Lovelock Over Cunningham in 1936 1500 at Berlin

by Marc Bloom

The Race

When New Zealand's Jack Lovelock, former world recordholder in the mile, lined up against his American rival, Glenn Cunningham, for the 1936 Olympic 1,500-meter final in Berlin, it was a classic confrontation in style. Cunningham, an all-consuming runner who'd just turned 27, was a straight-laced, religious man, a figure of legend like no other for his survival of a schoolhouse fire in which he'd almost lost his legs and was scarred for life. Lovelock, 26, was a Renaissance man, a prankster in his youth who played many sports, was a skilled boxer, won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University and ultimately became a physician.

In Berlin, Cunningham, who would set 23 world and American records, played it straight. The previous year, he'd lost the Princeton "Mile of the Century" to Lovelock's kick. Cunningham needed to burn Lovelock out and in Berlin took the lead at the 400 in 61.5. Lovelock was positioned in 2nd with the defending Olympic champion, Italy's Luigi Beccali, close behind. Though a brilliant student, whether in medicine or miling, Lovelock had an impulsive quality that made him the kind of runner who would take risks. Tired from the '35 season, Lovelock had stopped training for months to swim and box as a featherweight. Resuming running only six months before the Games, Lovelock got into good shape quickly and chose to enter both the 1500 and 5,000 in Berlin. The prospect of doubling so agonized him that he needed tranquilizers to sleep.

At the last minute, Lovelock decided to put all his energy into the 1500, and he followed the predictable Cunningham, who continued leading the race through the 800 in 2:05.2. Approaching the bell lap, Sweden's Eric Ny had the audacity to pass Cunningham, who seemed upset by the affront. Running wide, Lovelock drew up ahead of Cunningham on the curve, boxing him in behind Ny. Cunningham was a big man with long, powerful strides. Lovelock was slight of build with a clipped stride. Cunningham was contained but assumed he'd have time to unleash his sprint, as most metric milers did, on the home straight. He did not panic, yet. Then, as the group reached the 1200 in 3:05.4 with Ny ahead, Lovelock 2nd and Cunningham 3rd, Lovelock sprang off his toes into full flight, shocking the field and instantly opening a gap of four meters. Lovelock had never delivered his kick that early, but now he had to hold it. While Ny faded, Cunningham and Beccali gave chase but to no avail. Lovelock, sprinting for home, added to his margin and coasted across the finish for the gold medal. His time was 3:47.8, a world record.

While Cunningham went on to win 26 races in 26 months from 1937 to 1939, Lovelock retired at the end of 1936 to become a doctor. Eventually, after marrying an American woman, Lovelock moved to New York and became medical director at the Hospital for Special Surgery. On December 28, 1949, Lovelock suffered dizzy spells on a subway platform and fell onto the track and into the path of an oncoming train. The Olympic champion was dead eight days before his 40th birthday.

Eyewitness: Louis Zamperini, 19-year-old 5,000m runner on the '36 Olympic team

Glenn Cunningham was my hero, a giant of an athlete. When I started running track, I read the story of Cunningham's burnt legs from a fire at the Kansas schoolhouse. In 1935, I set a high school mile record of 4:21.2 and studied everything Cunningham did so I could emulate him. I felt lucky to make the '36 Olympic team and when we made our voyage to Germany on the SS Manhattan, I watched Cunningham closely as we trained on the deck and movie stars like Helen Hayes watched us in their sun lounges. In Berlin, I was at track side for the 1500, as my 5,000 final was the next day. Jack Lovelock was a good runner. He had a lithe build, endurance and a kick.

But I was certain Cunningham would win. Lovelock knew that and made a clever move. They were going into the last lap and just as they got to the curve with 300 to go, Lovelock made a quick pass and got 10 meters on Cunningham before Glenn could blink an eye. Lovelock maintained his lead to the finish. Glenn didn't gain an inch on him. Lovelock's jump on Cunningham really shook me up. I told myself that after the Games that I would never let anybody pass me from behind like that, and nobody did.

Lovelock's Diary Entry of August 6, 1936, the day of the Olympic 1500 final in Berlin

Though the first half was 2:05 as I roughly noted by the stadium clock, the pace in the third lap was 61, and 3:06 was easier to me than the first half. At the bell, Ny came up but Cunningham took the lead again around the top bend just before entering the back straight. I felt the tension of the field relax and realized, subconsciously perhaps, that everyone was taking a breather ready for a hard last 200. So at the 300 mark, I struck home and passed Cunningham and gained a 5-yeard break before he awoke.

It was as usual a case of getting the first break on the field, catching them napping, and for all practical and tactical purpose the race was over at 300 from home. I had merely to keep steady pace down the back straight, coast around the bottom bend and then at the beginning of the front straight put in another little effort as a second response to dishearten and choke off a further attack. I finished in perfect form, relaxed and comfortable and jogged on another half lap.

It was undoubtedly the most beautifully executed race of my career, a true climax to eight years of steady work, an artistic creation.

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