The Brit stunned the world in 1984 by breaking the marathon world record at the Chicago Marathon

Forty years ago on October 21, 1984, Steve Jones made history by winning the Chicago Marathon in 2:08:05 – his first-ever completed marathon. In doing so, the Welshman broke the world record.

The race was initially anticipated to be a showdown between two marathon greats: Olympic champion Carlos Lopes and reigning world champion Rob de Castella. However, it was Jones, an RAF mechanic, who stole the spotlight.

The 29-year-old at the time broke De Castella’s world record of 2:08:18, set in Fukuoka, Japan, by 13 seconds.

What made Jones’ feat even more impressive was his lack of awareness that he was on record-breaking pace. Unlike today’s runners, who usually rely on watches, Jones ran without a watch. He only learned he was on track for a world record with two miles remaining in the race.

The two-time Olympian had attempted his marathon debut a year earlier at the 1983 Chicago Marathon but was forced to withdraw at 17.5 miles due to an ankle injury.

His world record stood until April 1985, when Carlos Lopes set a new mark of 2:07:12 at the Rotterdam Marathon.

Despite losing the record, Jones remained a dominant force in marathon running. In the same year Lopes set a new record, Jones won the London Marathon in 2:08:16, despite making a stop for the toilet mid-race.

Steve Jones (Getty)

Later in 1985, Jones returned to Chicago and ran 2:07:13 – just one second shy of Lopes’ world record.

Although he missed out on the world record, this time he set a British record, which stood for an impressive 33 years. It wasn’t until 2018 that Mo Farah finally broke it, clocking 2:05:11, also in Chicago.

In 1988, he set a course record of 2:08:20 to win the New York City Marathon. The year prior, he finished second at the Boston Marathon.

In total, Jones competed in 18 marathons, winning five major titles: Chicago in 1984 and 1985, London in 1985, New York in 1988, and Toronto in 1992.

To celebrate the 40-year anniversary, you can find our original coverage from Steve Jones’ world record via the Athletics Weekly archive.

From the first ever issue in December 1945 through to the present day, current subscribers to our magazine are able to dip into this resource for free whereas non-subscribers can pay just £3.99 per month for full access.

» Subscribe to AW magazine here, check out our new podcast here or sign up to our digital archive of back issues from 1945 to the present day here