Cool Mr Cram

Cool Mr Cram

I was standing on this balcony at the Coombe Dingle Sports Centre, waiting for an interview with running legend Steve Cram. But I must confess, I didn't have a clue what he looked like.

He had apparently legged it with some keen runners from Bristol for a quick five or six mile run.

But it turned out to be a mere walk in the park for the Olympic silver medallist.

As the runners began to return, gasping, dripping with sweat and with beetroot-red faces, I asked which one was Steve.

"There he is - right in the middle of the group," said the helpful PR person.

I looked at the group and tried to work out which one was Steve.

"The really tall guy, right in the middle," the PR person added.

I looked at the tall guy, who was chatting with the runners.

I thought he was one of the helpers because there was not a bead of sweat to be seen.

And as for a beetroot-red face, well, it seemed more Mediterranean-suntan brown to me.

Steve came upstairs and was given a glass of water which he sipped. He was also given a blue towel which he used to dab a bead of sweat.

Hmm, if that had been me after a five or six mile run, I would have been metamorphosing into a melted blob of lard and screaming for a defribulator.

One other thing about Steve - he is 48 years old but he only looks in his late 30s which just goes to show that these people in tracksuits who I see grunting around our streets must have a point.