Prague, 1978, The European Athletics Championships, the start of something that changed the face of the sport for ever.

Olaf Beyer, the East German eased to 800 metre victory in 1:43.84, a time that temporarily made him the fourth fastest runner of all time.

Yet Beyer was not the one who would go on and spend the rest of his career making the headlines, nor surprisingly was his super quick time, as that was soon to be blown out of the water.

That day it was a race for the minor medals between two men who would go on and fight for world supremacy. Two men who shared tougher battles than David and Goliath and had a rivalry more fierce than Denman and Kauto Star, apt on the week of Cheltenham.

That day, was the first of many occasions in which Seb Coe and Steve Ovett lined up to race each other. A rivalry that quite simply split the nation in two. In any conversation, the question would always be asked…Coe or Ovett. There was no such thing as hesitation; you were either one or the other.

It was the start of a period in which Great Britain gained a monopoly on the distance running scene, alike to that of the Africans in modern days. Class acts such as Peter Elliott and Tony Morrell didn’t get a look in due to the sheer abundance of quality in which was on the circuit.

Unfortunately, since the highs of the 86 Olympics, the state of British distance running has deteriorated, with only the odd case to cheer here and there, Kelly in Athens being the most notable example.

But, and currently be it a big but, things look like they’re beginning to change. Steph Twell, the 20 year-old who carries the rather large weight of being the ‘next Paula Radcliffe’, the one British athlete who has performed at the very highest of standards for a number of years, has won medals on the world stage, Mo Farah has just won his first track gold medal at the European indoors, and then there is the superlative form of the two Teesside University lads.

Ricky Stevenson and Jonny Taylor have a couple of things in common. They both favour the distance of the metric mile, and they have both had quite superb winters, be it down different paths.

Stevenson has added to his wonderful array of major medals winning North Eastern and Northern cross-country gold, before arguably the performance of the winter in running 48:47 for 10 mile in Pocklington.

Taylor on the other hand has set the indoor-circuit alight, getting his 3000 metre PB down to an impressive 7:53. Throw the inter-city 1500metre crown in there, and it’s adds up to a more than successful season.

But what would really cap it off for either of them? The BUC’s 3000 metre indoor title this weekend. Stevenson won it with an electric turn of pace last year and only Rob Mullet of St Mary’s could prevent a Teesside 1, 2.

It’s all set up for a cracker. Both men in ideal condition and both having set the race as a major aim this year. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves; it is by no means the colossal battle of Coe/Ovett. But if the sport was as high profile as the late 80’s, then the University of Teesside would be split. Stevenson or Taylor?

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