| Eamonn Coghlan |
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He was nicknamed "The Chairman of the Boards" because of his success on indoor tracks. He set the world record in the indoor mile run at 3:50.6 in 1981 and again in 1983 at New Jersey's , and one of only three sub-3:50 miles run on American soil to date. His indoor success exceeded his success in outdoor running where, nothwithstanding a later world title, he did not achieve as much as many pundits had expetced. He also set the record for the indoor 2000 meter run at 4:54.07 in 1987 which stood until a record seven times (1977, 1979-81, 1983, 1985, 1987). He did win the 5000 meter run at the 1983 World Championships making up to some degree for his two fourth places in the Olympics. He continued running competitively for quite some time, and in 1994 became the first man over age 40 to run a sub- Four Minute Mile . Coghlan works as director of fundraising and development for Our Lady's Hospital and is a regular panellist on Ireland's television station RTE for athletics programs. He has occassionaly coached Irish international runners such as Niall Bruton . Early Years: Coghlan's first running club was the now defunct Celtic Athletic Club. On its break up he moved to the Metropolitan Harriers club where he won the Leinster colleges 5000m 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 Jumbo Elliott who had coached gold medalist Ronnie Delany invited Eamonn to train for their track and field team. In 1975 Eamonn ran his first sub 4 minute mile in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and set a new Irish record for the mile (3:53.2). |
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