Steve Cram will pass on his invaluable knowledge to potential champions of tomorrow after joining the British Athletics Endurance Programme.
Cram, the first world champion at 1500m, and former world record-holder at that distance along with the 2000m and mile, will work in an advisory role with both athletes and coaches in the scheme geared towards developing medallists.
Paula Radcliffe, the marathon world record-holder, is also part of the programme under the guidance of Barry Fudge, British Athletics’ Head of Endurance.
Britain finds itself in one of its greatest eras for long distance running, with triple European champion Mo Farah only the second man to have won the 5000m and 10,000m double at both the Olympic and World Championships.
And Radcliffe’s marathon world record time of 2:15:25 has now stood for 11 years, with no woman looking likely to break it.
The endurance programme gives British coaches the chance to work at some of the world’s best training centres including Alberto Salazar’s Nike Oregon Project.
Salazar has been coaching Farah since he moved from Britain to the USA in 2011 and the outcome has been sensational.
Cram said: 'It’s an exciting time for the British Athletics Endurance Programme and it’s great to be part of it.
'Barry, Alberto, Paula and the team have been making good progress over the last six months and everything is on track for success as we head towards Rio 2016 and London 2017.”
Fudge said: 'Steve brings a massive amount of experience, both as an athlete and more recently as a coach. He will provide mentorship and technical expertise within the programme.”
Cram, 53, is BBC television’s chief athletics commentator and is coach to Laura Weightman, the British 1500m runner who finished second at last year's European Athletics Team Championships in Gateshead.
On the track, his career was phenomenal. Along with that 1500m success at the first IAAF World Championships in Helsinki in 1983, he won two titles at the European Athletics Championships, in Athens in 1982 and Stuttgart four years later.