile world record on four occasions, and also set the world record over 1500 m.
He finished fourth in the 1500 m at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics
At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, 37 events were contested in athletics. There were a total number of 1006 participating athletes from 80 countries.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:**...
, finished fourth again in the 5000 m at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics was represented by 38 events. They were held in the Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium at Luzhniki between July 24 and August 1. There were a total number of 959 participating athletes from 70 countries.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal...
, and made the 5000 m semi-final in his last Olympic appearance at the 1988 Summer Games
Athletics at the 1988 Summer Olympics - Men's 5000 metres
The Men's 5000 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea had an entrylist of 57 competitors, with three qualifying heats and two semifinals before the final took place on Saturday October 1, 1988.-Medalists:-Records:...
. He experienced greater success in the 1500 m at the European Athletics Championships: he won the 1500 m at the 1979 European Athletics Indoor Championships, and outdoors took silver in the event at the 1978 European Athletics Championships. He was also the 5000 m champion at the IAAF World Cup in 1981 and he became the world 5000 metres champion at the 1983 World Championships in Athletics
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
.
After competitive retirement, he continued to race and became the first man over 40 years old to run a sub-four minute mile. He has appeared as a panellist on Irish broadcaster RTÉ
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
and released his autobiography, Chairman of the Boards, in 2008.
In May 2011, Coghlan was appointed as a Senator
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
by the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
.
Early life
Coghlan was born in DrimnaghDrimnagh
Drimnagh is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, situated on the Southside of the city between Walkinstown, Crumlin and Inchicore, bordering the Grand Canal to the north and east. Drimnagh is in postal district Dublin 12.-Early to Medieval:...
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and later also became a naturalized United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizen. He lived in Rye
Rye (city), New York
Rye is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is separate from the town of Rye, which is larger than the city. Rye city, formerly the village of Rye, was part of the town until 1942, when it received its charter as a city, the most recent to be issued in New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for a number of years in the 1980s before returning to live in Ireland but has retained his €0.75 million property in Rye and still spends time there. He was a childhood friend of Brian Kerr, who went on to manage the Irish national football team.
Coghlan's first running club was the Celtic Athletic Club. On its breakup he moved to the Metropolitan Harriers club where he won the Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
colleges 5000 m title in 1970. The following year he won the All-Ireland 1500 metres and 5000 metres titles. In 1971 he was offered a scholarship by Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. The famous running coach James 'Jumbo' Elliott invited Coghlan to train for the Villanova track and field team. While there he won four NCAA individual titles over 1500 meters and the mile. On 10 May 1975 Coghlan ran his first sub 4 minute mile in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
setting a new Irish record (3:56.2). One week later, on 17 May, he broke the long standing European Outdoor Mile record of Michel Jazy
Michel Jazy
Michel Jazy is a former French middle distance runner, who won the silver medal over 1500 metres at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. The race was won by Herb Elliott in a new world record time...
, in a time of 3:53.3 in Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
. This record lasted until August 1976. He graduated from Villanova University, Pennsylvania, USA in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Communications.
Mile world record
Coghlan was nicknamed "The Chairman of the Boards" because of his success on indoor tracks. He won 52 of his 70 races at 1500 m and 1 Mile from 1974 to 1987. He set the world record for the indoor mile runMile run
The mile run is a middle-distance foot race which is among the more popular events in track running.The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races...
with a time of 3.52.6 in San Diego in 1979. He lowered this to 3:50.6 in 1981 and then bettered it to 3:49.78 in 1983 at New Jersey's Meadowlands Arena indoor arena. His record stood until 1997 when it was broken by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj
Hicham El Guerrouj "King of the Mile" is a Moroccan former middle distance runner...
in a time of 3:48.45. It is still the second fastest indoor mile of all time and is still, 28 years on, a European record. Coghlan's 1983 time was the fastest mile ever run in the United States until 10 June 2007, when Daniel Kipchirchir Komen
Daniel Kipchirchir Komen
Daniel Kipchirchir Komen is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specializes in the 1500 metres.He graduated from Timboroa High School in 2003...
ran 3:48.28 outdoors in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
. It remains one of only four sub-3:50 miles run on American soil. By and large, Coghlan was more successful at indoor running notwithstanding a later world title in 1983 over 5000 meters.
Coghlan also set the record for the indoor 2000 meter run at 4:54.07 in 1987 which stood until Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon...
of Ethiopia ran 4:52.86 in 1998. Coghlan won the world famous Wanamaker Mile
Wanamaker Mile
The Wanamaker Mile is an event held annually at the Millrose Games in New York City's Madison Square Garden.The event is an indoor one-mile race. It was first held in 1908, and in 1926 became known as the "Wanamaker." It is named in honor of the head of the Wanamaker's Department Store in New...
at the Millrose Games
Millrose Games
The Millrose Games is an annual indoor athletics meet held on the first Friday in February in New York City. They will be held at the Armory in Washington Heights in 2012, after having taken place in Madison Square Garden from 1914 to 2011...
in NYC's Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
a record seven times (1977, 1979–81, 1983, 1985, 1987) his last win being at the age of 34. His record stood for over twenty years with Bernard Lagat
Bernard Lagat
Bernard Kipchirchir Lagat is an American middle and long distance champion athlete.Lagat was born in Kapsabet, Kenya...
winning for an eighth time in 2010: Coghlan fired the starting pistol to the record-breaking race and presented Lagat with a trophy.
World Champion and Olympian
He won the 5000 metres at the 1983 World Championships1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
(& remains Ireland's only ever male World Champion gold medallist) to follow two fourth places in the Olympics (in the 1500 meters in 1976 and the 5000 meters in 1980).
In the 1976 Olympics, he probably made a mistake by taking the lead at 500 metres and by not accelerating enough before the winner, John Walker, passed him at 1200 metres. Thus he lost valuable energy which he would have needed in the home straight's struggle against Walker, Belgium's Ivo van Damme and West Germany's Paul-Heinz Wellman. In the 1980 Olympics 5,000 metres he probably made a mistake by sprinting to the lead at the start of the last back straight.
In any case, he led the race for only a few seconds before Ethiopia's Miruts Yifter
Miruts Yifter
Miruts Yifter ]] is a former Ethiopian athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics. His name is also sometimes spelled as Muruse Yefter....
kicked past him on the inside. By contrast, in the 1983 World Championships in Athletics
1983 World Championships in Athletics
The inaugural World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between August 7 and August 14, 1983....
5000 metres, Coghlan was in peak shape and ran intelligently, catching the Soviet Union's Dmitry Dmitriyev on the last back straight and sprinting past him with about 120 metres to go. He ran the last 1000 metres very fast, in 2:24.77, and won the race by 1.67 seconds, despite clearly slowing down in the final metres. He also won silver at the 1978 European Championships in Prague over 1500 m, behind Steve Ovett of Great Britain, and in 1979, he competed in his only European Indoor Championships (he raced sparingly on the European indoor circuit due to his indoor commitments in the US), taking the gold medal in the 1500 m in Vienna. He missed out on the 1982 European Championships and the 1984 Olympic Games due to injury. He won the IAAF World Cup in 1981 over 5000 m. Coghlan was eliminated in the 5,000-metre semifinals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics
In total, Coghlan ran 83 sub 4 minute miles, indoor and out.
Life after retirement and personal life
In 1994, on the Harvard University indoor track, Eamonn became the first (and, as of 2011, only) man over age 40 to run a sub-four-minute mile. He was 41 at the time.Coghlan works as director of fundraising and development for Our Lady's Hospital and is a regular panellist on Ireland's television station RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
for athletics programs. He has occasionally coached Irish international runners such as Niall Bruton
Niall Bruton
Niall Bruton is a former Irish runner who specialized in the 1500 metres, retiring around 2000.Bruton ran collegiately in the US for the University of Arkansas where he won the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 1992 and 1993...
.
He and his wife, Yvonne, have four children. His youngest son, John, is one of Ireland's leading junior athletes. His eldest son, Eamonn, is a golf professional in the United States. Whilst Michael, took a different road, appeared on TV3's Total Xposure and is an aspiring actor. His eldest child, Suzanne, has a career in banking.
In 2008, he served as Grand Marshall for Dublin's St Patrick's Day parade.
Coghlan's book Chairman of the Boards was released in 2008.
In May 2011, he was appointed as a Senator
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
by the Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
.
External links
- Article in Euro Legends series from European Athletics
- Millrose Games website
- The Extra Mile