Steve Scott, one of the most humble superstars on the planet, has never met Alan Webb.
But he tried to reach him in Belgium last month after Webb broke Scott's American record in the mile.
On July 21, at a meet in the small Belgian town of Brasschaat, Webb ran the mile in 3 minutes, 46.91 seconds, bettering Scott's time of 3:47.69.
Track records are frequently broken, but what makes this one so significant was how long Scott's mark stood -- 25 years, 14 days.
"There's no way I thought it would last that long," said Scott, Cal State San Marcos' track and field coach and the most decorated miler in American history. "There have been so many guys who were physically capable, I just figured it would fall (earlier)."
To give you an idea of the duration of Scott's record, consider this: When Scott bettered his own American record for the last time in 1982, it was the same year that Tony Gwynn began his major-league career with the Padres.
Ronald Reagan was in his first term of office, the United Kingdom and Argentina were fighting over the Falkland Islands, and some of the top-rated television shows were "Dallas," "Dynasty," and "The Love Boat."
And 26-year-old Steve Scott was America's best distance runner.
"I wasn't even thinking about the American record, I really wanted the world record," said Scott, recalling his race in Oslo, Norway, on July 7, 1982.
He missed tying Sebastian Coe's world mark by .36 seconds.
"When I finished and looked up at the clock, I was extremely disappointed," Scott recalled.
The reason why the American record didn't mean much to Scott was the fact that he had first broken it in 1979 (3:51.11) and again in Oslo on June 26, 1982 (3:49), 11 days before he broke the record for the third and final time.
At least Scott didn't have to set up some contrived event like Webb did. Fewer than 1,000 people watched two pacesetters help Webb break the record.
Contrast that to Scott, who raced in front of more than 15,000 spectators in Oslo.
But Scott quickly came to Webb's defense on this issue. After talking to Webb's agent and good friend Ray Flynn, Scott explained the situation.
"Most of the meets would not cooperate and add a mile to the program," Scott said. "They tried Rome and they tried Spain. Actually, there is a lot of anti-American sentiment right now."
Flynn, by the way, was running for Ireland when Scott ran his fastest mile.
Apparently, the thought of a mile event is no longer intriguing. It lacks popularity at home and abroad.
When Scott ran against Coe, ABC's "Wide World of Sports" was on the scene to report the outcome. When Webb broke the record, there was little media coverage.
"It is good for track and field that Alan broke the record," Scott said. "It gives the sport a jolt of energy for an otherwise lackluster year."
It wasn't the first time Webb has toppled a Scott record. He bettered Scott's 28-year-old Drake Relays mile record in April.
"I'm happy that it was Alan who broke it, and I believe at the end of the day, when all is said and done, that people will consider him the greatest distance runner America has ever had," Scott said.
I wouldn't go that far.
Scott is still America's premier runner. He still holds the U.S. indoor record for 2,000 meters; at one time, he held the top American outdoor marks in the 1,500, 2,000 and 3,000 meters.
And no one in the history of the sport has run more miles under 4 minutes. Scott has done it 136 times.
The national and world media often overlook his impact on 5-kilometer road racing. When he set three consecutive world records in the first three Carlsbad 5000s, Scott helped popularize road racing throughout the world.
No, Alan Webb is not the best yet. Not by a long shot.
Steve Scholfield is senior sports columnist for the North County Times. He can be reached at (760) 740-3509 or stevescho@cox.net.
