View source for Ian Stewart (runner)

{{Short description|Scottish long-distance runner (born 1949)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2012}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name        = Ian Stewart
| image       =
| caption     =
| nationality = British
| sport       = [[Sport of athletics|Athletics]]
| event       = [[1500 meters]], [[5000 meters]], [[Cross country running|Cross country]]
| club        = [[Birchfield Harriers]]<br>[[Tipton Harriers]]
| birth_date  = 15 January 1949
| birth_place = Handsworth, Birmingham, England
| death_date  = 
| death_place = 
| height      =178 cm
| weight      =65 kg
| medaltemplates=
{{Medal|Sport | Men's [[Sport of athletics|athletics]]}}
{{Medal|Country | {{GBR2}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Athletics at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]]|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's 5000 metres|5000 metres]]}}
{{Medal|Comp|[[European Athletics Championships|European Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1969 European Championships in Athletics|1969 Athens]]|[[1969 European Athletics Championships – Men's 5000 metres|5000 metres]]}}
{{Medal|Comp|[[IAAF World Cross Country Championships|World Cross Country Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1975 IAAF World Cross Country Championships|1975 Rabat]]|Senior race}}
{{Medal|Country | {{SCO}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[International Cross Country Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[1972 International Cross Country Championships|1972 Cambridge]]|Senior race}}
{{Medal|Comp|[[Commonwealth Games]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1970 Commonwealth Games|1970 Edinburgh]]|5000 metres}}
}}
'''Ian Stewart''' [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (born 15 January 1949) is a Scottish former [[long-distance running]] athlete.<ref>http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/ian-sewart/ {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520053932/http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/e-inspire/hall-of-fame-athletes/ian-sewart/ |date=20 May 2014 }})</ref> Stewart was one of the world's leading distance runners between the late 1960s and mid-1970s. Stewart won the bronze medal in the Men's 5000 metres at the [[1972 Summer Olympics in Munich]] (a race won by [[Lasse Virén]]). Stewart also won the following championships: [[European Athletics Championships|European]] 5,000 metres (1969), [[Commonwealth Games|Commonwealth]] 5,000 metres (1970), [[European IndoorChampionships in Athletics|European Indoor]] (1969 and 1975) and [[IAAF World Cross Country Championships|World Cross Country]] (1975).

== Biography ==
In 1965, at 16 years of age, he ran a British age best of 9.12.8 for 2 miles and two years later set a European junior 3 miles record of 13.39.8. In 1968, he broke European junior records at four distances: 3000m, 2 miles, 3 miles and 5000m. Moving up to the senior ranks in 1969, Stewart took the European Indoor 3000m title in a UK record (7.55.4), became the [[List of British champions in 5000 metres|British 5000 metres champion]] after winning the British [[AAA Championships]] title at the [[1969 AAA Championships]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=11 May 2025}}</ref> and then winning 5000m gold at the [[1969 European Athletics Championships]] in Athens in a time of 13.44.8.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.scottishdistancerunninghistory.co.uk/Ian%20Stewart.htm |title=Ian Stewart |access-date=2 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224741/http://www.scottishdistancerunninghistory.co.uk/Ian%20Stewart.htm |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1970, Stewart set a European record and world's season best time<ref>[[5000 metres]]</ref> when he recorded 13:22:8 to win the [[Commonwealth Games]] 5,000 metres title. This was one of the greatest races of all time and he defeated current world record holder [[Ron Clarke]], Olympic 1,500 metres champion [[Kip Keino]] and fellow Scot, [[Ian McCafferty]]. Stewart produced a last lap of 54.4, Keino and Clarke could only finish 3rd and 5th, respectively.

The 1971 campaign proved an anti-climax as illness and injuries halted his progress, he was back to full fitness in the Olympic year of 1972. In the Olympic 5000 metres final, he suffered from a collision with American [[Steve Prefontaine]] with 700 metres to go but produced an amazing burst in the home straight to gain the bronze medal (13.27.6), the Finn, [[Lasse Viren]], took gold in 13.26.4.  Stewart ran the home straight faster than even Virén.<ref>Mauno Saari, "Lasse Viren:  The Secrets of Running" / Lasse Viren:  Juoksemisen salaisuudet, published in Finland in 1979; YouTube videos on 1972 Olympic 5K or 5000m).</ref> Stewart later blamed the clash with Prefontaine for costing him the gold.<ref>"Athletics Enigmas" by Alastair Aitken(2002)</ref>

After a disappointing 1973 season and a mediocre effort in the Commonwealth Games 5000m final (5th in 13.40.4) in early 1974, he decided to take up cycle racing to recharge his batteries. Suitably refreshed, he returned to athletics in fine style the following year, completing an excellent double in March 1975 by winning the European indoor 3000m crown (7.58.6) and the [[IAAF World Cross Country Championships]] gold medal. He remains Britain's last male winner of the cross country title and it proved to be his last major international honour. Stewart still produced some quality performances in later years, such as his 7th place in the 5000m final at the 1976 Olympics (losing to Virén by 2.89 seconds after dropping from second to seventh place in the last 300 metres.<ref>Matti Hannus, "Montreal Olympic Book" / Montreal Olympiakirja, Helsinki:  "Runner" / Juoksija magazine, 1976; YouTube videos on 1976 Olympic 5000m))</ref> He ran a 10-mile world road best (45.13) in 1977.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0027/print.shtml|title=BBC – A Sporting Nation – Ian Stewart}}</ref> He retired in summer 1978, bringing down the curtain on a long and illustrious career.

Stewart was ranked No 1 in the world over 5000m by the American magazine [[Track and Field News]] in 1970. They ranked him third in 1969 and 1972, fifth in 1975, and tenth in 1976.  He sometimes won races by using the unorthodox strategy of "kicking" or breaking far away from the field at the midpoint of the race (instead of on the last lap), leaving his rivals confused as to what to do.

Stewart set other British records: 1,500 metres 3:39.12 (1969), 2,000 metres 5:02.98 (1975),2 miles 8:22.0 (1972). Other personal bests: Mile 3:57.3 (1969) and 10,000 metres 27:43.03 (1977).

Stewart was one of six children, three of whom won European Indoor titles: elder brother [[Peter Stewart (athlete)|Peter]] (born 1947) was the 3000m champion in Sofia in 1971 and British record holder at the mile 3:55.3 (1972); younger sister [[Mary Stewart (athlete)|Mary]] (born 1956) won the 1500m in San Sebastian in 1977 and then became the Commonwealth Games champion (for England) in 1978 in Edmonton.

Stewart was awarded the MBE in 1979, and after coaching and working to promote distance running, he succeeded Andy Norman as promotions officer for [[UK Athletics|British Athletics]] in 1994. Stewart was the Head of Endurance of [[UK Athletics]] (UKA) until February 2013.<ref>"http://www.athleticsweekly.com/blog/tough-guy-stewart-will-be-missed/.</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{World Athletics}}
* {{Scottish Sports Hall of Fame|ian-stewart-mbe}}
* {{Team Scotland|ian-stewart}}
* {{Team GB}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com|ian-stewart}}
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics/great-britain/ian-stewart-640/5000m-golds-at-1969-euros-1970-cg-s-bronze-at-72-olympics_a10027/ sporting-heroes.net: Ian Stewart] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714210342/http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics/great-britain/ian-stewart-640/5000m-golds-at-1969-euros-1970-cg-s-bronze-at-72-olympics_a10027/ |date=14 July 2014 }}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLy4UEXPnTA Tough of the Track: The Ian Stewart Story – Full documentary on Youtube]

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{{succession box|before=[[Dick Taylor (athlete)|Dick Taylor]]|title=[[5000 metres#Men's seasons best (outdoor track)|Men's 5000 m Best Year Performance]]|years= 1970 |after=[[David Bedford (athletics)|Dave Bedford]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer IAAF World Cross Champions Men}}
{{Footer Commonwealth Champions 5000m Men}}
{{Footer European Champions 5000 m Men}}
{{Footer UK NC 10000 Metres Men}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Ian}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Athletes from Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Scottish men long-distance runners]]
[[Category:British men long-distance runners]]
[[Category:Scottish men cross country runners]]
[[Category:British men cross country runners]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Scotland]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:European Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics Cross Country Championships winners]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medallists for Great Britain]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics]]
[[Category:Scottish Olympic competitors]]
[[Category:Medallists at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Anglo-Scots]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in athletics]]