Author: The Author

Graham Williamson leads – rival Steve Cram inset

Graham Williamson was born in Glasgow on 15th June 1960 and was one of the best middle distance runners the country has produced – Frank Clement was already on the scene when Graham and John Robson burst through to prominence in 1977 and 1978 but the rivalry between the three of them was as intense as that south of the Border between Coe, Cram and Ovett without any of the bad feeling.    Graham, like many another before him was well known on the Scottish track and cross country circuits well before he was heard of in England.   He had started running in Summer 1973 at the age of 12/13 with personal bests of 2:19 and 5:20.0 for 800m and 1500m.   By 1974 as a Junior Boy his bests were 2:09.0 and 4:29.0 and his bests for the next three years are in the table.

There was an excellent interview with the BMC News of Autumn 1978 which provided a lot of information for this profile.  His competitive record with placings up to and including 1977 are as follows

• 1974: third in Scottish Junior Boys Cross Country
• 1975: second in Scottish Schools Cross Country; first in the Scottish Schools 800m; Second in the SAAA Boys 1500m
• 1976: second in the SAAA Youths 800m; second in SAAA Youth 1500m; first in Scottish Schools 1500m
• 1977: First in Scottish Youths Cross-Country; 43rd in IAAF Cross Country (Dusseldorf); First in SAAA 800m, 1500m and 3000 metres; second AAA U20 1500m; Scottish Youth (U17) 800 and 1500m record holder.

So, although John Keddie says that Williamson came into prominence in 1977 along with John Robson, he had been working his way through the age-groups, under the guidance of coach Eddie Sinclair since he was twelve years old!   The first report in Keddies book says “In 1978, Robson had a brilliant run in the SAAA Championships in a memorable race.   After a terrific duel with Frank Clement Robson just came out on top, 3:40.1 (a Native record) to 3:40.5.   Not far behind these two was outstanding Junior John Graham Williamson (Springburn Harriers)  whose 3:42.1 constituted UK aged 17/18 years old bests.   Six weeks later these positions were exactly repeated in the UK Championships at Meadowbank.    These performances augured well for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games at Edmonton for which, alas, young Graham Williamson, despite a record breaking win in the AAA’s Championships (3:39.7), was not selected”.   When the list of incredible non-selections made by administrators is drawn up, this along with his disgraceful non-selection for the 1980 Olympics are sure to be at or very near the top.   His win/loss record vis-a-vis Steve Cram was something like 21:1 in his favour but while the English selectors sent Cram along to gain valuable experience, the Scots left Williamson at home.

So what was Graham’s response?   By the end of 1978, his achievements included;

• Scottish Junior 800m and 1500m champion;
• Scottish Junior 1500m and 3000m record holder;
• Scottish, UK and European record holder for 1500m;
• UK record holder for Junior 1 Mile;
• AAA Under 20 Champion.

 But what must surely have given him most satisfaction was setting a World Junior record in Warsaw the day after the final of the 1500m in Edmonton.   His time?    3:37.7.

In July 1979, Williamson was second  and Robson third right behind Steve Ovett in the AAA’s 1500m.   Three days later on July 17th, both Scots were in the Golden Mile in Bislett Stadium, Oslo, when Coe broke the world record with 3:39.0.   Robson in fifth ran 3:52.8 ( a Scottish National record) and 19 year old Graham was seventh in 3:53.2.  Video with interviews can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyss8ym2bq0 .

 There is a superb article in Sports Illustrated by Kenny Moore on 13th March 1980.  

and is a first class description of how the field came together, the wheeling and dealing about who took the pace, how fast it was to go, conversations between runners, the influence of Andy Norman, the conversation Brendan Foster had with Graham before the race and (of course) the course of the actual event.   If you are interested in middle distance racing at this time and what ‘our boys’ are expected to put up with when they get to these events, this is a ‘must read.’    I’ll quote some of the bits of what Graham had to put up with here.   The race already included Steve Scott, John Walker, Thomas Wessinghage and initially Ovett seemed a certain starter and the race was being organised by Andy Norman and Arne Haukvik of Norway.   “Graham Williamson, only 19, had a best of 3:55.8 and been third in the Golden Mile the year before.   For seven months he had had a tentative invitation to Oslo but there had been no confirmation.   It seemed that with Walker and Ovett and Scott in the race, the promoters were waiting until the last minute to complete the field.   They wanted the fittest runners and, because NBC-TV had bought rights to the race, a few Americans.   “All year I’d been planning to make this race the peak of my year,” says Williamson.   “I arranged three weeks of training at altitude in Colorado as final preparation.”   He returned to Scotland 12 days before the race.   “My training was going badly when I got home.   One afternoon a week before the race I was out doing four miles and everything clicked.”   That was the day that Norman called.   “You’re in,” he said.   They continued to put the field together – Robson and Moorcroft were kept waiting for their invite.   Steve Lacy and Craig Masback (The two Americans) were also included.   In Oslo no ‘journeyman rabbit’ could be included – it would have to be one of the runners.   Masback was in no doubt that it would be Robson, Williamson or himself that would be required to do the job.   None of them wanted it and Williamson made it clear that he wasn’t doing it.   Then during an interview with the BBC Ovett said that with the strength of British Miling, why should they go all the way to Norway for a fast race?   He boxed himself into a corner where it was not possible for him still to go to Oslo.   Coe, who still seemed to regard himself as an 800 metres runner was in the field.   “Back in the hotel, Williamson who had also resisted Haukvik’s entreaties to set the pace sat down with his room-mate, Brendan Foster, a magically astute judge of runners.   Before them they had a ist of the field.   “We got it down to Coe and Scott really,” Williamson says.   “For a year I had felt that Coe was capable of a big mile, Coghlan had to be tired from his 5000, Walker was not at his best and Wessinghage seldom comes off well in a big race.   I never expected anything of Masback.”   The 19 year-old Williamson looked up at the 31 year-old Foster .   “What do you think?” he asked.    “I’d bet you third,”   said Foster.”   There was an interesting conversation with Walker and it was on to the race.   Graham warmed up wearing two track suits.   Lacy, the American, took the pace and came through the first lap in 57 seconds with Scott a yard back.  They both got to 800 in 1:54 with Coe just behind in in 1:54.5.  Two laps in 57 seconds each.   At 1200 metres the time was 2:52.0.   Coe moved off and down the back straight, “Williamson had found the race frustrating for its refusal to develop into a file of efficiently running men.   “You could never settle in,” he said, “There were always things going on, people going past.   I really only took stock of the race with 300 metres to go.”   He was in fourth.   “With Scott and Coe out and away, I was aiming for third.   I got by Walker.   I cut in on him and he pushed me in the back.   Ahead Scott didn’t look that good.   I began to think I might get second.”   Looked good but then ………….. “On the turn, just past 1500 metres Masback loomed up just behind Williamson, and his reaching stride accidentally caught Williamson’s left foot.   Two spikes came into the rear of the Scotsman’s  red Puma and ripped it off his heel.   “One second I was sprinting at Scott, thinking he’s not too far away’, says Williamson.   “And the next ‘Christ, what can I do?’   I kept looking down.   I ran a few steps with the back of the shoe tucked under my foot like a carpet slipper.   Then I got it off.   People began to go by me.   My running action was gone.”   Williamson would finish seventh in 3:53.2 – that and his 1500 metres time of 3:36.6 were European Junior records.   The whole saga of the race is in Moore’s article.   Then after all that hassle, just five days later Williamson easily won the AAA’s 1500 metres which he had won the year before in 3:41.6 and on August 16th won the European Junior 1500m in 3:39.0.   A month later at altitude in Mexico City, Graham won the World Student Games title in 3:45.4: a really remarkable double.

In 1980 there was a slow start to the season with early season illness.   If the non-selection for Edmonton was a disgraceful decision, it did not compare with the ‘fix’ that was the selection for the 1980 Olympic Games.   There was an Olympic trial for the 1500m in June.   Graham ran and was second to David Moorcroft who said he wanted to run the 5000m in the Games.    Ovett and Coe were clearly going and Graham as second in the trial should have gone.   Steve Cram had fallen during the race and Brendan Foster persuaded the selectors to have Graham and Steve have a run-off for the Olympic place over One Mile at Bislett.   Graham had a cold that week and asked the selectors to put the race back a week so that the two would have an equal chance.   They refused.   Then his bag containing his running kit, spikes and all, was stolen at the airport.   He had to run with a cold and in borrowed kit.   Needless to say he did not run to form in the race which was won by Ovett in 3:48.8 with Cram second in 3:53.8 and Graham some way back in 3:56.4.  In his biography, ‘Ovett’ written with John Rodda, Steve has some hard words to say about the incident and I’ll quote some of them here.   Steve was running in the 1500 at Bislett as were Cram and Williamson.   “When I arrived in Oslo airport my thoughts of world-record breaking were quickly set aside for the plight of another runner, Graham Williamson.   The young Scottish miler and Steve Cram had been pitched into my race to decide who should have the third 1500m place in the Games, in my opinion the most absurd way of choosing an athlete and an indictment of the selectors who could have had little understanding about the preparation and planning that goes into an athletes life.   It showed a complete lack of feeling for the sport.   If these selectors had been runners then they had completely forgotten what their sport was all about.   To ask two young athletes to race in these circumstances a month before their Olympic event was like committing them to a duel at dawn: one of them was going to have a shattering experience.   As we all waited at the airport it became clear that Graham’s kit was missing.   I felt for the man as did the other athletes in the party.   The prospect of having to run in different spikes, shorts and vest in such a crucial race was a cruel blow.   A runners spikes are like a comfortable old pair of shoes – you will keep them until they are falling apart.   I wanted to say something to Graham but I stopped short realising I would only make matters worse.   In the event Graham’s gear did not appear and Cram finished in front of him and won the ticket to Moscow.   Within a few seconds of winning the race I went over to Graham and tried to offer the right kind of words to comfort the guy.   He had been running well, he thought he had done enough to win his Olympic place and then the selectors had turned round and said they had wanted more.”   The book is excellent and I used to use particular paragraphs to illustrate points that I wanted to get across to runners and even at times to coaches.    Exactly two weeks later  at the same Stadium, Ovett set another world record with 3:32.1 for the 1500m while Graham ran 3:35.8 in fifth.

1992: Graham wins the Mile in a Scottish Native Record of 3:52.66 at the Iveco International Games at Meadowbank

Injury prevented him from competing seriously in 1981 and the only mark for him in the SAAA Yearbook is 3:46.4 for 1500 metres in March that year.   In 1982, however, he won the AAA’s indoor 1500m in January with a UK Indoor best of 3:40.72 which eh reduced further to 3:38.28 in a match against Belgium at Cosford ten days later.   Into the summer season and he brought his mile time down to 3:50.65 for a National record when he was fourth behind the South African Sydney Maree at Cork on 13th July.   He qualified for both the European and Commonwealth Games held later in the year.   He had ten of the top 20 Scottish marks that year from 3:37.7 in Meadowbank in July down to a 3:46.1 indoors at Cosford in February.    He won a top class 1500 in an international match at Meadowbank in July with 3:52.66    The match was against England, Poland, and Norway and he defeated the in-form Irishman Ray Flynn by almost two seconds.   There was more misfortune in the Commonwealth Games in Australia however.   He won his heat in 3:45.22 and was going really well in the final when there was a bit of a kerfuffle in the back straight of the final lap.   Cram saw this and decided to take advantage and go for it.  The result was a win for the Englishman in one of the tightest finishes imaginable.   Result: 1.   Steve Cram   3:42.37; 2.   John Walker   3:43.11; 3.   Mike Boit   3:43.33; 4.   Graham Williamson   3:43.84; 4.   Mike Hillardt   3:44.03.   How close and how unlucky can you get?     Well, the European Championships later in the year gave the answer.   In the Final Graham accelerated past Cram with 600 metres to go before the Spaniard Jose Abascal caught his heel in the back straight and he crashed to the track.   Cram won and Graham did not finish.

1983 and 1984 produced many of his lifetime best times with 1983 in particular showing best marks of 1:45.6 for 800m, 3:34.01 for 1500m, 3:52.01 for the Mile, 4:58.38 for the 3000 metres and 8:07.8 for the 3000 metres.   The times for 800m, 1500m and 2000m were lifetime bests.   He ran in the World Championships in Helsinki at the start of August and the BMC News had this to say of his performance: ” Graham Williamson gambled on not having lost too much conditioning with his injury but a 3:38.99 Heat was really all that he could manage in his condition.   The man has talent and guts but never seems to enjoy much good luck.   Still, he and George Gandy may well come through in 1984: Williamson can certainly run 800 in 1:44 and 1500 in close to 3:30, sometimes.”    I like that ‘sometimes’ at the end!   Graham was well liked and respected in the BMC and Frank Horwill liked the fact that he was not afraid to take it on if appropriate.

 In 1984 there were more excellent times recorded: 2:16.82 for 1000m, 3:34.13 for 1500m and 3:51.6 for the Mile.   After these two outstanding years he was injured for most of 1985 and did not compete.   There was a solitary 1500 metres time of 3:46.85 recorded in 1986 and, because of injuries, his wonderful career was basically over.   The man who had been on the wrong end of several decisions by administrators and selectors was ironical given an extension to gain the qualifying time required for the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games.   He couldn’t get within 7 seconds of the required time when he went for it in Innsbruck.   His last lap kick had gone and he could only manage 63 seconds for it.   In an article by Doug Gillon in ‘Scotland’s Runner’ for  May 1987 he says”I knew then I’d had it.   Yet it was the most consideration I had ever received from the Scottish selectors.   He had retired by the age of 26.

Graham had a fine career with many, many very good races and although most of the times were recorded approximately 30 years ago they stand up remarkably well today.   He tops the Scottish Junior All-Time lists for 800m, 1500m, One Mile and 3000m.   He ran for Scotland n the World Junior Cross-Country Championships (twice as a Junior and once as a Senior).    His best marks are in the table which has his all-time GB as well as his Scottish rankings for each performance.

I would like to go back to the article mentioned at the start: The ‘Olympic Prospect’ interview in the British Milers Club magazine for Autumn 1978. It is not clear who asked the questions but the replies were quite revealing.  Remember his date of birth: 15/6/60

BMC:   Please describe in some detail your winter training and outline how it has progressed over the past three years.

GW:     1975/6:   Sunday: 7 Miles easy.   Monday: 4-5 miles steady.   Tuesday:  4-5 miles brisk.   Wed:  5 miles steady.   Thursday:  5 miles steady.   Friday:   Rest.   Saturday:   Race

            1976/7:   Sunday:  10 miles easy.   Monday:  3 miles easy am; 800’s or speed work pm.   Tuesday:  3 miles easy am; Brisk road run pm.   Wed:  3 miles easy am; steady road run pm.   Thursday:  3 miles easy am; Acceleration run pm. 

            Friday: Rest.  

           Saturday:  Race.

            1977/8:   Sunday: 10 miles easy.   Monday: 3-4 miles easy am; Brisk road run pm.  Tuesday:  3-4 miles easy am; track speed work pm.   Wed:  3-4 miles easy am; Steady run pm.   Thursday: 3-4 miles easy am; Steady run pm.  Friday:

            Rest

            Saturday:  Race.

BMC:   What are your views on the comparative values of indoor running and cross country during the winter?

GW:     I value cross-country running very much.   It is a nice break from track running.   I take the country very seriously but seem to get dogged either by very bad colds or injury at very important times.   I have only won the Scottish National once.   Twice in the last three years I have been undefeated   and then got ‘flu one year and a very bad foot injury in 1978.

BMC:   Please describe in some detail your summer training and outline how it has progressed during the past three years.

GW:

BMC:   Please give details of training other than running.

GW:     None.

BMC:   Please describe how you warm up.

GW:    At the moment I am trying different ways of warming up to see which one suits me best.   I am trying different amounts of jogging and strides at different meetings.   The warm-up depends on how long before the event you have to report.   Normally at meetings I now start 45 minutes before the event.   I just jog about during that time with about four or five ‘strides’ to loosen off and increase the heartbeat.

[The entire article can be found in the BMC Magazine for autumn 1978.]

My favourite Graham Willliamson story is of the wee boy (no more than 12 years old) who spotted Graham talking to Jack Crawford as he walked through the Springburn Harriers grounds at Huntershill and asked for his autograph.   Graham was quite agreeable to this and asked if the boy had a pen he didn’t but borrowed one from Jack.   He then asked for a bit of paper but the boy didn’t have one; he did however suggest that Graham sign his forearm and he would trace it on to a piece of paper when he got home!

Adrian Weatherhead (76) with Alan Puckrin (290) leading Jim Brown (229)

Scotland is a small country so you would expect all those interested in endurance running, whichever branch was their speciality, would know each other or at least know what each other was doing.   That is not necessarily the case as can be seen from the career of Adrian Weatherhead,   Well known as a top flight athlete, his actual career seems to be a well-kept secret.  He won SAAA titles at various distances  on the track, indoor and out (did YOU know that he was also a steeplechaser?   I didn’t!) and a cross country internationalist  who turned late in his career to road running where he turned out to be a master of his trade.   He was reported to be a speed merchant in training who was seen out regularly doing lunch time training sessions on the grass beside the North Meadow Walk in the Meadows – often accompanied by the accomplished 400m/800m runner Tom Renwick.   Andy McKean was one of our best ever cross-country runners but Adrian was runner-up to him National Cross-Country Championship three times and Andy says, ‘I recall glancing over my shoulder to see him uncomfortably close behind, dancing light footedly over the snow in Drumpellier Park in Coatbridge.’   All photographs on this page are by Graham MacIndoe unless otherwise stated.   This profile has been written by Colin Youngson and tells the story of an athlete who should be remembered for his achievements more than he is.   Before the profile however, let’s look at Adrian’s replies to the questionnaire.

Name:   Adrian Weatherhead

Club/s:   Octavians, Polytechnic Harriers/Edinburgh AC

Date of Birth:   22/9/43

Occupation:   Retired Local Government Officer.

Personal Bests:  

How did you get involved in the sport:   School to get fit for rugby (400/800m); then Octavians AC and Heriot Watt University.

Has any individual or group had any marked effect on either your attitude to the sport or individual performances?     Peter Snell and Jim Ryun

What exactly did you get out of the sport?   1.  The satisfaction of proving certain people who doubted my ability wrong.   2.   The satisfaction of watching my training being translated into results.   3.   The thrill of becoming a GB International athlete.   4.   The enduring legacy of well-being which physical fitness gives one.

Can you describe your general attitude to the sport?   A sport which is both rewarding for achievement through effort but unforgiving when preparation is lacking.   It is therefore a sport when competitors stand or fall by their own efforts and can neither depend upon nor blame team mates as in other sports.

What do you consider your best ever performance/performances?   1.   My fastest mile run in blustery conditions finishing only two seconds down on Filbert Bayi, the then new world record holder.   2.   Outsprinting the notoriously fast-finishing Andre de Hertoge in the Scotland v Benelux match 1500m since I did not have the blistering sprint speed which many of my contemporary rivals possessed.   I covered the last 400m in 54 seconds.

What ambitions did you have that remain unfulfilled?   Olympic and European Championships.

What did you do apart from running to relax?   Jog/run 5 – 6 miles per day; swim a hard mile most days; astronomy; competitive small-bore target shooting; playing the guitar.

What did running bring you that you would have wanted not to miss?   The pleasures of achievement, health and fitness.

Can you give some details of your training?   Basically the type of schedule advocated by John Anderson (one of the world’s best and, to my knowledge the only British coach that the former Soviet Union sports machine ever invited to join them).   The opposite of the Lydiard method – plenty of high quality track running along with one’s winter mileage.   No track anaerobic session was ever run at a slower than summer race pace.

Adrian P Weatherhead was born on 22nd September, 1943.   By 1965 he was running for Octavians AC and recorded a time of 1:56.9 for 880 yards.   During the next 25 years he produced an extremely impressive series of top class performances on every surface: outdoor and indoor track, cross-country and (almost as an afterthought) road.   Since he had no interest in taking part in veterans-only competition he retired at the age of 47 having made a considerable mark on the Scottish record books.

Adrian went to Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh and represented them with distinction.   For example in November 1968 he ran the fastest time in the East District Cross-Country Relay Championships round the hoof-marked, bumpy Hazlehead pony track in Aberdeen, outpacing future GB internationalists Donald Macgregor, Gareth Bryan-Jones and Alistair Blamire.   Although for many years he refused to run on the road (to prevent injury), he was a formidable cross-country runner and at the end of the same month as the East relay, he was narrowly outkicked by John Myatt in the Scottish Universities Trial over the Aberdeen University course.   In December in the Scottish Universities v Scottish Cross Country Union match at Camperdown Park, Dundee, Adrian finished fifth behind Lachie Stewart, Dick Wedlock, Alistair Blamire and Myatt.   Weatherhead emphasised his place amongst the nest Scottish Cross-Country runners on January 18th, 1969 by winning the East District title on Musselburgh Racecourse.   At around the same time he ran 3000m in 8:13.8 at Cosford on the indoor track.   Then he finished thirteenth on his first run in the Senior National at Duddingston Park.

Weatherhead also ran for HWU during the track season, for example doubling up at 1500m and 5000m in a match against Aberdeen University and Glasgow University at Westerlands in April 1969.   Adrian graduated that summer but improved his best 800m time to 1:52.3, was a close second to Craig Douglas (who later won the SAAA title) in the East District 1500m, ran a pb of 3:48.1 (third in the Scottish rankings) when winning a race for the Scottish Universities v English Universities at Crystal Palace and completed a Mile in 4:04.0.   By now Adrian was running for Polytechnic Harriers as well as for Octavians and also won over 5000m (14:17.2) at Crystal Palace.   In addition he won a 3000m (8:20.0) in Oslo.

By December 1969 Adrian Weatherhead was representing the SCCU in the annual cross-country fixture with the Scot Unis, this time at Paties Road, Colinton, Edinburgh.   His cross-country career continued intermittently but with a great deal of success.   In the 1970 National on Ayr Racecourse he was sixth, securing selection for the International Cross-Country at Vichy, France, where he contributed well as fourth Scottish counter in forty second place ahead of Dick Wedlock and Norman Morrison..

The Vichy team:   Adrian, Lachie Stewart, Bill Stoddart,  Bill Mullett, Dick Wedlock, Gareth Bryan-Jones in the rear, Norman Morrison, Ian McCafferty and Jim Alder in front.

(Picture from Lachie Stewart)

In 1971 Adrian regained his East District Cross-Country title (which he also won in 1976).   He improved further in 1973 in the National at Drumpellier Park, Coatbridge, finishing an outstanding second behind Andy McKean.   By now Weatherhead was running for Edinburgh AC and they won the team championship.   The first IAAF World CC Championships took place at Waregem Racecourse, Ghent, Belgium, where Adrian was fifth Scottish counter in seventy second place.

At Coatbridge in both 1975 and 1976, Adrian Weatherhead was second to Andy McKean in the National and EAC won the team title.   For some reason (indoor races?) Weatherhead did not run the World Cross-Country again.   However he continued to compete well for his club.  In the National, EAC were victorious in 1978 at Bellahouston Park (Adrian tenth) and in 1981 at Callendar Park, Falkirk, (Adrian fourteenth).   He was twenty first when EAC won silver at the Jack Kane Centre, Edinburgh, in 1983; and signed off with thirty sixth (but first M40 veteran) in 1984 having won three individual silver medals n the National Cross-Country plus five team golds and one silver.   In the National Cross-Country Relay, he won team bronze in 1976 and silver in 1978.

Despite enjoying consistent excellence over the country, Adrian Weatherhead’s main focus was the track.   In 1970 he won the East District 1500m from Jim Dingwall and improved his one mile best to 4:00.7 at Crystal Palace.   he also ran 5000m: second in the East District and third in the SAAA Championships (14:09.2) behind Ian and Lachie Stewart.

Further progress was clear in 1971 when Adrian was second in the Scottish 1500m rankings to the outstanding Peter Stewart.   Weatherhead not only ran 3:40.9 during a mile in 3:58.5, but also his seventh fastest 1500m was only 3:47.4.   During the indoor season he had run 3000min 8:02.61 when second in the AAA’s Indoor Championships at Cosford (in front of Andy Holden but behind Peter Stewart who went on to win the European indoor title at that distance) winning his first Great Britain outdoor vest and he won an outdoor 3000m at Belfast in 8:10.0.   Furthermore he broke14 minutes for 5000m three times, was second in the SAAA event to Ian McCafferty, won a bronze medal in t he AAA’s Championships and was unlucky not to be selected for the European Athletics Championships.   His new pb was 13:47.28 at Crystal Palace in the AAA event.   In the Scottish rankings this was second only to Ian Stewart.

In 1972, after winning a silver medal in the AAA indoors 1500m (3:46.7) on January 29th, Adrian Weatherhead was selected to run 1500m for Great Britain in the match against Spain at Cosford on February 19th.   He finished third behind fellow-Scot Frank Clement and Spaniard Jean Borraz.   The outdoor season produced a 5000m in 13:50.4, third in the rankings behind Ian Stewart and McCafferty.   He also won his first outdoor Great Britain vest v Greece and the Netherlands in Athens.      In 1973 Adrian won the SAAA Indoor 1500m (3:51.3) at Bell’s Sports Centre, Perth.   He followed that with victory in the outdoor East District 1500m from Jim Dingwall with a season’s best of 3:42.7, second in the 5000m and his season’s best was 13:54.

1974 provided further proof of Adrian Weatherhead’s speed, consistency and versatility.   The season started normally enough with a win in the East District 1500m.   Two good 5000m races both produced a time of 13:48, including a win in the English Inter-Counties at Crystal Palace.   Adrian won the English Inter-Counties title and ended up second in the Scottish rankings.   The big surprise was Weatherhead’s victory in the Scottish Championships – in the steeplechase!   He defeated list-topper Ian Gilmour with 8:52.8 and also recorded 8:50.6  as second-fastest Scot that season.   Then Adrian competed for Scotland in the match versus Norway in Oslo: winning the 1500m in 3:43.4 as well as coming fifth in the steeplechase.

1975 was another good year.   Adrian ran 1500m in a pb of 3:41.35 when finishing fifth in the AAA Championships (second in the rankings to Frank Clement).   Another pb was 3:57.59 for the Mile at Crystal Palace in May which was repeated in the IAC meeting in September the same year.   He also raced another 1500m for Great Britain v East Germany (DDR) in Dresden where he finished second.   He had also won a 1500m the previous week in the Spanish Games in Madrid where he beat the Spanish record holder Antonio Burgos.   He ran for Scotland in the British Isles Cup in Munich, and won a 5000m race in Munich (14:11.6).   1976 started with a win in the SAAA Indoor 1500m (3:48.9) in Perth.   In 1977 it was evident that Adrian’s speed had not lessened: 800m in 1:52.8; 1500m in 3:41.46 (third in the rankings – his sixth fastest mark was 3:47.5); and a Mile in 3:58.7, making him the oldest person ever to break four minutes.   He also won the last two of his seven Great Britain vests that year. .    1978 was less successful: 1500m in 3:49.6 and 3000m indoors (8:07.8).

In 1979 Adrian  became the oldest athlete to win the SAAA 1500m title outsprinting Hugh Forgie and Steve Rimmer.   He also ran 3:43.3 in the AAA 1500m final.

Having retired from the track, Adrian Weatherhead continued to run cross-country until 1984 (as reported above).   However the real shock was his late career as a road runner!   In the 1983 Scottish Six-Stage Relay he won team silver with EAC, next year they won gold and in 1988 silver again.   He also won the Grangemouth 10K race twice (fastest time 29:36) and the Falkirk Half Marathon in 66 minutes, all achieved as a 40 – 42 year old vet.

However the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay was the event in which Adrian made most impact, when he was aged 40 to 47.   EAC had finished second in this prestigious event seven times in the previous decade – they could really have done with Weatherhead then to turn silver into gold!   Adrian would only run the hilly first stage but did so seven years out of the next eight starting in 1983 with a tremendous 26:16 (33 seconds clear of the next man and only 16 seconds slower than the record).   He was sixth fastest in 1985, second in 1986, seventh in 1987 (when EAC won team silver), fifth in 1988, seventh in 1989 and sixth in 1990 – only 14 seconds slower than the fastest man – future Olympian Tom Hanlon).

Adrian Weatherhead’s career had been truly remarkable and very successful.   It is a shame that he had no interest in the burgeoning area of veteran athletics, since there is no doubt that he was capable of winning at British, European and World level.   Nevertheless his achievements were admirable – speed and stamina nurtured by very effective training, in addition to tactical awareness and a sense of racing adventure.

With regard to Adrian’s road running, there is a good picture of him on the first stage of the 1985 Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay in the Edinburgh – Glasgow section of this website.   Colin mentions his conditions for running his first relay and they are backed up by Doug Gillon’s report on the race in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ of  12th November, 1983, beginning “The sweetest sight for veteran marathon runner Colin Youngson must have been the Corinthian pillars of Stirling’s Library with its Cyclops clock-eye staring unblinkingly at the finishers of the Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Race…” and goes on to say:   “Adrian Weatherhead, now 40, had never run in the race before despite a lifetime in the sport.   Yet he insisted that he would run the opening leg or not at all for his club, Edinburgh AC.   In a run of spectacular effort he finished 33 seconds clear of the second team. ”    Many clubs in the race have the situation of one of their best runners insisting that he was a track man but not a road runner, none, I would suggest, have had the reward of the same athlete returning in such a spectacular fashion in subsequent years!   A first class athlete on all surfaces, Adrian Weatherhead deserves to be better known in Scotland. 

The 1950’s were very important for Scottish men’s athletics but even more so for the women’s side of the sport.   There were no international fixtures over the country, the SWAAA Championships were only for senior women and track races above 220 yards were few and far between with most of those being handicap races.   By the end of the decade the championships had swelled to include events for Juniors (under 15) and Intermediates (under 17) as well as for senior women and the number of events had almost doubled.   This was largely down to the women themselves demanding races and supporting those that were put on.   It was a hard job getting the number of 880 yards races increased and even harder to get the Mile into the District Trials, Inter District and Championship fixtures  – there were none at the start of the decade.   As in all endurance running for women, Dale Greig was a key figure but there were other notables who should be discussed and remembered.   Unfortunately the records were not kept as well as for the men and the reports in the newspapers were fewer and scantier for the women too.   We seriously need information about these pioneers.   Barbara, now living in Autralia, was kind enough to complete the questionnaire for us.

Name:.     Barbara Tait      (Martin, Carpenter.)

Club:   Edinburgh Harriers – Edinburgh Athletic Club

Date of Birth:    16^th February 1939

 Occupation:   Teacher, Relaxation Therapist, Author, (Published 3 books, 3 health and fitness Videos Relaxation Tapes) Public Speaking engagements.

 How did get into the sport initially?   I knew I could run when I was at primary school. My teacher always made me run in the races against the boys not the girls. I then went to James Clark High School in Edinburgh and in my second year I was sports champion for the school. I knew then I loved to run. My Uncle David introduced me to the Edinburgh Harriers Athletic Club. In my first year I was very shy and only did the short distances the same as the other girls. At the East via West the next year 1956 the east team needed someone to run the half mile in the relay, so I put my hand up. I ran a good time and loved the longer distance. From there I entered the quarter mile and the 1 mile in the Scottish Championships in the June. I really liked the quarter mile and so wanted to beat Anna Herman the mile was just another race to try. On the day the mile came first and I broke the record so quarter mile did not seem so important.

 Personal bests.   In 1959 I broke my own mile record three times in that year brining it down to 5 minutes 18.3 sec and then in London British Championships I came 4^th in a time of 5 minutes 15.4 seconds. In 1960 at Bute Highland games I clocked a time of 5 minutes 12.5 sec. I was going well in training and my time was getting better. I was once again training with the boys, and on one very special day at Meadowbank I got my training time clocked at 4minutes 59.3sec. I was feeling so good and looking forward to the next season. But things did not go as planned I did not feel very well during the winter and the doctors found I had T.B. in my lungs. I was divested I was told I must stop all training immediately. I felt well so I kept on training.  The doctors said my good feeling would not last and my body would soon start to break down, and it did. In my last Scottish championship race at Meadowbank on 10^th May 1961 I came 3^rd that day I knew I could not go on. My leg was very heavily strapped I could hardly move my left arm both cartilages in my knees had been damaged. I knew then I would have to stop my beloved sport.

 Did any individual or group have any marked effect on performance or attitude to the sport?   My Uncle David was the person who encouraged me most in my athletics. He had been interested in athletics in his youth. He was always there to encourage me in the good times and the bad. I was very young and shy and he gave me confidence to keep going. He was my rock. My idol was Dianne Leather. My coach was K Herman (Anna Herman’s husband) he was the most inspiring and dedicated person to the sport. He ran for Poland before the Second World War. He trained Anna and I hard and never took no for answer, or I can’t do. He made me a much better person in so many ways. When he found out I had T.B.and on longer able to run he introduced me to basketball. As he said a team sport would be easier on my health. I loved it. After some time and a lot of practice I was chosen to play for Scotland.  I represented Scotland on many occasions the highlight was playing in the European Championships in France.

 Best ever performance as a runner?   The best performance, well not the fastest time but the most memorable was the very first time I ran the mile at Meadowbank. It was a lovely day I had entered the 440y and the mile. The mile came first. I had no idea what I was doing as it was the very first time I had run the distance, the 440y was the race I was really interested in. As the race went no I just kept running with everyone and  in the last lap the rest of the girls seemed to be a little out of breath and I still felt fine. Off I went running at my own pace it was such a good feeling. When I finished I was told I had a new Mile record knocking 6.7 seconds of the previous one.  What a great day it was for me. I could not believe I had found the distance I liked running and I was good at it. I was a Scottish champion.

What has athletics brought to me that I would not have wanted to miss?   Friendships I made on my trips. The club spirit I will never forget. Being in a position where I can now encourage not just the young to never give up but also the elderly. Athletics gave me the courage to face up to difficult situations in life and I have had my share. To discipline myself in many ways to make me the person I am now. Life should not be a straight line; we have to experience the downs to appreciate the ups. I feel privileged to have been able to be part of women’s athletics at that time. Athletics what can I say it allowed me to have good friends, a positive attitude, help others, keeps me healthy as I get older, never give up, but most of all a lot of joy and happiness.

What has been my involvement in the sport since I stopped running?   I have had very little involvement in athletics since I came to Australia. It makes me too sad. My grandchildren aged 9 and 6 years play netball and they are both very good swimmers .I enjoy watching and encouraging them. I played netball in the same club as my daughter Wendi and Granddaughter Tanna till 2013 when once again I had to give up because of injury. I do keep up with athletics on TV and I go to the Olympic Stadium in Sydney whenever there is a competition on. Athletics is not a number one sport here.

 What changes would I make?   I would like to see the girls being recognised in a similar way to the men!

Where am I now?   I left Scotland in 1980 after divorcing Archie Martin. I set up my business called Relaxacise.  Not the easiest thing to do in a strange country. I did a segment on the Television show called Good morning Sydney. That lead to me recorded my videos and writing my books on the subject of Exercise with Relaxation. The programme became very popular which made it necessary for me to conduct teacher training courses. I married Bill in 1989; he is a very special man and encourages me in all my adventures. We live in Penrith just west of Sydney. I am still teaching classes and doing speaking engagements from time to time. I love living in Australia but still visit my home in Scotland whenever can. I like playing golf with Bill and training with the netball team to keep me fit. My new challenge is to encourage the older generation to keep moving in a natural way, and the young to keep trying and never give up.

For those who wondered what she had been doing, the answers are all there.   What a wonderful life she’s had in Australia.

There were two key figures in the Mile in the late 1950’s/early 60’s.   Barbara Tait and Helen Cherry between them won the SWAAA Mile title seven times in eight years before Georgena Buchanan came on the scene.   Barbara herself won it five times in succession.   Doreen Fulton, a popular Springburn Harrier with a distinguished track pedigree and an established cross-country international, won it in the middle with her solitary win in 1961.   Helen was second in 1959 and Barbara third in 1961 and 1962.   It was a very different time from the twenty first century: running gear was nowhere near as light or functional, shoes were heavier with fixed spikes but most of all the tracks were different.   Racing in championships was nearly always on cinder tracks which by the time the Mile races came along were very cut up by the previous events making it difficult for the runners.   And yet the competition was no less intense nor were the rivalries any less exiting for the spectators.   We can start Barbara’s profile with a look at 1956.

Although not mentioned in the East District Championships or the East v West match, on 9th June 1956 Barbara won the SWAAA Mile in 5:28.3 which the ‘Glasgow Herald’ said beat the existing record for the distance by 7 seconds.   The actual report on the race in the pink ‘Evening Times’ read as follows: “Seventeen year old Barbara Tait of Edinburgh Harriers became the new mile champion.  Her victory over A  Lusk, the holder, was a popular one.   The former James Clark’s schoolgirl was “swamped” by her jubilant friends at the finish.   There was even more applause when Barbara’s time of 5 min 28.3 sec was announced  as it was a new Scottish native record by nearly seven seconds.”   ‘The Bulletin’ read,  Barbara Tait has set a new record.   A brilliant mile by 17 year old Barbara Tait of Edinburgh Harriers in which she set up a new Scottish native record of 5 min 284 sec was an outstanding feature of  the Scottish women’s athletic championships in Edinburgh yesterday.   Barbara, a former pupil of James Clark’s school, ran a well-judged race and proved far too strong for the holder, A Lusk of Maryhill Harriers.   At the finish the excited Barbara was overwhelmed by her enthusiastic friends.”  She had also entered the 440 yards at the meeting but the Mile was her real event.  At the end of the season, on 18th August at Murrayfield in a scratch invitation 880 yards race, Barbara lined up against England’s Diane Leather and Ann Oliver, Poland’s Halina Gabor and fellow-Scots Molly Ferguson and Ann Reilly.   Ferguson and Reilly were the SWAAA champions at 880 and 440 yards and in a race won by Leather in 2:18.5 Barbara was sixth across the finishing line.

Barbara Tait leading Helen Cherry

Barbara won the East v West match mile at Westerlands on 11th May, 1957, and then she repeated the SWAAA mile victory on 8th June when in a small but high quality field of herself, Doreen Fulton, Margaret O’Hare and Helen Cherry she recorded the time of 5:35.  Helen Cherry, only 17 and an Intermediate sprinter the previous year, in her first run in the event was second and Doreen Fulton third. Barbara started 1958 with fifth place in the cross-country championships.  In the summer season of Empire Games year, there were two seconds in the East v West match: in the Mile to Helen Cherry, and in the 880 yards To Molly Ferguson of Springburn. In the SWAAA championships, held early on 24th May, the hat-trick of national titles was achieved when she again beat the young Helen Cherry in 5:33.2 with Dale Greig third.

Barbara started 1959 with a second place to Aileen Paterson from Aberdeen AAC in the cross-country championships and although she qualified for the international event against England this was one of the years when there was no report in the local papers.   The first biggish event in the summer season was always the District Championships, held this year on 16th May,  and Barbara had a very good championships indeed.   The Herald report read “Another Scottish record was broken in the Mile in which Miss B Tait (Edinburgh Harriers) finished well clear of the field in 5:24.6.”   She had in fact won both 880 yards (2:28) and the Mile.   Only one week later in the East v West Match the headline read ‘Comfortable Win By East Women At Scotstoun.’   In referring to Barbara’s efforts it said, “Miss B Tait (E) beat her own native record in the Mile with a time of 5:21.0 – 3.6 better than her time in the East Championships.’   She had again ‘done the double’ by winning the 880 yards in 2:26.6 as well as the Mile.   It was only three weeks to the SWAAA Championships and they were held on 13th June at New Meadowbank.   “Miss B Tait (Edinburgh Harriers) won the Mile in a new native record of 5:18.3.   This was the third time that she has improved her mile time this season.   Miss Tait hopes to compete in the British Championships in London on July 3-4.”   Helen Cherry was again second – only one tenth outside the previous record with Dale Greig third.   Three races, three records – the difference is that this time she missed the double by being beaten in the 880 yards and finishing second.   She may well have travelled to the British Championships at the start of July but you wouldn’t know it from the report which listed only the winners and praised Mary Bignal and Dorothy Hyman for doing their own doubles.   No word in the Glasgow Herald about the Scots.  She finished off the season on 1st August with a win off 6 yards in the 880y at Strathallan Gathering in 2:18.3.    It had been a good season and one that would be difficult to replicate.   At the the finish, she was ranked number one in Scotland in the 880 yards with a best of 2:19.3  and also in the Mile with 5:15.4.(possibly done at the WAAA in July!)

Barbara had a most unhappy experience in the 1960 national cross-country championships, when ….   The ‘Glasgow Herald’ says: Miss B Tait (Edinburgh Harriers) the holder of the Scottish Mile title, followed Miss Greig closely for the major part of the race, but she counted the laps wrongly, and put in her finishing burst – passing Miss Greig, a lap too soon.    Attempts to persuade her to continue the race failed.”   The race was won by Dale Greig from Pat McCluskey and Doreen Fulton.   The track season started in much better fashion with a double at the West v East match on 21st May at Scotstoun.   Winning the 880 yards from Molly Ferguson in 2:26.6, she proceeded to take the Mile as well in 5:24.2 from J Crocket of Aberdeen.  In the SWAAA Championships held again at New Meadowbank, on 11th June Barbara won the Mile for the fifth consecutive year but the fact went unremarked in the ‘Glasgow Herald’.

Barbara made her start to 1961 when she was fifth in the National cross-country championship at Greenock but missed the meeting against the English Counties in March.   The track season began with a victory at Dam Park in Ayr, the occasion being the opening of the new pavilion.   She won the 880 yards in 2:22.2.   Unfortunately she missed the East District Championship a week later, the ‘Herald’ saying only that “Miss J Crocket (Aberdeen), in the absence of Miss B Tait, won the half-mile and the Mile.”  For the record, the winning times were 2:43.8 and 5:54.6.   Nor did she turn out in the East v West fixture on 22nd May but she did run in the SWAAA Championships where she finished third.   The report only said, “Miss D Fulton (Springburn) caused a surprise when she beat Mrs A Reilly (Ardeer) on the post in the Mile.”   Doreen Fulton’s win should not have been a surprise – she was a fixture in the cross-country international team with a whole series of top four or five finishes in the national championship along side many good track championship appearances and medals.   However  I would have thought that the winner of the title for the previous five years was third and was worthy of some sort of mention.   But women’s athletics was not as well reported as the men’s.   Nevertheless she still managed to top the national rankings for the Mile with a time of 5:22.0 and her 2:22.2 in the 880y ranked her sixth.

Not mentioned in the cross-country championships of 1962, national or international, she won the Inter-District Mile from Dale Greig on 20th May.   She did run however – ranked number three in Scotland for the Mile, with 5:26.4 for third in the SWAAA Championships behind Helen Cherry and Georgena Buchanan – but the trail seemed to peter out here.   But then  I heard from Neil Donachie in Edinburgh.   He tells us that Barbara married a chap called Archie Martin and subsequently went to Australia where she had an exercise programme on TV.

Barbara’s love of activity and the lifestyle that goes with it is clear from her whole career in Australia since she left Scotland : relaxation therapist, videos, books and sports activities such as netball right up to 2013.

When I came into the sport in the late 1950’s Graham Stark was one of the best runners in the country and even after he emigrated to Australia, his results were sent back to Scotland and published in the ‘Scots Athlete’.    Colin Youngson wrote the following profile of Graham.

In 1996 the history of Edinburgh Southern Harriers was published, celebrating this great Scottish club’s centenary. Graham Stark was declared “Man of the Fifties”.   He was photographed in GB racing kit; and also as part of a very successful 1957 ESH medley relay team.   Graham set two Scottish Native Records in the summer of 1959: 3 minutes 2.5 seconds for the three-quarter mile at Larkhall on July 15^th; and 4 minutes 6.3 seconds in the Rangers Sports at Ibrox on August 1^st.   At Ibrox Graham won the Emil Zatopek medal for his one mile time, which was considered the meeting’s best performance.    (The previous Native Record was held by the illustrious Graham Everett, who went on to reclaim it ten months later.) In 1959 Graham Stark raced over the one mile distance for both Scotland (versus Ireland at Murrayfield)) and Great Britain (on 14^th August against Poland at White City, London). In the latter event, he finished fourth in a tactical race won by Poland.

Graham Stark was born on the 8^th of December 1935.

In 1956 he was 1500m champion of the 2^nd Tactical Air Force in Germany and went on to represent them in an athletics match against the Army.    He was East of Scotland one mile champion in 1957, 1958 and 1959; and second to Graham Everett in the Scottish one mile championship in 1958 and 1959.

1959, when Graham set his very best times, proved to be the peak of his track career.   After winning the Insurance Athletic Association one mile championship at Motspur Park, he came second in the 880 yards.   He topped the Scottish rankings for 880 yards (1.52.1) and was fourth in the mile with 4.06.3, only just behind the three Scots who were ranked first equal with 4.06.0 – Anglos Mike Berisford and Alan Gordon, plus Graham Everett.   Graham Stark was pipped in the SAAA mile by Everett (4.11.3 to 4.11.6, with Aberdeen’s Steve Taylor third in 4.14.6.

Then in November 1959 Graham and his wife Margaret emigrated to Melbourne, Australia. During the next five years he was heavily involved in a very strong Inter-Club scene, latterly with one of the leading clubs there: St Stephens Harriers.   He competed in various events from 880 yards right up to a fifteen mile road race!

Graham writes “my main claim to fame was to represent Victoria (who won the team title) in the Australian 10,000m Cross Country Championships at Adelaide on 24^th August 1963. (This was over a hilly course which featured creek crossings and fences.) Other team members were Ian Blackwood, race winner Ron Clarke (legendary multi-world record setter), Tony Cook, Gordon Noble and Trevor Vincent. I was also a member of the 4×1 mile relay team which set a Victorian Club record – others were Barry Tregenza, Ian Blackwood and Derek Clayton (who went on to be the world’s fastest marathon runner).”

In 1963, Graham ran a mile in 4.09.6 and was ranked third Scot that season.    He also tried the Steeplechase and was ranked fifth in that event in 1964, with a time of 9.22.9. An interesting fact is that Graham’s Personal Best in the Three Miles (14 minutes 11 seconds) was set at Olympic Park, Melbourne, on the 3^rd of December 1964, when he narrowly avoided being lapped by the winner, Ron Clarke, who set a new world record of 13.07.6, breaking Murray Halberg’s 1961 mark of 13 minutes 10 seconds.

Returning to live in Scotland in February 1965, he went on to win SAAA steeplechase bronze in 1965 when he was ranked eighth.   Several years later, in 1973, Graham finished third in the SAAA Indoor Championship 1500 metres. Then in 1978 he became the Scottish Veterans 1500m champion.

Despite the mile being his best distance, Graham Stark was a durable athlete who contributed a great deal to Edinburgh Southern Harriers success at longer distances, between 1956 and 1980.   His fastest half marathon time was 1 hour 15 minutes 28 seconds.   Graham took part in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Road Relay seven times between 1956 and 1970.   He ran Stage One twice, Stage Seven once, Stage Eight once and the windswept Fifth Stage three times. His club finished fourth three times, fifth, ninth and then in 1968 third and finally in 1970 second.

In 1958 and 1959 Graham Stark was part of winning Southern teams in the East District Cross Country Championship. Much later he won a bronze medal with the ESH team that finished third in the 1973 National Cross Country Championship. Once he achieved veteran status at the age of 40, he enjoyed helping Edinburgh Southern to win team gold in three Scottish National Veterans CC Championships: 1977 (when he was fourth individual), 1979 and 1980.

His team-mates remember Graham as a graceful athlete, who continues to be unfailingly polite, friendly and a true gentleman.

That is Colin’s very full summary of Graham’s athletic career but it should be remembered that the athletics scene in the 1950’s was very different from the twenty first century.   One short story retold by Tom O’Reilly of Springburn Harriers and former Scottish steeplechase champion and record holder is illustrative of this.   The race report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ read: “The principal event at Carluke Rovers open sports meeting was the invitation one mile short limit handicap in which the Scottish record holder G Stark (Edinburgh Southern Harriers) was running from scratch. At the end of the first lap, Stark was just behind R McKay (Motherwell YMCA) and J More (Kilmarnock) who started from 10 and 15 yards respectively. In the meantime however, the Scottish steeplechase champion, T O’Reilly, off 35 yards, was setting a good pace over the seven lap course and by half distance it did not look like Stark would catch the leaders. Soon afterwards, McKay and More left Stark and he had to be content with sixth place – 6.2 seconds behind O’Reilly the winner.”   A seven lap one mile race on grass: to get an idea of how tight it was, think that indoor tracks at present are eight laps to the mile!   The race was billed as an attempt to set anew Scottish record!   The tracks then were either good grass or cinders – either could cut up badly through use or because of the weather, even championship tracks were cinder and in Scotland many events, at times even invitation events, were handicap races.   There were however many good quality inter-club fixtures on 440 yard cinder tracks.   For instance, there was a triangular competition between Victoria Park, Bellahouston Harriers and Edinburgh Southern at Scotstoun.   There were several GB athletes competing, men such as Mike Hildrey and Alan Dunbar (sprints), Crawford Fairbrother (HJ), Ken Ballantyne (Mile), Robin Sykes, Des Dickson and of course Graham Stark.   The comment made in the report in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ of 10th May, 1959, said “Stark, who won the 880 yards and mile, may now be encouraged to devote his attention to the half-mile in which he had the splendid time of 1 min56.2 sec.”  Handicaps on short tracks, often with uneven surfaces, and good quality inter club meetings were part of the scene then.   Bearing that in mind, his times stand up well after almost 60 years.

As indicated by Colin above, his track competitive record is even better.   Three East District Mile titles, plus one third and two seconds in the SAAA Championships.1958  SAAA Mile  2  4:13.0,   1959  SAAA Mile  2  4:11.6 , East District Champion 1957, 1958, 1959.   One wonders what he might have done under present day conditions.

No list of the all-time greatest Scottish half-milers would be complete without the name of Hamish Stothard. The lanky Edinburgh runner was a stylish and gutsy performer with a good tactical brain and a consistent record for rising to the big occasion. During his career he set Scottish records and garnered honours ranging from Scottish, A.A.A., Intervarsity and British U.A.U. titles and a pair of British Empire Games bronze medals to three golds and a silver in the International University Games (known today as the Universiade). The only piece missing from this collection of hardware is, of course, an Olympic medal. In the run-up to the 1936 Olympics he had been discussed as a potential successor to Tom Hampson, gold medallist in the 800 metres at Los Angeles, but that’s another story. Hamish Stothard was not only a great all-round athlete, but also, like his illustrious compatriot and predecessor Eric Liddell, an accomplished rugby player. Versatility was the name of the game with Stothard, for he was also an avid golfer with a handicap to die for!

James Charles Stothard was born in Edinburgh on May 6, 1913. Like Charlie Mein and Hugh Maingay, Scotland’s leading half-milers of the 1920’s, he enjoyed a privileged upbringing. His wealthy father George Stothard was a rubber planter and the director of a major rubber company in Penang, Malaysia. Latex rubber was a lucrative business in early 20th century when the demand for rubber skyrocketed due, among other things, to the rapid growth of the tyre industry. The business instinct evidently ran strong in the Stothard family.

Stothard was educated at Merchiston Castle School, the private boarding school for boys which has always been synonymous with academic excellence and sporting tradition. When Stothard entered Merchiston, the school had already nurtured a string of well-known athletes over the years, the most notable of these being Hugh Welsh, the former A.A.A. champion and Scottish mile record holder.

Stothard’s athletic talent first shone through in 1928, when, aged 14, he won no fewer than four events at the annual school sports, the “Merchiston Castle School Games”. Also attending Merchiston Castle School at this time was Stothard’s younger brother George, who likewise was a talented athlete, albeit more the sprinter/jumper type. Between them, the Stothard bros. fairly raked in the school titles during their time at Merchiston.

In 1929 Stothard annexed another three events and claimed the Junior Games Cup, smashing the junior record in the cross-country race and improving to 2:09.0 in the half-mile. This was some going for a 15-year-old as the quarter-mile grass track at Merchiston was often heavy and slow and the weather was seldom propitious at this time of year. Then, in early 1930, a team of well-known Achilles athletes on a promotional and coaching tour of Scottish public schools visited Merchiston and had a match against the schooboys, who, in the interests of fair competition, received handicaps. After taking fourth in the long jump, where his 5.51 metres clearance and 1 ft. 9 ins. concession were still not enough to match the 6.87 metres returned by the Olympian R.W Revans, Stothard toed the line for the half-mile. The Achilles men ran 4 yards wide as a handicap and the Merchiston boy took full advantage, romping home 20 yards ahead of the Australian W.C. Wentworth in 2:07.6. That year, Stothard added another four school events to his collection and won the Senior Games Cup by some margin. After finishing quarter a mile ahead of the nearest opposition in the senior cross-country race, the Scotsman commented: “The senior race winner J.C. Stothard is a very promising 16-year-old runner, who is expected to do well in the Games Cup this year.” Again, he won four events in total. Moreover, he defied near gale-force winds to set school records of 54.4 for the quarter-mile and 2:04.4 for the half-mile, and then, for good measure, he equalled the mile record with 4:44.6. The previous quarter-mile figures of 55.2 had, it will be noted, jointly been held by G.O. Turnbull and W.H. Welsh and had stood since 1893.

In 1931 Stothard finally erased the name of L.W. Weatherill from the school’s record books, when he clocked 4:43.2 for the mile in blustery conditions. Lawrie Weatherill was another well-known Merchiston alumnus. He competed for England in the 1934 and 1938 Empire Games. In the annual contest between Merchiston Castle School and Edinburgh Academy Stothard won both the mile and the half-mile by a sizable margin under the watchful eye of a team of officials which included the well-known S.A.A.A. official George Hume as time keeper and George McCrae as starter. No doubt, the seven-time Powderhall Marathon winner McCrae had some words of encouragement and advice for the youngster. Little did they know that their paths would cross again in the future, but more on that later. In 1932, his final year at Merchiston, Stothard was once again the school athletic champion, winning three events. Despite heavy underfoot conditions and a strong wind, he improved his school records to 53.6 for the quarter, 2:03.8 for the half and 4:39.0 for the mile, “a feat,” wrote the Scotsman, “so far unparalleled in school performance in Scotland.“

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Hamish Stothard, 1932 Merchiston Castle School athletic champion, with his trophies

Then, for Stothard, it was off to Cambridge University, where he matriculated at Caius College and settled into student life for the next four years. He began to train regularly on the university training ground at Fenner’s, where the cinder oval was a world removed from the grass tracks he had been accustomed to in Edinburgh. Of course, the chance to train with other top-calibre athletes provided an added spur for this budding middle-distance novice. He made rapid strides, and by December was a member of the Light Blues quartette which won the Intervarsity 4 x 880 relay championship at Fenner’s in a record-equalling in 7:58.4.

December might sound rather late or early for track racing, depending on your perspective, but in those days the athletics season at British public schools and universities typically ran from the winter until the spring, as cricket was played during the summer term. The 1933 season typically began in February for the Cantabrians, pick of the early season outings being a 53.3 quarter-mile at Fenner’s to blow off the cobwebs. Then, in the Cambridge University sports at the Fenner’s Ground on March 4, Stothard lost by inches to Forbes Horan in the half-mile, but in clocking 1:59.4 he had, of course, finally gained admission to the exclusive sub two minute club. Two weeks later at the Intervarsity meeting he ran a similar time to finish third behind Pen Hallowell (Harvard) and Horan. The first title of any note came his way only two months later, on May 20, when he won the half-mile in the British Universities Athletic Union championships at the White City in 1:58.2. Then, after a 1:58.4 win over the highly rated Tommy Scrimshaw, Belgrave Harriers, in the A.A.A. vs. Cambridge University match at Fenner’s on June 6, Stothard was selected for the combined Oxford and Cambridge team due to compete against their Ivy League rivals in the USA in July of 1933. That year Stothard did not contest the Scottish championships as it clashed with the Varsity tour. In his absence, the half-mile title went the way of A.L. Cram, Edinburgh University AC, who won by three yards from T.J. McAllister, Beith Harriers, in a modest 2:00.8.

Stothard, competing for Atalanta AC at Glenalmond College, 1933

Arriving in the USA in early July, the combined British team trained at Yale ahead of their match against Harvard and Yale at Cambridge, Mass., on July 8, where Stothard came third in the half-mile. The following week in the match against Princeton and Cornell at Princeton, New Jersey, he finished fourth in the half-mile, won by Princeton’s Bill Bonthon in 1:53.0. The highlight of the meeting was the show-down between Bill Bonthron and the New Zealander Jack Lovelock in the mile, the latter winning by six yards in a world record of 4:07.6.

The experience of competing in the USA and seeing at first hand how the créme de la créme of America’s athletes lived and trained had evidently done Stothard the world of good. Being on the same team as the great Jack Lovelock could not have done him any harm either and Stothard would have worked out with the affable Kiwi. And so it was that he emerged the next season as an altogether more formidable athlete as evidence by a 3:09.2 from scratch in a three-quarter mile handicap at the Fenner’s Ground on February 22. This was a week or so before his first major competitive outing of 1934, when he scored an impressive double in Cambridge University sports, winning the half-mile in 1:56.6 and the mile in 4:23.2. Both performances were significant improvements on anything he had achieved before and made him something of an overnight sensation in his native Scotland where the standard in the half-mile in particular had slipped somewhat since 1932.

The following week Stothard took yet another giant leap forward in the Varsity Match at the White City where he helped rewrite the history books by pushing Pen Hallowell (USA & Baliol) to a new Varsity record of 1:54.2, eclipsing the 1:54.8 which had stood to Kenahan Cornwallis since 1904. Stothard, runner-up 3 yards behind the American, also bettered the old record with a time of 1:54.6. It was also more than a second inside the Scottish record that had stood to the credit of Bobby Graham since 1932. Clearly, Scotland had a new middle-distance star!

A 1:59.8 win over Michael Gutteridge, a 1:54.8 performer, at the Cambridge University vs. A.A.A. match at Cambridge on June 5 set Stothard up nicely for his debut at the Scottish championships at Hampden Park on June 23, where he was competing for the Edinburgh Atalanta Club, the Scottish equivalent of the Achilles Club catering to university students. The race, it could be said, went by the form book, because Stothard was untroubled by the domestic opposition and won by 10 yards from Bobby Graham in 1:58.8. Stothard then, to the surprise of many, elected to forego the A.A.A. championships and chose instead to ready himself for the prestigious International Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge and Princeton & Cornell at the White City a week after the A.A.A.’s, where, in his absence, Jack Cooper easily won the half-mile from Jack Powell and Michael Gutteridge in 1:56.4. In the Intervarsity half-mile Stothard faced strong opposition including Princeton’s Bill Bonthron, who three weeks earlier had set a 1500 metres world record of 3:48.8 at Milwaukee. However, the Scot was in unbeatable form and sprinted to victory by 2 ½ yards from Bonthron in 1:58.6. Even if the American crack perhaps wasn’t at his best, it was proof that, internationally, Stothard was fast becoming a force to be reckoned with.

The final fixture for Stothard in 1934 was the British British Empire Games, which were held at the White City in early August 1934. Stothard had been selected to represent Scotland in the half-mile and in the mile relay. The half-mile qualifying rounds, decided on August 4, were very competitive and proved a stumbling block for Scotland’s other representative, Bobby Graham. Stothard, on the other hand, was impressive in the third heat, which he won comfortably from Canada’s Jerry Sampson in 1:56.0; Cliff Whitehead, 1933 A.A.A. champion, was third and failed to progress. The final was decided two days later, the six finalists being Phil Edwards (GUY), Jack Cooper (ENG), Jack Powell (ENG), Willie Botha (RSA), Hamish Stothard (SCO) and Jerry Sampson (CAN). It was the spectacular of the meeting. The coloured runner Phil Edwards, of British Guyana, a bronze medallist for Canada at the Los Angeles Olympics, stormed off in characteristic style, but for some unknown reason Cooper, who was fancied for his event, ran outside Edwards on the first lap and pushed him to a 53.2 first quarter-mile. At the bell the British Guyana representative was leading by a few yards from Cooper and Botha, followed by Stothard, Powell and Samspon, together at the back of the field in a shade under 55 sec. Edwards kept piling on the pace down the back straight, his long strides carrying him clear of Cooper, who ultimately cracked and trailed home last. Only Botha, Powell and Stothard were able to take up the chase, but all their efforts to overhaul the popular Guyanan proved to no avail. Edwards held his form to win his first major title by 8 yards in 1:54.2. Behind Edwards, there was an almighty three-way battle for the minor places, Botha (1:55.5) gaining the silver and Stothard (1:55.6) wresting bronze from the unlucky Powell in a near-blanket finish. The following day Stothard ran the third leg for Scotland in the 4 x 440 yards relay. Unfortunately, the blue shirts were out of sorts on this day. Though they finished more than the length of the straight behind the English and Canadian teams, they were nevertheless assured a medal as only three countries were able to field a team.

To view the British Pathe film featuring the dramatic Empire Games half-mile of 1934 click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8nd9tqaXR8.

Stothard, as a mark of the esteem in which he was held by his fellow students at Cambridge, was elected President of Cambridge University Athletic Club for the 1935 season, having served as the C.U.A.C. secretary in 1934.

With a view to increasing his stamina, Stothard now stepped up the volume and began mixing with his half miles in 1935. Despite having done no track work. Stothard opened his season by running a personal best of 51.5 in the quarter-mile at Fenner’s on February 8. The following week, in the annual Inter-college Competition, the Cambridge University President turned out for his college in no fewer than three individual events. In addition to winning the half-mile, he tied with M.F. Dutton in the 3 miles in 16:27.2 and placed third in the long jump with a leap of just a shade under six metres. Sadly, his Herculean efforts were not enough to propel Caius to victory. At the Cambridge University sports on March 7, 1935 he focused on the mile, which he won by 50 yards from Peter Ward in 4:18.8 – a time which catapulted him into the British miling elite. His improved stamina also stood him in good stead at Varsity Match at the White City on March 23, when he scored one of the – if not the – quickest Varsity half/mile doubles on record. The half-mile saw him tie for first with fellow Cantabrian Michael Sullivan in 1:55.4, but the mile was much tougher and it was only by the narowest of margins that he outdipped W.T. Squires (Oxford) in 4:23.2. Then, on May 18, Stothard won the U.A.U. half-mile title for a second time at the White City, beating Michael Sullivan by 5 yards in a championship record of 1:56.6. This was the weekend before the annual Kinnaird Trophy meeting featuring the Polytechnic Marathon at the White City. The prestigious competition, which was instituted in 1909, was an inter-club contest open to clubs affiliated to the A.A.A. In many ways, it was a precursor to the modern-day B.A.L. Clubs were allowed to entered two athletes per event and the club scoring the highest aggregate points was adjudged to have won the trophy. Stothard was competing alongside Jack Lovelock for Achilles AC, the exclusive club open to O.U.A.C and C.U.A.C. members who had competed in the annual Varsity Match. Achilles had had a virtual strangehold on the Kinnaird Trophy, having won it 11 times since its formation in 1920, but had lost it to Polytechnic Harriers in 1934. The Cambridge president was a firm favourite for the half-mile, and lived up to all expectations by seeing off Tommy Scrimshaw in the last furlong in front of 6,000 spectators. His time of 1:57.2 was six-tenths outside the best for the meeting. Relatively speaking, it was better than anything done before, having regard to the windy conditions. It would have been the highlight of the meeting but for Lovelock’s stunning front-running performance in the mile, which he won by 50 yards from Aubrey Reeve in 4:13.8. Achilles, thanks mainly to their middle-distance runners, were successful in regaining the coveted trophy.

Stothard’s precision-engineered half/mile double at the 1935 Varsity Sports Meeting (courtesy of Kevin Kelly)

A 4:30.2 mile victory at the British Games on June 10 saw Stothard in blistering form, which he would capitalise upon five days later in match between the Varsity and the A.A.A. at Fenner’s. Defeating Aubrey Reeve by 18 yards he won the mile in a ground record of 4:15.8, which took him to within eight-tenths of Tom Riddell’s Scottish record.   Academically, except for taking some examinations, Stothard was now finished at Cambridge. Having enrolled in the Officer Training Corps whilst an undergraduate, he was hoping to make a career as a C.O. in the Royal Air Force.

Next on the sporting agenda, however, was the defence of his Scottish half-mile crown at Hampden Park on June 22. This year he faced a stronger opposition including, notably, the South African Empire Games silver medallist Willie Botha, an undergraduate at Edinburgh University. Running his first quarter in 56.7, he was lying fourth at the bell to T.J. McAllister, T.C. Ewing and Botha. Botha shortly after took the lead, but Stothard went after him and, easing to the front at the end of the back straight, sprinted to victory by nearly 20 yards over the South African in a Scottish native and all-comers’ record of 1:53.6. “There can be little doubt,” wrote the Scotsman, “that if Stothard cares to concentrate on half-miling, he can attain world championship standard.“

Breaking the Scottish record in the 1935 S.A.A.A. half-mile championship at Hampden Park

Stothard, on the strength of this performance, was now a firm favourite for the A.A.A. half-mile title – a title which no Scot had ever won since the inception of the championship in 1880. In the meantime however he had a strength-sapping schedule of races lined up. The weekend after the S.A.A.A. championships he was back at Hampden representing Great Britain for the first time in an international match against Finland. Fired up to perform before a home crowd, he won the half mile by 5 yards from Jack Powell in 1:57.4 and anchored the 4 x 880 yard relay to victory in 7:52.0. Then it was off to the Belgian city of Antwerp where he turned out the following day (!) in a match between Achilles AC and Belgian clubs. Despite having travelled overnight from Glasgow, he showed little sign of tiredness and duly scored maximum points in the 800 metres with 1:57.4. Then it was back to Scotland, where three days later he turned out for Atalanta in a match against the Scottish Eastern District at Craiglockhart, winning the quarter-mile in 52.4 and the half-mile in 2:00.6.

In the A.A.A. championships at the White City on Friday July 12, Stothard, representing Cambridge U.A.C, won the first of four heats in 1:56.1. The “dark horse” was the meteoric 18-year-old Ralph Scott, the English public schools champion, who was the fastest of the qualifiers. Overall, the standard was the highest since the legendary final of 1926, when the German Otto Peltzer defeated Douglas Lowe in a world record time of 1:51.6. The final was a great contest and a fast one, too, thanks mainly to Scott. The Leicester public school boy set a cracking pace and led at the bell in 56.2, with Stothard holding on grimly in second. Down the back stretch the pair piled on the pace, then with a furlong from to go Stothard moved up on to the youngster’s shoulder and struck for home, gaining a couple of yards. Down the home straight, Stothard called on every ounce of energy and, holding off a late run from Jack Powell, raced to victory by a couple of yards in 1:53.3 – a Scottish record and the third best championship time in the long series. Powell was officially given 1:53.8 and Scott 1:54.0. The finishing photo would however suggest the times and placings of the minor medallists were incorrect, as Stothard won by no more than 2 yards and Scott, no. 21, clearly crossed the finishing line ahead of Powell (no. 14).
Stothard’s major goal for 1935 was the International University Games in Hungary in August. Until then, however, he had several races lined up. The first was the annual International Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge and Harvard and Yale at the White City on July 20, and, opting to run the mile, he made short shrift of the opposition, winning by 15 yards from Harvard’s John Scheu in 4:26.8. The following weekend he was back at the White City where he donned his British vest again for a match against France, winning the half-mile by 7 yards from Jack Powell in 1:57.4.

On the journey out to Hungary the British team stopped over in Munich and contested a match against Germany at the Dante Stadium on August 11. The Germans won the match 75-61 before 15,000 partisan spectators, but Stothard maintained his perfect record for the season in the half-mile with a well-timed run which carried him to victory by a metre over Wolfgang Dessecker in the 800 metres in 1:54.4. The German was the reigning International University Game champion at this distance, so defeating him might have been considered a good omen.

The 1935 International University Games were held in the Hungarian capital of Budapest from 10-18 August with a total of 774 athletes from 62 nations competing in a programme featuring ten events.

Hamish Stothard – Part Two

John Robson, 1985

By my calculation, John accumulated 5 individual SAAA gold medals and 28 SCCU team golds! John Paton Robson was born in Kelso on 31^st January, 1957. Like Frank Clement and Graham Williamson, he was a middle distance runner of true world class, but unlike the others, he could also be world class at cross-country and enjoyed a long running career.   In his centenary history of the SAAA, John Keddie writes in considerable detail about some of John Robson’s finest track races and it seems appropriate to quote at length.

“In a heat of the 1977 AAA 1500m, Robson carved a full four seconds off his previous best with 3.41.1 and finally finished third (3.43.8) with Clement fourth (3.44.1).    In 1978 he had a brilliant run in the SAAA Championships in a memorable race. After a terrific duel with Frank Clement, Robson just came out on top – 3.40.1 (a native record) to 3.40.5. Not far behind those was the outstanding junior Graham Williamson. Six weeks later these positions were exactly repeated in the UK Championships at Meadowbank, with John Robson winning the title in 3.43.9. But in between times, at the Bislett Stadium. Oslo, scene of many record performances over the years, Clement had improved Steve Ovett’s 1977 UK mile record by 0.5 to 3.54.2, a mere tenth ahead of John Robson, whose 3.39.0 at 1500m was a personal best.    These performances augured well for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games at Edmonton, Canada, where Robson and Clement ran brilliantly. After comfortably qualifying (Robson with a personal best of 3.38.8), the Scots lined up for what promised to be a cracking final. Among the competitors were such outstanding runners as World Record Holder Filbert Bayi (Tanzania), Dave Moorcroft (England), Wilson Waigwa (Kenya) and Rod Dixon (NZ). With Bayi in the field a fast pace was assured. And so it proved to be as the Tanzanian pulled the field through 400m (57.7), 800m (1.55.2) and 1200m (2.53.9).He had not, however, shaken off Robson, Moorcroft or Clement. As the runners turned into the final straight – Bayi still leading – the excitement grew to fever pitch among the capacity 43,000 crowd. First Robson strained to pass Bayi, but it was Moorcroft who proved the strongest, just edging past in the last few strides to win in 3.35.48, with Bayi (3.35.59) just holding off Robson (3.35.60) and Clement (3.35.66) coming through like an express train, only to find that the finishing line came just too soon, as he swept past them all a few metres over the line. Ironically, the next day, the ‘missing’ Scot, Graham Williamson, set a European Junior record of 3.57.7. Three weeks later at Prague in the European Championships, Moorcroft finished third and Robson 8^th (3.39.6) behind Steve Ovett (3.35.6).   Clement was injured in 1979 but Robson and Williamson again showed brilliant form. In February, Robson won a bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships at Vienna (3.42.8); and in July he (3^rd) and Williamson (2^nd) pushed Ovett all the way in the AAA 1500m. But three days later (July 17^th) at Bislett Stadium, Oslo, both Scots were involved in the scintillating ‘Golden Mile’ won in World Record time (3.49.0) by Sebastian Coe. In his wake there were many fast times, including those of Robson in 5^th place (3.52.8, a Scottish National record) and 19-year old Williamson in 7^th place (3.53.2). On September 4^th at Brussels, Steve Ovett made a determined bid to wrest the World 1500m record from Coe, but finished a tenth off with 3.32.2. Behind him in second place, John Robson recorded his fastest-ever time of 3.33.9 – a magnificent achievement.   Unfortunately, John Robson missed the entire 1980 season through an Achilles tendon injury.”

(One significant race omitted above took place at Crystal Palace on 2nd July 1978, when John Robson ran brilliantly to win the important Emsley Carr Mile in a time of 3.55.82, in front of fellow Scot Graham Williamson, Brendan Foster and Steve Cram.)

John Keddie succeeded in covering John Robson’s main track successes, although inevitably the summary excluded other notable achievements, such as his other gold medals in the SAAA 1500m in 1977 and 1984. But how did his career begin? I ran for Edinburgh Southern Harriers from 1974 to 1981 and was lucky to have John as a team-mate during that period. He and Allister Hutton were absolutely outstanding, despite the fact that, by Scottish standards, we had a very good cross-country and road running team. The rumour was that John had been discovered as a promising young competitor in Borders professional races. Kenny Ballantyne (SAAA mile champion in 1964, and a 4.01.1 miler in 1965) is meant to have persuaded John to try amateur athletics and join ESH. The Borders had a strong athletic tradition and Craig Douglas was another prominent ESH man, who won the SAAA 880 yards in 1963 and the 1500 metres in 1969 and 1971.

John Robson first appears in the yearbook as a Junior, in 1974. He was third in the SAAA Junior 800m and had a season’s best of 1.57.1. However in 1500m he improved with every outing and topped the list with 3.55.0. In 1975, still a Junior, he reduced his 800m time to 1.51.7; won the Senior East District 1500m; and the SAAA Junior event; as well as recording an excellent 3.47.8. The time was set shortly after my first encounter with this quiet, dignified young athlete, on April 26^th 1975 when, at the tender age of 18, John ran the second (shorter) stage of the AAA National 12-Stage Road Relay at Sutton Coldfield for Edinburgh Southern Harriers. He moved his club from 23^rd to 12^th, recording 14.23 for slightly less than a hilly 5000m! More than 9 years older, I took our club from 8^th to 4^th on stage six. My 14.16 was third fastest short stage of the day, behind Brendan Foster’s record-breaking 13.58 and ESH club-mate Ian Elliot’s excellent 14.04. John’s time was 8^th fastest; ESH finished the race second, only 21 seconds down on Gateshead, and ahead of Coventry Godiva, Tipton Harriers and all the other English clubs. That was the one and only time I could be worthy of a mention in comparison to this elegant, classy runner!   I do not have a yearbook for the 1976 track season.

In 1977, John Robson ran his first sub-four-minute mile, in 3.58.8 on the 29^th of August. He also topped this season’s Scottish 800m list with 1.47.8 on the 30^th of July.    There was an International Match at Athens on 14^th May 1978, with Scotland competing with Greece, Wales and Luxembourg. John Robson was a close second in the 1500m (3.40.7). He topped the Scottish 1500m list with his Commonwealth bronze medal time (3.35.60). In fact he had six of the top nine performances and ten of the top 20 (all below 3.44), with Frank Clement and Graham Williamson claiming five each. In addition, John ran four sub-4 miles, with the best being 3.54.3 just behind Frank Clement’s 3.54.2 on the 27^th of June.

An unusual result in 1979 was in early July at Tullamore, Eire, when John Robson won both the 800m and the 1500m for Scotland during an International Match versus Denmark and Ireland. Once more, John finished top of the Scottish 1500m list, after a close battle with Graham Williamson. John had 11 of the top 20 times. Apart from UK fixtures, he raced in Brussels, Oslo, Bremen, Turin, Vienna, New Zealand and Australia.

1981 saw John Robson return to form on the track. He recorded 1.48.91 for 800m; and dominated the Scottish 1500m list with the three fastest times and six of the first eight. Single performances by Nat Muir and Frank Clement were the other two. John Robson’s best 1500m times were recorded within a ten-day span: 3.36.18 when finishing fourth in Budapest on the 29^th of July; 3.37.42 for third at Crystal Palace two days later; and, on the 8^th of August at Crystal Palace once again, second in 3.39.41. In Athens near the end of August 1981, John Robson easily won the 1500m for Scotland, during an International Match versus Greece, Wales, Israel and Luxembourg.  In addition he ran four sub-four-minute miles: two at Crystal Palace; one in Brussels (3.53.13); and the fastest in Oslo (3.52.44). Furthermore, he was top of the 3000m list with 7.51.08 at Gateshead; and second only to Nat Muir in the 5000m rankings with 13.34.02 in Oslo.   1982 was Graham Williamson’s year, with John only managing one good 1500m time (3.37.72), which so nearly equalled Graham’s list-topping 3.37.7) when fourth at Saughton Enclosure, Edinburgh, at the beginning of July. Before that, he had won silver, behind England’s Geoff Turnbull, in the SAAA 1500m. Then, in October 1982, John was narrowly squeezed out of qualifying for the 1500m final in the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.

In 1984, one outstanding run by John Robson was his 3000m (7.45.81) at Crystal Palace on the 13^th of July.    In 1988, John won the SAAA Indoor 3000m title.

John Robson won Scottish vests for 800m, 1500m and 3000m, in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984 and 1986. He represented Great Britain over 1500m and 300m, in 1977, 1978, 1979 (indoors and outdoors), 1981 and 1984.

John also had an excellent cross-country career. In 1977 he was third in the National Junior CC, behind the precocious Nat Muir and John Graham. In the IAAF World CC Championships in Dusseldorf, Robson ran for the Senior team and finished 94^th. He was back in the team in 1979 at Limerick, and improved to second Scot in 52^nd place.

In 1980, John Robson made a major impact on the cross-country scene. Only two weeks after winning an indoor mile in San Francisco, on the 21^st of January at Callendar Park, Falkirk, John won the East District CC title over a frost-bound course, with team-mate Ian Elliot second and Aberdeen’s Graham Laing third. ESH won the team award. Then John finished second to Nat Muir in the Senior National CC at Beach Park, Irvine and once more led his club to gold. Colin Shield, in his centenary history of the SCCU, takes up the story: “The 1980 World Championships attracted 35,000 spectators to Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, where John Robson emerged as a world class cross country runner. Better known for his success over 1500m and 1 mile on both indoor and outdoor tracks, Robson ran a courageous race. The Kelso runner suffered a spiked left knee but bravely raced home in fifth position, for what was to be the highest Scottish placing in the World Championships in the 12 year period between Ian Stewart winning at Rabat in 1975, and the final team appearance at Warsaw in 1987. John was second Briton to finish, just 19.5 seconds behind the winner Craig Virgin (USA), and over 37 seconds in front of Allister Hutton (29^th) and Jim Brown (31^st). Unfortunately, Nat Muir injured his Achilles tendon and had to drop out. In a team contest won by England from USA, Scotland finished seventh – much better than the fourteenth place gained in Ireland the previous year – and this team position was to prove their best achievement in the World Championship.”

Although he never ran as fantastically well again, John Robson had a distinguished cross-country record, since he represented Scotland in the World Cross eight times. Apart from 1977, 1979 and 1980, he took part in 1981 (Madrid), 1982 (Rome), 1985 (Lisbon, when he was first Scot in 42^nd place), 1986 (Neuchatel, Switzerland) and 1987 (Warsaw). He was the leading Scot three times.

In the National Senior, John Robson’s best placing was second (1980, 1982 and 1985). However he was in the top six on no less than seven occasions; won team golds with ESH five times, plus one silver; and also won team silver with Racing Club/Leslie Deans/Mizuno three times plus one bronze (in 1999). In 1986 John won the East District CC again.

John Robson was in the winning team in the National CC Relay SEVEN times! Three golds with ESH; four with the ‘superclub’, plus one bronze. His final gold was in 1996.

Frank Clement, John Robson and Graham Williamson: internationals on the track and over the country

Finally, what about John Robson the Road Runner? The National Six-Stage Relay at Strathclyde Park started in 1979, but John did not take part in ESH’s winning teams until 1987. However he won five further golds with Racing Club, with his last one in 1999. In 1996 he and his brother Alan were part of the Leslie Deans RC ‘B’ team that won bronze medals!

The Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay, of course, was considered the Blue Riband of the Scottish Winter season by so many Scottish distance runners. It is fair to say that John Robson’s E to G career did not start well, but he certainly made up for it afterwards!   I have mentioned how fast he ran in the 1975 AAA 12-stage relay – but that was in good weather with cheering crowds. The Third Stage of the E to G can be hilly, cold, windswept and lonely.  In 1976, young John ran well for a start and had just passed Paul Forbes to move ESH into the lead, when, legend has it, he began to feel strangely  fatigued, then mildly despondent, and then he is supposed to have cursed loudly and thrown the baton over a fence into someone’s garden!   No amount of pleading or threatening by ESH supporters had any effect, until his old mentor Ken Ballantyne persuaded John to pick the thing up and jog to the end of the stage, by which time his club was 19^th. ESH finished 8^th, instead of picking up silver at least.

 However John made amends the very next year. Into a freezing headwind in blizzard conditions, Robson ran the fastest time on the exposed Fifth Stage, handing over in second place. Eventually, ESH won gold, without Allister Hutton, and all was well!

In 1978, John was best on Stage Four (almost a minute faster than his nearest challenger, John McGarva of Falkirk). Another team gold for ESH. 1981 saw John fastest on Stage Five again, with his team victorious. They were second to the USA guest ‘The Kangaroos’ in 1985, with John fastest on Stage Seven. In 1987, John was swiftest on the long leg Six but his club could only finish sixth. A year later, he was fastest on Six again, with ESH second.

By 1991, Racing Club were dominating. Between 1991 and 1997, John was fastest on Stage Six twice and Stage Three once, and won seven more team golds.   In my personal history of the race, I expressed the firm opinion that, of all Racing Club’s stars in the E to G, the greatest was the once-maligned John Robson, with ten golds, two silvers, a bronze and nine times fastest on a stage, often the long leg!

By my calculation, John accumulated 5 individual SAAA gold medals and 28 SCCU team golds! I cannot imagine anyone else, in the history of Scottish running, getting near that total. Remember that, in his peak years, he was concentrating on International indoor and outdoor track racing! Although there was talk of him going to the USA to compete on the ‘Masters’ circuit, he does not seem to have done so, and certainly never raced for Scottish veteran titles. Surely he would have done very well in World Masters championships.

 John Robson was a very good team man, who ran brilliantly on countless occasions. He should be remembered as one of Scotland’s greatest-ever athletes: talented, fast, dedicated, graceful and versatile.

James Veitch Paterson (29th March 1934) won SAAA championship titles at 440 yards (1957 and 1958), 880 yards (1956 and 1957) and in the Two Miles Steeplechase (1953), ran a wonderful 1:47.5 for 800 metres and won the Crabbie Cup twice (1956 and 1957) and the Coronation Cup in 1956.   He had a quite outstanding athletics career which was relatively short, ending when he graduated from Edinburgh University in 1958 and emigrated to Rhodesia.   His small size relative to other half milers was almost always remarked on by by reporters and the phrase ‘deceptively frail’ was coined and used more than once.   I’m not sure what it meant but probably just that he was not as big as the others!   However even a quick look at his cross-country and road running performances show that there was nothing ‘frail’ about Jim Paterson.

Although he was always a good runner and ran in several Edinburgh Southern Harriers squads that picked up medals in District relays and championships, and ran well in national cross-country championships, his career as an athlete really took off after he went up to Edinburgh University in 1953.  We should certainly look at his running between 1951 and 1953 to start with.  In winter  1950/51 Paterson ran in the Youths National Cross-Country Championships and finished fourth.   As a Youth there were no early season relays for which he was eligible and the club did not have any representation in the District Cross-Country Championships.   The following winter,    1951/52, as a first year Junior, he was eligible to run in the prestigious Edinburgh to Glasgow eight stage relay where he made his debut with the fastest time on the third stage of the team that finished fifth.   He also moved the team from fourteenth to ninth – it was never easy to catch five teams in he E-G and to do it on your first ever run out, was quite a performance.   In the East District Relay Championships in November 1952, , he ran for Edinburgh Southern Harriers on the third lap, handing over a lead of 21 seconds but his runner was caught by Dundee Hawkhill and ESH could only finish second. In the Edinburgh to Glasgow,   Paterson ran the third stage again, and again had the fastest time when he brought the club from tenth to fourth.   In the Championships, he finished ninth in the Edinburgh Southern team that took first place.    He closed his season with a twenty third place for ESH in the Junior National.

Distance runners typically start at the shorter end of their range, be it 220 yards, 440 yards or even 880 yards, and work up through the distances.   Paterson, like Seb Coe, went in reverse.   In 1953, as a student at Edinburgh University, he competed in the University track championships winning 440, 880 and Mile and being second in the 100 and 220 yards events in an afternoon and then a few days later he won the SAAA Two Miles Steeplechase Championship in in 10:37.6 which was a record time for the distance.   His versatility was obvious to the wider athletics public at that point but he was to settle to the 440 and 880 yards events and it was in them that he was to find greatest success.

At the start of winter 1953/54, in the East District Relays in November, Paterson ran on the final leg for the winning ESH team.  Later in the month, in the Edinburgh to Glasgow, he set the fastest time on the first stage, beating Paisley Harriers home by three seconds.   In the District Championships, he finished third – 65 seconds behind second placed, future team mate, Adrian Jackson with ESH also second team, behind the University squad, and he completed this winter with a fourth place in the Junior National.

We might have expected a good track season after that build up, but in summer 1954 Paterson barely competed at all, missing from the programme for the Scottish Universities, inter-universities, inter-clubs, and SAAA championships.   This was also the case in the cross-country season.   Winter 1954/55 was a bit quieter than usual:  he did not run in the relays or in the Edinburgh to Glasgow relay, but did run in the championship proper finishing eleventh and being third scoring runner for the University team that he would represent for the remainder of his career.  He was not a runner in the national championships at the end of the winter.   The situation changed right from the beginning of the 1955 season.

On 21st May, 1955, at the White City in Manchester, Paterson was third in the 440 yards at the Universities Athletic Union Championships where the event was won in 49.4  The following week at the Edinburgh University championships at Craiglocklhart he set a new record of 1:57.8 for the 880 yards and also won the 440 in 50.3.  On 4th June in the Scottish Universities Championships at at Westerlands he won the 440 yards comfortably in 51.4 seconds. The Atalanta Club, representing Scotland’s four Universities took on the Christie Club (Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester Universities at Westerlands on 11th June and Paterson won the 440 yards in a new ground record of 50.1 seconds, taking three seconds from the old figures.     In the SAAA championships on 23rd June, Paterson, who started as a favourite, was second in the 440 yards to Bobby Quinn of Victoria Park AAC.   “The most thrilling race of the afternoon was the quarter-mile.   The favourite, JV Paterson (Edinburgh University), who had a distinct advantage entering the home straight found R Quinn (VPAAC) alongside him on the finishing line and the latter’s determined finish succeeded by inches in the good time of 49.6 sec.”   The race was reported in more detail by James Christie in the ‘Scots Athlete, as follows:

“Three heats were held on Friday evening.   Many enthusiasts considered JV Paterson a certainty and even more so after the way in which he covered the distance smoothly in 50.2 seconds in his heat.   However it was to be no easy title for Paterson but the toughest, closest and most exciting event of the championships.   At the gun it was Quinn off for a very fast 300 yards closely followed by Paterson.   D McDonald who had been runner-up in the three previous years, was sluggish on the outside, while Sanderson, Steele and Taylor were completely left at this stage.   Round the bend Quinn’s very fast early pace showed itself and he began slowing.   It was then Paterson began to move away and he entered the straight in the lead.   Fifty yards to go it looked Paterson, but slowly and perceptibly Quinn closed the gap and at the tape although both dipped, Quinn’s burly chest got there.”

There were mixed fortunes for him when he ran in Aberdeen at the Links Stadium on 23rd July in the Aberdeen Corporation meeting.    He won the 880 yards in 1:553.6 which equalled the Scottish record and set a new ground record but that was balanced by finishing third in the 440 yards in which he and Bobby Quinn both started from scratch with D Martineau of Aberdeen (off 35 yards) splitting the rivals. He also gained a British Universities vest and a trip to San Sebastian for the World Student Games in which he was part of the winning 4 x 400 metres team and returned with a gold medal.

Although not including him in the top five at the end of 1955, Emmet Farrell was fulsome in his praise of the Edinburgh athlete.   Yet somehow the runner who intrigued me most was one who did win a championship, namely gritty, versatile little runner from Edinburgh varsity and Southern, Jack Paterson.   Ex-steeplechase champion beaten in the 440 this season in a blanket finish by Victoria Park’s Bob Quinn, with a 1:53.6 half to his credit, Paterson has run three miles track and seven miles cross-country creditably but surely he was stretching his versatility by running out in the 14 miles at Dunblane at the end of the season.   Alas he did not cut much ice here.   A report says he finished well back in 24th place out of the 30-odd runners.   The important thing to me is that he finished.   That to me shows character.”

In Winter 1955/56, Paterson made his first appearance in November at the East District Cross-Country Relays for Edinburgh University Hare & Hounds and was in the winning team with AS Jackson, AC Ross, and N Allsopp – not only that but he was second fastest man in the team (14:31) behind Adrian Jackson’s 14:07.  In the Edinburgh to Glasgow in November 1955, he ran on the second stage for the University but it was not his best run and he dropped from seven to eleven. On 28th January 1956, on a foggy afternoon with difficult underfoot conditions, he finished third in the Championships at Dundee assisting his team to another victory.   A 34th place in the national championships in 1956 closed the cross-country season and led into summer 1956.   It was trhen into the next track season.

At the Edinburgh to Glasgow University match at Westerlands on 5th May, 1956, Paterson had two first places: the first was when he won the 880 yards in a slow time of  1:03.7 and the second was as part of the winning 4 x 440 yards relay team.  On 19th May in the Edinburgh University championships, he won the Donovan Cup after winning the 440 yards (49.6) and the 880 yards (1::57.5) which were both records.   Into June and at the Scottish Universities championships at St Andrews Paterson again ‘did the double’ in 51.1 seconds and 1:58.7.

The SAAA championships were held on 23rd June, 1956, at New Meadowbank and in brief Paterson won the 880 yards title.   There is a bit more to it than that – he was also second, again to Bobby Quinn of Victoria Park, in the 440 yards.   The ‘Glasgow Herald’, reporting on the 880 yards said, “There is little doubt that the performance of the meeting was achieved by JV Paterson (Edinburgh University) who ran the half mile in the excellent time of 1 min 54.8 sec, ot only 0.6 slower than the time returned last year by DCE Gorrie, the Scottish native record holder for the distance who did not defend the title.   Paterson beat a former champion, R Stoddart (Bellahouston Harriers) by as much as 18 yards in a particularly strong finish down the home straight.”    

But as you might expect, the ‘Scots Athlete’ had a lot more to say.   This piece is from an article by James Logan in the issue of August ’56.  

“When he lined up for the quarter-mile final, Jim Paterson already had two fast ‘quarters’ and two fast ‘halfs’ in his legs, although in these days of high recovery rates, perhaps we shouldn’t count his Friday efforts!   Title holder Quinn frustrated the ‘double’ bid by a superbly judged effort, especially commendable as he had to run ‘blind’ throughout the race.

 Paterson, however, emphasised what we already know, that he is one of the most remarkable athletes in Scottish track history.   Small and slim, with a low quick-striding style he suggests the type of athlete who must bow to nature and confine himself to  long distance.   Yet on New Meadowbank’s present poor surface, he pattered round the two laps in 1:54.8 seconds, a tremendous performance, which shook off unmistakably FG Cowan’s spirited challenge and left powerful, long striding, former champion Bob Stoddart who came through to second place well in the rear.”

On 30th June, 1956, there was a special half-mile held in conjunction with the Braw Lads Gathering in Galashiels and Paterson was entered in the race.   Running from scratch he won in 1:53.5, which the reporter noted was a second and a half quicker than his SAAA winning time.   The AAA’s Championships were held at the White City on 14th July and Paterson was entered in the 880 yards.   ‘“had he not suffered considerable buffeting, his time and position would have been more impressive.   Paterson had the annoying experience of having to jump clear of trouble after the half mile race was 20 yards in progress, and a runner suddenly side-tracked him off his route – indeed he was nearly brought down.   He was left last but with fine determination closed down with the leaders 250 yards from the finish.   That he ran fourth in 1:53.1 was was a grand achievement in the circumstances.   DCE Gorrie, holder of the Scottish native record for the distance, was 1.3 seconds behind Paterson in sixth place.”

The headline on the 21st July read “Paterson’s Fast Times.”   He was back at the Links Stadium in Aberdeen again and won his two events there again.   JV Paterson (Edinburgh University) the Scottish half-mile champion, running from scratch, returned a time of 1:52.3 – 0.4 seconds inside the Scottish native record  for the half-mile at the Aberdeen Corporation Sports.   Because the event was a handicap event however, the time cannot be considered as a new Scottish record.   Paterson’s time was also 1.3 inside the ground record which was set up last year.   Paterson also created a new ground record in the 440 yards with a time of 49.3 which was 0.2 seconds inside the previous record.”

On 4th August 1956 at the Rangers Sports, he faced England’s Mike Rawson in the 880 yards and was placed second, setting a new Scottish record in the process.   The report in ‘Glasgow Herald’ read: The slim Paterson, whose build is unlike that of the normal first-class half-miler, ran second in the 880 yards to MA Farrell (AAA), the runner-up in the AAA’s championship, who won in the fast time of 1 min 51 sec.   Paterson was credited with 0.1 slower and went on to the half-mile mark, which he reached in 1 min 51.9 sec breaking by 0.8 sec the Scottish native record set by DCE Gorrie who was third.   As expected Paterson took the lead at the start.   He covered the first lap well inside 60 sec and, apart from a short period in the second lap, was not headed until near the end, when Farrell’s slightly stronger finish  enabled him to win by a couple of yards.”  

That brought his summer, 1956, to a close.   It had been a pretty successful season which might have included a AAA’s medal had it not been for the incidents during the race which just cannot be prepared for.

Into the competition year 1957/58 season and in November 1957, he ran the first stage for the winning team in the East District Relays with Adrian Jackson, Hunter Watson and Adrian Horne following on.  In the E-G, he ran on the third stage, taking over from Adrian Jackson, and held on to third place for the team which eventually finished seventh.   In the District Championships, he finished fifth and despite Adrian Jackson winning the race, ESH took the team title with four in the first ten and their last scorer 17th against the student team’s two in ten but three in the thirties.    He did not run in the National in 1958.

4th May, 1957, was the date of the Glasgow University v Edinburgh University fixture and Paterson won the 440 in 50.4, the 880 in 1:55.8 and was a member of the successful relay team.   A good start to the season.   On 14th May in the Universities Championships at Reading, Donald Gorrie won the half-mile 1:54.2 with Paterson third in the 440 yards.   On 1st June, championship month, Paterson won both 440 and 880 at the Scottish Universities championships in Aberdeen setting anew record din the 880 by over 3 seconds.   His winning times were 49.8 seconds and 1:52.9.   With regard to his range of talent, Emmet Farrell said in the May, 1957 issue of the Scots Athlete: “Most title holders and aspirants are quietly busy tuning up for the Scottish championships at Meadowbank in June and their form is not yet crystallised.   One champion who is early in form is half mile holder Jim Paterson of Edinburgh University who has already set up marks of 1:52 for the half and 49.6 for the 440.   Later he ran the half in 1:55.7, the 440 in 49.6 and the 220 in 22.9 seconds in one day.   This isan amazing standard of versatility.   One wonders what he might do if he did not dissipate his energies and concentrated on one event for a while.   Perhaps the 4 minute mile might attract him and he could offer stern opposition to champion Everett.   But after his great effort in last year’s AAA half mile championship, he would do well to concentrate on this distance.”   A fortnight later in the Glasgow Police Sports he set the University relay team off to a winning start with a first stage timed at 1:52..4 for the half-mile.

In the 1957 SAAA Championships on 22nd June he won the quarter and half mile races in times of 48.6 seconds and 1:53.1 which were both championship records – indeed the former was only two tenths of a second outside Halswell’s 49 year old native record and the first time that 49 seconds had been bettered in the history of the championships.    The report on the race was under a headline of “PATERSON’S DOUBLE”  and read “JV Paterson (Edinburgh University), favourite for both the 440 yards and the half-mile, was only a fifth of a second short of equalling the native record of 48.4 for the  quarter-mile standing in the name of the late Captain Hallswell.   Probably if Paterson had not had to compete in the final of the half-mile he would have broken the record.   He completed  an afternoon of excessive competition by winning the half-mile in the new best championship time of 1 min 53.1 sec, beating by half a second the previous championship record made by JC Stothard at Hampden Park 22 years ago.” 

But again the ‘Scots Athlete’ covers the events and the man best – possibly because the writers did not have to meet a deadline to get copy from Friday and Saturday into the Monday paper, but nevertheless it provides detail and context to the performances.   First of all Emmet Farrell in his ‘Running Commentary’.   “Paterson has been one of our chief personalities because of his amazing versatility.  Ex-steeplechase champion, once a competitor in a 15 mile road race, a competitor in five finals in the recent Edinburgh  Varsity championship, 2nd in both sprints, a winner in 440, 880 and three miles.   I doubt if anything like this has ever been seen in athletics, certainly not in Scottish athletics.   His great double in quarter and half in Scottish championship best performances underline his class and must put him in the running for the Crabbie Cup (best competitor at the Scottish Championships.”   The actual 1-2-3 in the events is interesting.

440 yards:   1.   JV Paterson  48.6 sec;     2.   J McIsaac (VPAAC)  49.1 sec;    3.   D McDonald (Garscube)  50.6.

880 yards:    1.   JV Paterson   1:53,1;      2.   JR Boyd (Glasgow University)   1:54.1;   3.   A McNally (Doon Harriers)   1:55.0

Seven days later, 29th June, he travelled to Bordeaux as part of a small British squad and finished second to the American Arnie Sowell in the 800 metres in 1:47.5.   This ranked him ninth in the world that year and took a massive 3.4 seconds from his previous Scottish record, set behind Mike Farrell at the Rangers Sports the previous year.   Arnold Black and Colin Shields in their book “The Past Is a Foreign Country” point out that the Bordeaux time was was still in the top 20 Scottish all-time list in 2013, and that it stood until 1973 when David McMeekin ran only 0.1 seconds faster in a race at Leipzig.  The next day, in the 400 metres, Paterson ran 47.9 which was the second fastest ever run by a Scot, the best being Liddell’s 47.6 in the Paris Olympics 33 years before.

Paterson then went on to the World Student Games in Paris where, running for Great Britain, he won the 400 metres in 48.4 seconds and was a member of the 4 x 400 metres relay squad that finished second.   He finished first in the 800 metres at Imatranskoski in Finland in 1:49.9 to end on a high note.   The successful season was recognised by the SAAA who awarded him the Coronation Cup as the outstanding athlete of the year.

In Winter 1957-58  the Edinburgh University team was without either Adrian Jackson or Jim Paterson in the relays and could only finish third.   Hunter Watson ran the fourth and final leg in that relay. According to his diary, this event was held at Fernieside on 2 October 1957 and hge brought Edinburgh University from 4th to 3rd position by doing the sixth fastest time of 14:31, the fastest being 14:23 by Charlie Fraser of Edinburgh Eastern Harriers.   He says, “My recollection is that when I took over for Edin. Univ. the team was so far behind that those ahead were out of sight. The change over was on the Fernieside track.”    And there was no Jim Paterson in the Edinburgh to Glasgow in 1957 either.  In the District Championships he was thirteenth for the team that finished second behind his old team, Edinburgh Southern.

In 1958, he retained the 400 metres title in 49.0 seconds and finished second to Donnie McDonald of Garscube in the 880, the winning time being 1:54.5.   The team for the British Empire Games was picked after the meeting and the quartet for the 440 was John McIsaac (VPAAC), Paterson, RL Hay (Edinburgh) and RH Thomson (Cambridge University), and for the 880 yards, Paterson, McDonald and Les Locke (London University).   Unable to run in the championship, McIsaac had set a new Scottish record of 48 sec the previous week. Just looking through the team the quality all through is still evident with names like Everett, Binnie, Alastair Wood, Alan Gordon, and Hugo Fox.   The squad named for the 4 x 440 consisted of the four for the 440 and the three for the 880 allowing the team management plenty of scope in selection once they saw how the men were running.

In case there are any who have read this far and come to the conclusion that we are talking about a dour Scot, then  the following article in the ‘Scots Athlete’ of March 1958 should disabuse them of the notion.

The Scots in the 440 yards at British Empire Games, held in Cardiff between 15th and 28th July, had mixed fortunes.   Only one made the final – John McIsaac was sixth with a time of 48.9 against the winner’s (Milka Singh, India) 46.6, while Paterson was sixth in his heat in a time of 48.6, Thomson was fourth in his in 48.8 and Hay was fifth in his heat in 49.9.   In the 880 Les Locke was 7th in 1:54.7 against Herb Elliott’s 1:49.3, while the remaining Scots failed to make the final – Paterson was fourth in heat 2 in 1:54.4, Donnie McDonald was fourth in heat 1 in 1:54.6 and Graham Everett was third in heat 3 in 1:55.1.   Maybe with some luck Paterson and his team mates could each have made the final but they would not have done anything as far as winning medals was concerned – guys like Elliott and Milka Singh were just too good.   The result was not good enough to see him selected for the European Games.   With only two per event being picked, the 400m places went to John Salisbury and John Wrighton, and the 800m to Derek Johnston and Mike Rawson.   Only two Scots were selected – John McIsaac for the 4 x 400 relay and Crawford Fairbrother for the high jump.   There was no appearance at the Rangers Sports on 2nd August either and Jim Paterson’s athletics career in Scotland was pretty well over.

Graduating in 1958, he emigrated to Rhodesia where there was a lot of trouble with anti-colonial protests with white farmers and settlers being assaulted and murdered in their beds while they slept.  “The Past Is A Foreign Country”  tells us that Paterson protected his farmhouse with a machine gun from behind barbed wire emplacements using searchlights to illuminate his attackers.

A remarkable athlete in a decade of remarkable Scottish athletes, a contemporary of such as Ian Binnie, Crawford Fairbrother, Joe McGhee, a record setter, a championship winner who never managed to perform outside Scotland except on the day in Bordeaux in 1957 when he set the remarkable time of 1:47.5.    Like many other athletes he has left the ‘what if …’ question in the minds of Scottish athletics supporters: in his case it is, “what if he had run the 1500/Mile seriously?”

 Ann (4) with Christine Boxer (7) at Meadowbank, 1986

Anne Purvis was one of Scotland’s very best ever middle distance runners specialising in the 400 and 800m events but with quite outstanding times at 1000m and 1500m too.   She is however almost unknown in Scotland today but to get an idea of her ability, have a look at these figures.

*   Commonwealth Games silver medallist in a finish where the first four were timed between 2:01.3 and 2:01.9

*   Two firsts, three seconds and a third in eight years at the AAA’s of England 800m championships

*   Topped Scottish rankings six times in seven years

*   13 of the top 18 times by a Scotswoman in 1982 of which

*   Three were sub-2:01 and a further three were sub- 2:02

*   First Scottish Senior vest at 15 years of age

Anne Purvis (Scotland) tracking Kirsty McDermott (Wales)

There’s more but even these few statistics indicate how good she was.   At the 1986 Commonwealth Games at Meadowbank in Edinburgh, she took the oath on behalf of all the athletes taking part in the Games.   A wonderful honour.  There were no real rivals in Scotland when she was at her best, the McMeekin twins were mainly running before she came along and Lynne McDougall hadn’t really started he good run of form as a Senior.   Her main British rivals (Shireen Bailey, Kirsty McDermott, Lorraine Baker, et al will be mentioned in the course of the profile.  She stopped competing in 1987 and moved south of the border where her daughter Diane is a member of Shaftesbury Barnet AAC (look her up on the Power of 10 website) and it is amazing to me that she has never been invited back to Scotland for any of the coaching get-togethers that are so much on the agenda just now.    It is appropriate to look at her athletics in detail, but first we should maybe see her answers to the questionnaire.

Name:   Anne Purvis

Club:   Edinburgh Southern Harriers/Edinburgh Woollen Mill

Date of Birth: 5th March 1959

Occupation:  Laboratory Research Assistant

How did you get involved in the sport?   Primary School teacher (Mrs Elder).   He5r daughter had started training for the long jump with Edinburgh Southern and she thought I might enjoy it as I had competed for my Primary School.   I wanted to be a long jumper and initially trained with the long jump coach.

Has any individual or group had a marked influence on either your attitude to the sport or individual performances?   My coach, George Sinclair who devised all my sessions and was prepared to constantly learn and try diferent approaches to enable me to progress.   He also instilled in me the importance of being part of a team.   The willingness of so many people in the sport to give their time to help athletes fulfil their ambitions.

What exactly did you get out of the sport?    The honour of competing for Scotland and Great Britain and some great memories.

Can you describe your general attitude to the sport?    Superstitious, underlying lack of confidence particularly with the endurance side of 800m running.   Generally competitive in a non-competitive manner.   Often I seemed to enoy training over competition.

What do you consider to be your best performance?   When I ran 2:00.2 at Bislett Games in Oslo.

What ambitions did you have that remain unfulfilled?   To break 2 minutes for the 800 metres and to compete at the Olympic Games

What did you do apart from running to relax?   Enjoyed reading and spending time with friends.

What has running brought you that you would not have wanted to miss?   I always loved being a member of the 4 x 400m relay teams whether it was a club or an international competition.   Enjoyed travelling and the warm-weather training trips, especially my friends were there too.

Can you give some details of your training?   

Winter:   Weight training, Hopping and Bounding, Steps

Summer:   Speed Drills; Split runs 3 x 400m – 30 sec – 200m, 4 x 300m, 3 x 600m, 1 x 600/1 x 500/1 x 400/1 x 200 [15 min recovery]

Anne is regarded as a speed based 400m/800m runner as opposed to those who race the event from a strength base and specialising in 800m/1500m.    Nevertheless in her early years she did run cross-country.   In the 1974 Scottish Junior cross-country championships she was fifteenth and the ESH team was third.   In 1975, as an Intermediate, she finished fifth with her club in second position.   In February 1976, as a second year Intermediate, she was sixth and again picked up a team medal – another bronze.   As a senior in 1977 she finished eleventh but that was the last year for which there is any record of her competing in the event.

Anne Clarkson was born on 3rd March 1959 and joined Edinburgh Southern Harriers at the age of 13.   She made good progress and in 1974 she was ranked in the Intermediate (Under 17) 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m.  Her 100m best of 12.5 at Pitreavie in the East Championships placed her eighth in the rankings and she was third in the SWAAA Championships 100m with 12.8 seconds.   In the 200m, she was second in the East Championships (25.6) and second in the SWAAA in 26.1.   Her best for the season was 25.3 which saw her ranked fifth.   Anne however topped the 400m rankings with a time of 55.4 run in August at Grangemouth and she also topped the 800m rankings with her second ever 800m time of 2:08.8.   Not bad for a 15 year old.   The annual rankings yearbook had this to say of her 400m season: “The close, keen rivalry between Anne Clarkson and Ann Robertson over the one-lap event was one of the highlights of the 1974 track season.   While the young Southern Harrier (Clarkson), she has  still another season as an Intermediate, produced the finest effort of the year (UK best for a 15-year-old:55.4 at the Scotland v NI match), as well as winning the Schools International at Meadowbank with Ann second, the Grangemouth girl narrowly turned the tables to take second place from Anne in the WAAA Championship (55.6 to 55.7)”    Anne also gained her first Scottish senior vest in 1974 running in the 4 x 400m relay against Canada and Wales and ran for the the GB Junior team .

They were no less effusive about her 800m time:  “Throughout the ’74 season Ann Clarkson had demonstrated her talent in recording some outstanding times over 400 metres but, until the Pye Gold Cup Final in September, she had only dabbled at 800 metres, with a respectable but unremarkable 2:26.5.   Anne’s performance then, not only brought her up to second place on the UK Intermediate time lists, but equalled the British best by a 15 year old girl.”

Fiona McAuley, writing in ‘Scotland’s Runner’ of May 1987 said that the following year she won a bronze medal at the European Junior Championships in Athens in the 4 x 400m relay and was selected as a reserve for the GB senior team at the end of the season…She goes on to comment that the next few years were a bit lean although she did compete off and on for Scotland.   They were not too lean however and in 1977 she was ranked number six in Scotland for the 400m with a season’s best of 56.2 and third in the 800m with a best of 2:09.1 (12th September) with a second best of 2:09.5 a week later.   The only championship medal that year was in the East District 400m where she was second in 59.0.   In 1978, her best 400m was slightly slower (56.5 in August) which only ranked her eleventh and in the 800m with a best of 2:07.8 she had slipped to fifth and had a run of 4:39.5 that saw her ranked tenth in the country.   As far as championships went, she won the East District 800m in 2:13.6 and was third in the SWAAA Championships with 2:11.1 and in the East v West fixture, she ran 56.7 for third place.      It was in 1979 that she set her first pb since 1974 when she was fourth in the UK Closed Championships 800m with 2:04.00.

1980 was the start of a wonderful period of seven years when she was placed in the first three at the AAA’s 800m six times.   In the AAA’s in 1980 she won in 2:01.89 from Jane Finch who was well back in 2:04.15 and was selected to compete for Britain against Sweden in the 800m as a result.   1981 was her first really outstanding year when she turned in no fewer than eleven of the top nineteen times by any Scot over 800m.   The times were set all over the world:

 Such a level of dominance is rarely seen in any endurance event but dominance it clearly is!    Incidentally, the 2:01.6 placed her seventh on the all-time rankings and third in GB for the year.   She also set what was to be her lifetime best for 400m of 53.77 on 18th September at Charlety in France which placed her fourth in the rankings with her second best of 53.9 (ninth best in the country) on 29th August at Ardal in Norway.    The 53.7 put her at number seven on the GB All-Time list and the 2:01.6 put her at number three.   The 2:02.3 was a Scottish women’s best ‘authentic’ performance in that it was the fastest ever run inside Scotland by a Scot.

Her competitive record was no less impressive.   In the women’s international between Scotland v Denmark v Eire at Meadowbank on 1st/2nd May she ran in the 800m which she won with 2:02.8 and in the 4 x 400m team which also won.   In the women’s international match at Ardal in Norway on 28th/29th August between Norway, Scotland and Wales, Anne was third in the 400 in 53.9 on the first day, then won the 800m on the second day in 2:01.6 with the second placed Norwegian timed at 2:01.7.   She was also of course in the winning 4 x 400m team.

Anne’s domination of the 800m event was even greater in 1982 than in 1981: the first seven times were hers, she had three inside 2:01.0 and had thirteen of the top 18.   Her best ten 800m times for 1982 are noted.

Anne was also ranked sixth in the 400m with 54.2 and thirteenth in the 1500 with a time of 4:25.3.    Her competitive record was really superb in Commonwealth Games year.    (Kind of spooky that the top four were all on the seventh of the month – seven has always been regarded as a lucky number with the seventh son of a seventh son being the epitome of good luck and specially blessed!)   Fiona McAuley outlines the season: “After winning the UK Closed Championships in 1982, Anne went on to run a fast series of races at meetings abroad culminating in her best 800m time to date of 2:00.20 in Oslo.   She was subsequently picked for the European Championships, getting to the semi-finals and running 2:00.34, the ninth fastest time overall.   Four weeks before the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, and favourite on paper, she broke two ribs when someone opened a door on her, but she still finished second to Kirsty Wade in the 800m final and also picked up a bronze medal in the 4 x 400m relay.”     Doug Gillon in ‘The Glasgow Herald’ elaborated on both meetings.   On 8th September 1982, he said “Anne Clarkson was edged out of the final of the 800m at Athens.   The Edinburgh Southern Harrier had a gallant race: fifth at the bell in 58.5 and finishing in the same position, one place away from a final berth, in 2:00.34.   “I’m bitterly disappointed, I wanted to be the first Scot below two minutes”, she said.“   When it came to the Commonwealths, his article in the paper of 17th September 1982 read: “One of Scotland’s Commonwealth Games medal hopes has broken two ribs – but she will report to Prestwick to fly out with the team tomorrow.   Anne Clarkson, just edged out of a place in the European 800m final in Athens last week, had been back at work for only 40 minutes when a colleague opened a heavy door while the Edinburgh girl was walking past.   “It was a freak accident”, says Anne, a BSc honours graduate who works as a a technical assistant in animal genetics at Edinburgh University.   “I’ve had the fracture confirmed by X-ray but the doctor says that I should be able to compete in Brisbane all right.   The big problem is training in the interim and I’m on strong pain-killers to allow me to do that.   But I’ve got to take the X-ray plates with me when we leave on Saturday.”    It is worth noting how close the final at Brisbane was.    After winning her semi-final in 2:04.06 (with the second finisher on 2:04.11) she was second in 2:01.52 behind (Scottish born) Kirsty McDermott of Wales who was timed at 2:01.31, with the third and fourth placers in 2:01.70 and 2:01.91!   Four runners in 0.6 of a single second.    Anne was of course renowned for her fast finishes.   I have been informed by several of her contemporaries that they cannot remember her ever taking the pace out from the gun or leading for much of any race.   In the 4 x 400m of the relay, the team of Sandra Whittaker, Anne Clarkson, Angela Bridgman and Linsey McDonald were one place ahead of England with Wales fourth.   The Maribor time was recorded in an international match between England, Scotland, Yugoslovia where she was second to England’s Christina Boxer with the times being 2:01.73 for Boxer and 2:01.83 for Clarkson.    Domestically, she was second to Bridgman in the SWAAA 400m in 54.38 to Bridgman’s winning time of 53.18, and she won the East v West 800m in 2:05.2.    It had been a very successful season for her despite the broken ribs before the Games and being beaten by McDermott who had been slower that she was going in to the Games.

“Surprisingly”, writes McAuley, 1983, the year she got married, was the first time that Anne lifted the Scottish 800m title which was unfortunately followed by a year of bad injury.   In 1985Anne and her husband moved from Edinburgh to Bishopbriggs and that same year she won the Scottish once again and was second at the WAAA Championships.”    Although there was a year out in 1984, Anne was in fact third in the WAAA 800m to Christine Boxer in 2:02.98.   The WAAA record to which I referred above is a good one:    1980:   First in 2:01.89;    1981: First in 2:01.92 from Lorraine Baker in 2:04.21 and Kirsty McDermott in 2:05.63;   1983:   second in 2:00.74 to Shireen Bailey in 2:00.58;    1984:   Third in 2:02.98;   1985:     Second in 2:02.41;   1987:   Second in 2:04.60 to Diane Edwards in 2:03.59.

With 1986 being Commonwealth Games year, there would have been three targets for Anne Purvis: first she had to convince herself and the selectors that the year out through injury had served its purpose and she was ready for the 1986 season; second the aim in any Games is to come back with the gold medal, particularly in her case because she had been so close last time round; and third there was the desire for the first sub-two minute 800m by a Scot.   And she did indeed set a top level platform for Games year.   Competitively she won the SWAAA Championships in July with a time of 2:05.75 and was second  in the WAAA (2:02.41) to Christina Boxer (2:00.41).   As far as time and rankings were concerned, in the 800 she was number one in Scotland and number fisix in Britain with 2:02.11 run at Meadowbank.  As an indicator of the standard at the time the five ahead of her were Kirsty McDermott, Shireen Bailey, Christina Boxer, Lorraine Baker and  Diane Edwards although it should be noted the Anne had beaten them all at one time or another.   In the 1000m she was top Scot and fifth UK with 2:41.44 run in the Kodak Meeting in Stretford and she was ranked fifth Scot and nineteenth UK in the 1500 with 4:17.5.   Clearly in good form she was ready for the Edinburgh Games year.

Reported to be at her fittest in 1986, Anne ran in the UK Championship at Cwmbran in Wales in May where she ran an excellent Heat which prompted this from Doug Gillon: “A dramatic showdown is scheduled in the Women’s 800m in which Anne Purvis was the fastest qualifier with 2:03.5.   She will be joined in the final by Liz McArthur, the defending champion from Pitreavie who had to run as fast as her winning time from last year to qualify as the fastest loser, and Carol Sharp (McLaren Glasgow) who clocked 2:06.24.”    In the final the following day she was second in 2:02.4.   Her fastest of the year was 2:01.63 which topped the Scottish rankings, her sixth year out of seven in that position.   But the year was all about the Commonwealth Games and the statistics say that she finished fourth – by no means a disgrace – in 2:02.17 behind Kirsty Wade (2:00.94), Diane Modahl (2:01.92) and Lorraine Baker (2:01.97).   But the figures do not tell the full story.   In her article in “Scotland’s Runner” quoted above, Fiona McAulay said:  “Probably no individual Scottish athlete came in for more criticism at last year’s Commonwealth Games than Anne Purvis (nee Clarkson) for the way she handled the 800m final, finishing fourth behind girls she could and should have beaten.   George Sinclair, her coach for thirteen years, likened her race to that of Steve Cram’s in the European Championship 800 metres final in Stuttgart where he found himself in trouble at the start of the back of the field, had to do all his running down the back straight to get in contention again, so that it was not so much that  he was outrun by Seb Coe and Tom McKean in the home straight, but rather that he just did not have the finishing kick when it was needed.   Sinclair, who has coached more athletes to Great Britain international standard than any other coach in Scotland summed up by saying “Anne had a tactical disaster.”   Purvis recalls that there was so much barging and pushing that she was almost brought to a complete standstill at 450 metres by a stray Canadian arm, and found it impossible to regain momentum.   She has never been known as a front runner – and a Commonwealth Games final is not the ideal place to suddenly change tactics – so Anne says now she supposes she should have run wide all the way to keep out of trouble.  As well as letting herself down, Anne felt she had disappointed her family, the crowd and not least of all her coach as they both know she went into that race fitter than she has ever been.   The next day, however, Anne went down with the virus that had circulated the Games village and was ill for weeks. “   An indication of her standing in the sporting community was that she was selected to take the athletes’ oath at the opening ceremony.

She did not stop there but went on to train hard for the 1987 season and have a final go at a sub-two minutes 800m that she wanted so much before leaving the country at the end of 1987 when her husband’s research came to a close.  According to Fiona MacAulay’s article, training was following the following pattern.   Working as a research assistant at Glasgow University, she runs home twice a week from work and on the advice of physiotherapist Tom Craig has cut her runs drastically, concentrating only on good running.   Two sessions a week are spent on weights and circuits, and the other three are on the track at Crownpoint doing repetition 1000m, 600m, 300m, and 200m.   She usually sees Sinclair once a fortnight at Meadowbank.”   Anne was definitely going to retire at the end of the season and with this in mind, George Sinclair is quoted as saying “we’re concentrating on speed endurance and elastic strength and to hell with the big mileage.”   Anne tended to train rather a lot on her own as she improved.   The male athletes at Meadowbank such as Peter Hoffman were just too quick and strong for any woman athlete and there were no women fast enough to train with.   The speed and speed endurance work was done with Bill Walker and Donny Cain.

For whatever reason – one supposes injury – Anne missed the SWAAA Championships that year and by the end of the summer was ranked in three events: ninth in the 400m with a best of 56.9, second in the 800m with 2:02.73 and sixth in the 1500m with 4:20.0.   The aim of a sub-two had not been realised so she would have been disappointed but she had had a wonderful career in the sport.    Having been competing internationally for thirteen years, with seven GB vests and several appearances at major Games and having had the inestimable honour of taking the oath on behalf of all the athletes in the 1986 Games she has a multitude of memories.

So why did she fail to break the two minute barrier?   The ability was there, the competitive spirit was there but according to Sinclair the fast, paced races on the European circuit were not there.   He is quoted by MacAulay as follows: “It has been unfortunate for Anne that invitations have not been forthcoming for those meetings abroad that inevitably produce fast times. ”   Do Scottish athletes then get a raw deal when it comes to selection for international meetings?   Without a doubt Anne Purvis has been continually snubbed and ignored by the selectors down   south since 1983.   She has seen rivals she has beaten, and with slower times, being dispatched abroad to the various Grand Prix-type events and with ‘small teams abroad’ while she for the most part has remained at home.   At the 1984 Olympic Trials, Purvis finished second to Lorraine Baker, neither achieving the qualifying time of two minutes.   Baker was given several races abroad and eventually produced the necessary performance while Purvis stayed put and was given no such assistance.”    There are many instances of Scottish athletes being ignored in this fashion and Sinclair is quoted as saying that “being Scottish in British athletics means that you need a knockout to get a draw.”   To my own knowledge other athletes have failed to get invitations to Grand Prix races in London when others of a near identical standard living in the locality were invited regularly ‘to make up the field’ because there were no big travel expenses involved.

However, there is no point in dwelling on this point at length – missing these opportunities did not help her but there may have been other reasons.   Would it have been different had she been able to run from the front at some point in the season?   I remember reading of Seb Coe as a young man on his knees at the end of a BMC race at Crystal Palace; the plan had been for him to really go for it from the gun just to see (a) if he could do it; and (b) see whether it could be a valid tactic in future.   I spoke to several of Anne’s contemporaries and none could remember her taking a race on early.

What we do know, is that the country could do with Anne Clarkson now in November, 2011

Back to The Milers 

Norman, fourth left with the Shettleston team in 1971

Norman Morrison won the Scottish Junior Championship in 1969 after having been fifth the year before and his last competitive year in Scotland was 1974 and that relatively short span is possibly one of the reasons that his achievements are not remembered as they should be.   He ran in every Edinburgh to Glasgow from 1966 to 1974, nine in all, which is more than many lauded for their achievements.   Let’s take a quick look at some of the statistics before starting on the profile itself.   First of all I have taken his performances on the Shettleston Harriers all-time list (as in the official club history – there may be other times to be inserted but it does provide a list of his best performances) and then some of his competitive highlights.

Competition Highlights

Junior National:   1968 5th, 1969 1st

Senior National:   1970  5th, 1971  9th, 1972  18th, 1973  4th

English Junior National:   1968   5th

English Senior National 1971  32nd, 1972  40th

ICCU Junior Championships:   1967  13th, 1968   13th

ICCU Senior Championships:   1970   46th,   1971   25th

IAAF World Cross Country Championships:   1973   13th

IAAF Cross-Country Championships:   1973   13th

Winner of European Clubs Cross-Country Championship in 1972/73

Second in World Student Games 10000m in 1973

Three winning appearances for British teams: in Leipzig, Rouen and London

SAAA Junior Championships:   1967   1 Mile   4:17.7

1970 Commonwealth Games:   1500m   3:47.3

1974 Commonwealth Games:   5000m   14:40.62

14th on all-time rankings for Mile and 10000m and 16th for the 5000m.

These are the headlines and there were many other excellent runs that were possibly even better.   He also qualified for the “Nae Luck” award in 1972 when he broke the record for the McAndrew Relay only to find that Jim Brown broke it by even more later, he broke the record for the Allan Scally Relay trail in November, only to find that Jim Brown broke it by more later in the race, and in the Edinburgh to Glasgow the same year he took seven seconds from the second stage record on the day when Ian Stewart, running for Aberdeen comprehensively dismantled the old figures.  He must have held more records for a shorter time than anybody in the world at that point!   Note too the three thirteenth place finishes in the Junior and Senior world championships.   Given his subsequent career it is clear that the number had no significance for him.

Norman was kind enough to answer the questionnaire and the responses are as follows:

Name:   Norman Morrison

Clubs:   Shettleston Harriers, Croydon Harriers

Date of Birth:   13/3/1949

Occupation:   Teacher

Personal Bests:   400m:   49.9 ( relay),   800:   1:50;   1 Mile   3:58.7;   5000m:   13:40;   10,000m:   28:40

How did you get involved in the sport:   Started doing cross country with Shettleston Harriers

Has any individual or group had a marked effect on either your attitude to the sport or to individual performances?   Alex Naylor, Gordon Pirie.

What exactly did you get out of the sport?   I enjoyed competing and travelling to new places.

Can you describe your general attitude to the sport?   Looking back I may have been a bit amateurish and had lots of injuries which always set ones training back.

What do you consider to be your best ever performance/performances?   Possibly second in the world student games 10000m, although losing by 0.089 of a second still gives me the ocasional nightmare.   Won lots of races with a fast finish but not necessarily in fast times.

What ambitions did you have that remain unfulfilled?   None, may not have been too good at setting goals.   Did not achieve the 5000m and 10000m times I believe I was capable of.   Ran around 13:40 and 28:40 lots of times, and looking back I probably did not push myself hard enough in training, and I missed the influence of a good coach as a senior.

What did you do apart from running to relax?   Spent time with family and friends.

What did running bring you that you would have wanted not to miss?   Travel all over the world.

Athletics highlights:   Representing English Schools in Canada for their centenary;   Representing Scotland in the Commonwealth Games and first in three races running for the UK.   Cross-Country highlights:   Shettleston winning the English Cross-Country Championships and nearly the European title.   Second in San Sebastian, thirteenth in the World Cross-Country Championships three times.

Born on 13th March, 1949, Norman first appeared in the Scottish ranking lists as a Youth (Under 17) in 1965 when he was fourth in the 880 yards in 2:00.5.   According to the official Shettleston Harriers history, in a report on the Land’o Burns Meeting in Ayr,“the most impressive performance of the day was that of 17 year old Norman Morrison whose spirited finish in the Mile almost caught Hugh Barrow of Victoria Park, the former Scottish Junior Half Mile Champion.”   In 1966 as a Junior when he was at University in England,  he ranked second in the Mile behind Birchfield’s Peter Stewart (and ahead of Ian Stewart) with 4:14.4 for the Mile.  Simon Pearson in “Scottish Athletics, 1967” commented on the ‘very fine performance at Ayr by Norman Morrison who was only a month too old for the youths age group.’   The top Youth that year was James Cook of Garscube Harriers with 4:27.7.   He hadn’t come from nowhere though.   When asked about his school athletics he said, I lived on the Isle of Arran until I was 16 when my parents moved back to Glasgow.   But not being clever enough to to go to Bute Academy I went to a Boarding School in London, actually Royal Russell School in Croydon, from age nine to sixteen and then on to London University.   While there I ran in the World Student Games where I was second by 0.9 seconds.   While down there I ran for Croydon Harriers and one of my mates was Don Fairclough who went on to win a bronze medal in the 1970 Commonwealth Games.   I also ran for Croydon Schools, Surrey Schools and England Schools winning a few Mile titles.   Two interesting stories from that time.   I represented English Schools in a quad event, English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish Schools,  at Scotstoun (in those days we ran on cinder tracks).   There were three Scots running in the 1500m or Mile.   Running for Wales and finishing second was Alec MacNab who also emigrated to New Zealand and has been a stalwart of athletics here.   He is currently President of Athletics New Zealand.   Then in 1967 for the Canadian Centenary, the Canadians invited an athletics team from Britain and France to compete in three meetings in three cities in three weeks.   It was the English Schools team that went!!!   (I bet the Scots didn’t even know about it.)   Fabulous trip and even went to the Expo in Montreal.  

In season 1966 – 67 he ran his first Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay.   Running on the third stage he pulled Shettleston up from eighth to sixth with the third fastest time of the day although the club eventually finished seventh.   He started the new year with seventh in the National cross-country championships at Hamilton, and by the end of the summer, he ranked eighth at 440 yards (51.7), third at 880 yards (1:55.6) and third at the Mile with 4:09.2.   In the course of that summer, he won the SAAA title with 4:17.2 for the Mile.   For this, he shared the FJ Glegg Memorial Trophy which is awarded annually to “the competitor who is adjudged by the General Committee to have accomplished the best performance or performances in the Scottish Junior Championships”with sprinter IW Turnbull.   Simon Pearson remarked in “Scottish Athletics, 1968, “The fast-improving Norman Morrison, along with Anglo Scot Ian Stewart consistently produced times unattainable by many seniors this side of the Border.”   Indeed the times quoted above ranked him 22nd senior for the 880y and 12th for the Mile.

Progress continued and in the Edinburgh to Glasgow in November 1967, Norman was third on the first stage in a team which won silver medals behind a quite outstanding Edinburgh University squad and in February 1968 Norman was fifth in the National Cross Country Championship.   This qualified him for selection for his second ICCU Cross-Country International where he finished thirteenth.   The 880 yards in Scotland was of a very high stadard with runners such as Mike McLean, Graeme Grant, Dick Hodelet, Duncan Middleton, Hugh Barrow, Craig Douglas and others all of international standard so it was no small feat for Norman as a first year senior to be eighth ranked (under the banner of London University/Shett H) with 1:53.1 set when winning at Motspur Park in May.   In the Mile he was ranked number five ahead of such as Lachie Stewart, Adrian Weatherhead, Gareth Bryan-Jones and others but behind John McGrow (an Anglo from Longwood), Hugh Barrow, Peter Stewart and Ian McCafferty with his time of 4:04.4 set at Motspur Park at the end of June, again he won the race.   In the Two Miles he was even higher – fourth – with 8:53.2 finishing ninth at White City at the very start of June.   Norman was also ranked in the Three Miles at number twenty four 14:17.1 run when finishing second, again at Motspur Park, this time very early in the season – in April.

Into 1969 and Norman won the junior National cross-country championship after a race-long battle with Alan Beaney of Springburn Harriers, eventually winning by four seconds.   And this was where his results really started to take off.   All Scots eyes in 1969 were on the Commonwealth Games to take place in 1970 and competition in all events was very tight.   Norman was ranked at number twenty five with a time of 1:55.4 set when winning at Lund in Sweden but was not ranked at either 1500m or the Mile.   He was however twelfth in the 300m with 8:21.4 when winning in April at Motspur Park.   He also appeared in the 5000m – twelfth with a time of 14:15.8 set in September when finishing third in Helsingborg in Sweden.

In the Edinburgh to Glasgow in season 1969 – 70, he moved the club up from seventh to sixth on the difficult but prestigious second stage and had the satisfaction of seeing the team finish second.   In the National in February 1970, he finished fifth in a quite outstanding field – have a look at the names of the first fourteen – Alder, Wedlock, Blamire, Mullett, Morrison, Weatherhead, J Wight, Stoddart, Bradley, Logue, McKean, Macgregor, Jones and Fergus Murray!  In his history of the SCCU, Colin Shields says of this period, “In the early Seventies, Scottish distance runners were amongst the best in Britain and Europe, and the Union received many invitations for teams to compete in international cross-country races throughout Europe.   These races allowed our top runners to test themselves against the best runners in Europe and prepare properly for the National and International cross-country events.   The glamour that was once the exclusive property of the track and field stars in the summer, and the resulting trips to compete in foreign countries encouraged the best distance runners to take cross-country running seriously throughout the winter.   Running for Scotland at that time were such Olympic and Commonwealth Games internationals as Lachie Stewart, Ian McCafferty, Jim Alder, Fergus Murray, Dick Wedlock, Don Macgregor and Gareth Bryan-Jones with other fine runners such as Alistair Blamire, Norman Morrison, Bill Mullett, Eddie Knox and Adrian Weatherhead all strong enough to gain selection for Scottish teams competing on the continent.”    After his run in the National Norman was selected for the International, to be held at Vichy that year.   Colin reports on the trip as follows: “Public transport strikes disrupted the Scots team travel to the international, necessitating three separate flights and two bus journeys in a tiring journey to France which did much to cause the disappointing Scottish performances in the actual race.   Ian McCafferty did not finish, leaving Lachie Stewart to be the first Scot home in twelfth place – well ahead of Bill Mullett 25, Jim Alder 31 with Adrian Weatherhead 42, Dick Wedlock 45 and Norman Morrison 46 finishing in a bunch to close in the scoring six and give Scotland a total of 201 points for fifth position out of thirteen competing countries.”  

Summer 1970 was of course dominated by the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh where the Scottish team covered itself in glory, notably in the 5000m and 10000m events.   Norman was chosen to run in the 1500m and was in Heat Two of three.   His time of 3:47.3, one place behind Ben Jipcho of Kenya, was only good enough for sixth place and, with four to qualify for the final, he was out of the Games.   For the record, the first five were 1.   Quax (NZ) 3:44.2;   2.   Kirkbride (England)   3:44.9;  3.   Smart (Canada)   3:45.5;   4.   Thomas (Wales)   3:45.6;   5.   Jipcho (Kenya)   3:45.6;   6.   Morrison   3:47.3.

The 1970 – 71 cross country season was described as a triumph for Shettleston Harriers by Colin Shields and Norman played a full part in their successes. They started by winning the McAndrew Relay at Scotstoun with a team of Morrison (13:40), Stewart (13:45), Scally (14:03) and Wedlock (14:02).   In the Laarkshire Relay at Bellshill, the selectors mixed up the teams a bit but the first team of Summerhill, Graham, Morrison and Wedlock won.   In the second running of the Allan Scally relay, the team of Stewart, Wedlock, Morrison and Scally beat Edinburgh Southern by 23 seconds although Lachie’s time of 22:40 was eleven seconds slower than that of Southern’s Gareth Bryan-Jones.   Morrison, Wedlock, Patterson and Stewart won the Midland Relay Championship and it was on to the Edinburgh to Glasgow.   Continuing the season’s pattern,  Shettleston won and Norman was on the fourth stage where he had second fastest time – only one second behind Gareth Bryan-Jones.    On 2nd January 1971 Shettleston won the team race at the Nigel Barge race in Maryhill with Dick Wedlock second, Norman tenth and Tommy Grubb fourteenth.   1971 however was also the year when  Monkland Harriers’ Jim Brown, as a first year Junior, surprised all the seniors in the country and he won the Midland District cross-country championship described by Colin Shields as follows:    “The precocious Brown startled his Senior rivals when winning the Midland District title at Stirling University.   While older, heavier rivals sank in the thick, clinging mud, the lightweight Brown skimmed over the surface to win by 60 yards from Norman Morrison who led Shettleston (5 in the first 11 home) to the team title.”       In the National in 1971, held in Bellahouston Park, Norman had slipped back to ninth, not at all a bad run, and Shettleston won here as well.   With the team that they had, and after all the successes of the season, Shettleston sent a team down to the English National Championships to be held at Norwich.   After a long journey down and cramped and uncomfortable sleeping accommodation (camp-beds!) the team positions were Alastair Blamire 11th, Lachie Stewart 19th, Dick Wedlock 24th, Norman Morrison 32nd, Henry Summerhill 65th and Tommy Grubb 131st.   Ronnie Morrison is quoted in the club history as saying more than thirty years later, “It took some time for the result to be accurately announced due to the fact that we were unfamiliar with the disc system employed to count the team scores.   Tipton Harriers were announced as the winners with 287 points but after checking I knew I was holding a team packet with a total of 282 points.   There was some disbelief when I eventually located the scores and after detailed scrutiny of the names, the were declared legal by SCCU official Ewan Murray.”    The history goes on “The most prestigious trophy, of what had been a momentous season was presented by the mayor of Norwich, after which the team bus headed north for a night of celebration.   “With victories in every senior event we entered, ” said Ronnie Morrison, “season 1970 – 71 can be described as a year of gold.”   After the National of course, Norman was selected for the International. There was again an unpleasant journey to Spain and then a stomach bug attacked various team members and a team which had looked really good on paper was suddenly rather fragile.  Colin Shields reports “Rain, Hailstones and gales spoiled the international championships at San Sebastian and heavy sticky mud slowed the runners throughout the race.   Commonwealth 5000m gold medallist Ian Stewart, in his first appearance for Scotland, finished ninth  to lead the Scottish team to seventh position in the team contest.   Stewart was followed home by Dick Wedlock 24th and Norman Morrison 25th with Scottish champion Jim Alder, who had been the most consistent Scot throughout the winter finishing 38th, ahead of Alastair Blamire 58th and a despondent Lachie Stewart 60th.”

In summer 1971 in the 800m, Norman was seventh with his best of 1:51.9 when finishing fourth at Grangemouth on 13th June.   In the seldom run 1000m, he was second to Graeme Grant with 2:24.3 run in Belfast on 19th June.   In the 1500m/Mile his best time was 3:41.1y when placing fourth at Leicester in May had him third ranked behind Peter Stewart and Adrian Weatherhead.   He also ran  times of 3:44.5y at Meadowbank in June, 3:46.3y at Belfast in May when he was second and 3:47.7y in the Heats at Leicester in May.   The outstanding run of course for the year was his 3:58.7 for the Mile on 31st May when a record breaking number of Scots (three) were led under the four-minute barrier by Peter Stewart, the other being Adrian Weatherhead in 3:58.5.   He was sixth in the 3000m/2 Miles with 8:07.4 set at Helenvale in June when finishing second to Lachie Stewart.   Norman was also eighth in the 5000m recording 14:08.2 at Lisburn in Northern Ireland in June.

Finishing second to Lachie Stewart at Cowal in August 1971

In the 1971 Edinburgh to Glasgow, Norman ran on the fifth stage where he recorded the third fastest time on the stage in the winning Shettleston team. In an interesting race, Shettleston were trailing Victoria Park on the third stage when Colin Youngson went off the course and the lead passed to Shettleston who increased it as the race went on.  On 16th January, 1972 the Shettleston team, as British Cross-Country Champions, travelled to Arlon for the European clubs championship.   Norman was affected by a ‘flu bug and was last club counter in in 26th place behind Wedlock (2nd), Stewart (6th), Bannon (11th) and Summerhill (23rd and the team finished second to Liege.    In the National in 1972, Norman Morrison finished eighteenth in the Shettleston team that won with 99 points to Edinburgh Southern Harriers’ 190.

In October 1972 Shettleston Harriers won the McAndrew Relay for the third year in succession and it was reported by Alan Dunbar as follows under the heading “Shettleston’s Hat-Trick in Road Race”:   Shettleston Harriers had a convincing victory in the McAndrew Relay Race at Scotstoun to record their hat-trick in this event.   Shettleston opened well when four minute miler Norman Morrison knocked a second off Lachie Stewart’s seven year old record to give his club a good lead.   A Brilliant run by young Jim Brown brought Monkland Harriers up from thirteenth to second place just 20 yards behind Shettleston.   Brown shattered the course record, taking 17 seconds off Morrison’s time.”  The remainder of the report recorded Shettleston’s comfortable victory but this was not to be the last time that Norman held a course record for hours, or less, that month!    In the Allan Scally Relays in November, Tommy Patterson was fifth on the first stage before Norman set off on the second.   Ron Marshall reports this time: “Norman Morrison quickly put the holders into their accustomed position long before lap two ended.   He also had the satisfaction of beating the course record of 22:09 by three seconds, although Brown was about to yank that time down drastically to 21:52 – 14 seconds faster than Morrison.”     Jim Brown was really on fire at this period but Norman was also really flying although Jim’s performances put his running into the shade a bit.   Came the Edinburgh to Glasgow and Marshall’s report of stage two read:   “The second leg was dramatic in more ways than one.   Norman Morrison took up Shettleston’s case so courageously that he forged his was from sixteenth to fifth in what in other circumstances would have been a memorable time, 27:54.   The old record had been 28:32.   Ahead of him however even greater deeds were being done.   Ian Stewart, the Olympic bronze medallist, running for Aberdeen AAC probably had not noticed the race number allotted to him – A1.   By the time he strode dourly up to the changeover point in Broxburn his performance had certainly warranted it for he had outdated the course record by a scathing 78 seconds.”   Stewart’s run has been described as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, in the entire history of the race, so there was no disgrace finishing behin him but to break the record for a road trail for the third time in the season and get no credit in the books must have been a bit galling.

Scotland had three teams in the ‘Findus’ International and club race at Parliament Hill in London and they were all good.   The A team had Lachie Stewart, Norman Morrison and Jim Brown, the B Team had Andy McKean, Dick Wedlock and Alastair Blamire and the C Team had Lawrie Spence, Pat Maclagan and Paul Bannon.    What a line-up!   Once the teams were declared, there could be no switching between them and this probably cost Scotland A the race.   Lachie Stewart was fourth, Norman Morrison was tenth and Jim Brown had a day he would want to forget, finishing twenty fifth.   Andy McKean in the B Team was seventh and  Scotland was only beaten by Kenya by four points.    The complete result was:

1. Kenya;   2.   Scotland;   3.   Tunisia;   4.   England A;   ;   5.   England B;   6.   Belgium;   7.   England C;   8.   Scotland B;   9.   Ireland;   10.   Wales;   11.   Scotland C.   In addition, since Shettleston were allowed to use their runners in the international teams as club counters, they won the club race by a massive 102 points!

The following week and “Norman Morrison (Shettleston) careered away from a field of 56 in the East Kilbride AAC Open Cross-Country Event over six miles to beat Hugh Barrow by no less than 86 seconds or the equivalent of 500 yards.”

Norman started 1973 in some style by winning the classic Nigel Barge Road Race.   Colin Shields in his history of the SCCU, “Whatever the Weather”, said, “Norman Morrison of Shettleston Harriers, a 1500metres/mile track runner who, like Ian Stewart and Ian McCafferty, used the winter season principally as preparation for his summer track season, had his best ever year.   He won the Nigel Barge Road Race in the record time of 21:51 followed home at regular five second intervals by Paul Bannon, Douglas Gunstone and Dick Wedlock.   He followed this success by becoming the first Scot to win the European clubs championships at Arlon with Lachie Stewart finishing third.   Shettleston showed their great strength when again finishing second just two points behind the holders, Liege AC  and 20 points ahead of English champions Tipton Harriers.”   Ron Marshall’s account pointed out that one of the Liege runners who contributed to the victory was running without a club vest and had the rules been applied properly, then Shettleston would have won, but the refused to protest.   He had this to say of Norman,    “Norman Morrison, running over 100 miles per week this winter, continued his build-up to the big events of the cross-country season by winning the individual honour. “   The National was held over a snow covered course at Coatbridge and Jim Logan, writing in ‘Athletics Weekly’ described Norman as ‘the pre-race favourite’ and his team mate as ‘the ever-gritty Lachie Stewart’.   Andy McKean and Adrian Weatherhead (both Edinburgh AC) threw a couple of spanners in the works when they finished one and two with Lachie third and Norman, who at one point slipped back to eighth, fourth.    The international that year was the first organised by the IAAF and was held at Waregem Racecourse outside Ghent with 20 countries taking part.  Colin Shields reported on Norman’s part in the team effort which saw the Scots finish eighth thus: “Norman Morrison, despite losing a shoe early in the race, pluckily ran on in the Senior race to finish thirteenth – first Scot and third Briton home.”   Two points of interest here were that it was Lachie Stewart’s tenth and final race in teh world cross country championship and the whole week end was made for the Scots by Jim Brown winning the Junior race, giving him a set of gold, silver and bronze from his three years in the age group.   The ‘Athletics Weekly’ review of the cross-country season had Norman in twelfth place (second Scot behind Andy McKean in eleventh) citing the following performances: 10th in the Findus International, 10th in the Inter-Area, 1st in the European clubs championship, 2nd at San Sebastian, 4th Scottish and 13th in the International.

His best race in the summer of 1973 was when he won the Burmah-Castrol two miles race in the British Games at Meadowbank in 8:44.6 with Chris Stewart (Bournemouth) second in 8:44.8 and Allan Rushmer of Tipton Harriers third in 8:50.0.   On to the winter of 1973 – 74 and he had an outstanding run on lap four of the Allan Scally relay where he took over fifty yards behind Albert Smith of Victoria Park ad 250 yards up on Donald Macgregor of Edinburgh Southern Harriers.   He won by approximately 200 yards from ESH with Victoria Park AAC third.   Having been selected for the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch in January, Norman competed in the Nigel Barge race at Maryhill where he had set the record the year before.   There was to be no repeat: Ron MacDonald of Monklands won in a new record followed by Lachie Stewart, Jim Brown and Norman finished a good close-up fourth.    In the Games themselves, he was competing up a distance or two from the 1500m that he had contested in Edinburgh in 1986.  In the 10000m at the start of the Games he was third Scot behind Ian Stewart and Lachie Stewart and eleventh finisher in 30:25.8.   In the 5000m he was ninth in his Heat in 14:40.64.      Norman set two personal bests later in the year when running in the World Student Games in Moscow where he was clocked at 13:47.02 for the 5000m but he surprised many when he took second (beaten by a stride length) in the 10000m where he was replacing world record holder David Bedford of England.   Norman was racing the distance for only the second time in his life but nevertheless recorded 28:40.99 – only 0.2 seconds behind the winner, Dane Korica of Yugoslavia.   This probably encouraged the Scottish selectors to select him for the event in Christchurch the following year.

January 1974 was Christchurch Commonwealth Games time and Norman was again in action.   he had been selected for the 5000m and the 10000m.   The latter was the first of the track finals and his team mates were Ian Stewart and Lachie Stewart and all the Scots were disappointed with their time.   Ian Stewart was sixth in 28:17.2, Lachie Stewart (probably suffering the after effects of being flag-nearer for the Scottish team – not a practice that would be followed today with the two events so close together) a was tenth in 29:22.2 and Norman was fifteenth in 30:25.8.   The 10000m/5000m double is really an impossible burden to lay on the shoulders of any athlete (particularly after doing the same double in Moscow less than five months earlier and Norman had a poor run in the 5000m with 14:40.62 in his Heat of the event.   Even iron-man Ian Stewart, after qualifying for the final could only manage fifth in 13:40.32 against his best of 13:22.85 which, truth to be told, would have placed him third behind Brendan Foster in second and Ben Jipcho in first..

It was in November 1974 that Ron Marshall disclosed to the world at large that Norman was leaving Scotland to settle in New Zealand.   His report on the Glasgow University Road Race  was headlined “SCOTS ATHLETICS TO LOSE MORRISON”and read: “Norman Morrison arrived at the Westerlands Pavilion in Glasgow on Saturday for Glasgow University’s Open Road Race.   Like the diligent person he is he was carrying the trophy he won last year all polished up for presentation to the new winner.   Precisely 25 minutes 21 seconds after the field of about 200 launched itself into the driving wind and rain, Morrison sailed over the finishing line at Westerlands nearly half a minute ahead of his nearest challenger, Colin Martin of Dumbarton AAC.   It was one of the season’s easiest victories and the trophy returns to the Morrison Mantelpiece, not for a year but, as I learned on Saturday, for a couple of months.   On January 20th Morrison , a 25 year old school teacher and one of our few four minute milers, leaves for Auckland, New Zealand to take up a new teaching post, a move that no doubt puts more money in his pocket and sunshine on his face, but one that leaves Scottish athletics and cross-country poorer for his absence.

On the track he has represented Scotland in the last two Commonwealth Games, in the 1500m and 1000.   Like so many competitors from Britain he was greatly impressed with what he saw in the Christchurch Games, of the people and the country itself.   Auckland, the base of Gordon Pirie the former world record holder, has an even better climate.   Morrison’s other track achievement of merit was taking second place in the World Student Games in Moscow last year.   In cross-country, Morrison ran in the International championships in 1970, 1971 and 1973, on the last occasion winning the Walter Lawn Memorial Trophy awarded to the leading Scot in the race.  

Saturday’s five mile circuit round the districts of Temple and Kelvindale bore no relation to any of these headier locations, but it did offer to us one of the few remaining chances to watch the style that has made him so easy to distinguish in packed fields, a sort of flowing lean forward, high heel kick behind, his face showing no sign of any strain.   After only a few hundred yards he broke clear and never looked anything like a winner.   David McMeekin tried hard to book the runner-up position but he confessed that the wind and inclines near the end, finished him, pushing him down to sixth place.”

On 23rd November Norman gave another display of fine running when he led at the end of the first stage of the first ever Scottish National Four Man Relay Championship only to see the team finish fourth.   On 7th December he was tenth in the International cross-country fixture at Stirling University and a member of the winning team.   At New Year he was part of a Scottish team which went to Madrid – and won – just before contesting the Nigel Barge with Jim Dingwall and finishing only one second down.  And then off to New Zealand for good just two weeks later.

I asked Norman about his athletics in New Zealand after he emigrated.   “I ran a bit of athletics and cross-country enjoying road relays.   I had the pleasure of running with legends like John Davies, Dick Quax, Bill Baillie, Barry Magee, Arthur Lydiard, Gordon Pirie and even young Anne Audain and Allison Roe who both went on to great things.   But a bad knee stopped me doing big mileage and I took up golf instead and more recently bowls.   I have two children who were both involved in sport and are now raising their own families (two grandchildren).  

I have always remembered the trips I had with Shettleston Harriers and Alex Naylor so I have tried to do similar trips with young runners here, first at my school and more recently at National Level.   I taught Mathematics in several Auckland schools and got involved in coaching my school teams and later with administration.   I am currently the Treasurer of the NZSSAA, an organisation that runs Schools Athletics and Cross-Country in New Zealand and have taken teams from New Zealand to the World Schools Cross-Country Championships.   The most recent was to Malta in March 2012.   I have wondered why Scotland doesn’t send a team?  

I have word that he is very friendly with that other Scot, Mike Ryan.   Mike was a member of Manurewa Harriers when Norman joined after leaving Tokoroa more than 25 years ago.   He taught in Mt Albert College where Mike’s daughter also taught and they met quite frequently at cross-country events.   Mike’s sister and her husband were at Norman’s house-warming as he  and Norman are members of the same bowling club at Takapuna.   It’s a small world, and good that the Scots are, as usual, sticking together!

Back to The Milers

   It does however show how alike they were and stories abound of their swapping places without anyone else being any the wiser.   Hugh Barrow was first to tell me that they swapped boy-friends and the boys didn’t know they’d been tricked.   Doug Gillon in an article in The Herald in December 2006 tells of the time that when they were at college in the States, Christine once did an exam for her sister.   I quote part of the article: “Chris ran the latter of two Commonwealth Games in 1986.   She had an Achilles injury then, but it was not hers, it was Evelyn’s.   By then she’d retired and had undergone Achilles tendon surgery on a day Christine was racing in Cork.   ‘I didn’t even know she was having the surgery, but when I got back to the hotel, my own Achilles was aching.’    They often shop in cities hundreds of miles apart on the same day and return with identical items.   ‘We’ve done that for years, but recently even sent each other identical Christmas gifts: some unusual gardening stuff,’ said Chris.”   and as athletes they would have been outstanding in any era.   Let’s have a look at some statistics first.

They are in a total of seven all-time ranking lists at GB level and eight at Scottish level between the ages of Under 15 and Senior; they have both run in two Commonwealth Games and Christine has run in the Olympics; in 1986 Christine broke the Scottish 1000 metres record that had been held for the previous eight years by Evelyn; both have run for Scotland and for Great Britain.   With brother David also a record-breaker and GB internationalist, they are almost certainly the most prodigious athletics family in Scotland.    Ian, Peter and Mary Stewart are also GB internationalists:  Mary first ran for Scotland at the age of 14 at Grangemouth over 800m.  She then ran in the international world cross for Scotland as a senior from the age of 16 and every year until 1978.   Fourth at the age of 17 fScotland at the New Zealand Commonwealth games and only moved to run for England in 1978.  Christine and Evelyn were good friends and team mates for several years.   Peter ran for England at one point.   Where did it start for Christine and Evelyn?

Christine (32) in the WAAA 800m

Born on 1st December 1956 they came into athletics, as Christine says, “When I was 12 years old after winning the school sports.”   At that stage they did “a bit of everything from 100 to 800 with a bit of long jumping thrown in.”   They joined Maryhill Ladies AC when they were 13 years old and that was where they were united with coach Jimmy Campbell.   In 1971 as 14 year olds, they had personal best times of 2:15.9 for 800 by Evelyn at Wolverhampton, and 2:17.3 by Christine at Grangemouth which ranked them second and third in Scotland behind the aforementioned Mary Stewart who played with the idea of a Scottish international career for a few years before nailing her colours firmly to the English mast.   They competed in the Scottish Schools Championships and consistently won the 400m or 800 in their age group.   Christine’s best as an Under 17 for 800m was 2:07.83 when finishing third in the international against Hungary in August 1973.   By the end of 1973 as Under 17’s, Evelyn was third in the 400m rankings with 54.6 and eight in the 800 with 2:09.7 behind Christine’s 2:07.83 already mentioned.

In 1974 Evelyn won the West District and the East v West 800m in times of 2:19.1 and 2:15.4 although in the ranking lists that year Christine was third quickest with 2:07.8 while Evelyn had tenth with her 2:14.4.   The top two runners were Anglos  Rosemary Wright and Margaret Coomber who had the top 20 times by a Scot between them, so Christine was really the fastest home-based Scot.   While Evelyn won the medals at 800, Christine was doing well at 400 with first in the West Championship and third in the East v West in 59.0 and 58.0.   The highlight for Evelyn however was the Christchurch Commonwealth Games at the start of the year.   She ran in the 800m, qualified for the Final but was unplaced.   She also ran in the 400 where she was sixth in the second semi-final in 55.66.   She then ran in the 4 x 400 metres team which finished fourth in the Final – “the closest I ever came to a medal.”   The team of Margaret Coomber, Evelyn, Rosemary Wright and Helen Golden ran 3:35.2.

Evelyn had a wonderful year: with more appearances over a wide range of distances in the ranking lists for 1974:

100m:   12.7 for 33rd;     200m:   25.5 for 19th;      400m: 55.0 for 2nd:      800m:  2:14.4 for 10th;     1500m:   4:45.1 for 13th;     3000m 11:42.9 for 22nd.

Christine was however eleventh in the 400m with 57.2 and third in the 800m   The compilers of the Yearbook had this to say: ‘First year Senior Christine McMeekin had a quiet season but came through towards the end of the year to equal her best of 2:07.8when placing second in the Junior International against West Germany.’    As an Under 20, Christine’s best 800 2:03.53 when fifth in the match against Russia in August 1975.   And it was at the U20 stage that their careers really started to take off.

 In the interview that Christine gave to ‘Athletics Weekly’ in late 1975, she listed her personal bests as: 200m – 25.8; 400m – 55.8 (1973); 800 – 2:03.5 (1975).   She had been WAAA Intermediate Indoor 400m Champion in 1972, UK Senior International since 1975, and went on to say:

“Most pleasing performance was getting below the Olympic qualifying mark in the UK v USSR match this year.   Greatest disappointment: ‘Not running well in the WAAA Championships 800m Final this year’.  Target for 1976 is to make the Olympic team for Montreal.    All-time goal is one day to receive a gold medal in the Olympic Games.   Intends competing ‘until I don’t enjoy it any more.’   On training : trains six days a week in winter and four or five in summer.   Trains during the day-time in winter for two hours per session, and for the same period in the evening in summer.   Usually trains around the grounds of the PE College – ‘which are good’ –  and also at Meadowbank.   Feels that coaching has been very important as without Jimmy Campbell’s coaching ‘I would never have got so far or enjoyed the sport so much.’   Only sees coach once a week (at weekends) since starting college.   Training she most dislikes is ‘doing long runs’.

Training cycle:   ‘I finish athletics in late September and then take a month’s rest.   During November, December and January (13 weeks) I train six sessions a week doing mainly long runs, interval training and general strength gain work withsome   weight training.   In February the long runs are reduced but the speed of the runs are stepped up.   ‘Interval training’ is gradually changed to ‘speed endurance’ runs.   Weight training is changed to circuit type work at about 30% – 50% of maximum.   Hill running is gradually changed to hill sprinting and speed running is started.   In May, June and July concentration is aimed at competition and preparation for important races such as the WAAA Championships.

Typical Week’s Training in Winter:

Sunday (am) Weight Training; (pm) Long run or hills;   Monday: Warm-up, followed by 20 x 200m fast-slows, 200 metres jog recovery;   Tuesday: Long run;   Wednesday: Weight training followed by 8 – 10 x 300m, 100m jog recovery;   Thursday: Long run;   Friday:   Rest;   Saturday: Cross Country race.

Typical Week’s Training in Summer:

Sunday:   Warm-up followed by2 x 600 in 95 (approx) with 3 minutes recovery or hill sprints;   Monday: Warm-up followed by running drills; 4 x 300m;   Tuesday: Gentle run;   Wednesday: 6 – 8 x 200m, walk recovery and flat out 4 x 80m;   Thursday: 6 x 150m on grass;   Friday: Rest;   Saturday: Competition.  

At that point she said that present training differed from last year in that she was trying to add more weight training sessions.   She liked two days rest before major competition and liked to compete most weekends during the summer.

In 1976, Christine qualified for the big one – the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada, where she raced in 800.    She is quoted by Doug Gillon as saying, “I was knocked over by a big Russian.   Though I got up and set a personal best, I didn’t reach the final.”   she recalls.

David and Evelyn

Up to 1976, the girls had run in the Scottish Women’s Cross-Country Championships in every age group from Under 15 to Senior.   In 1971 Christine was second as a Junior leading the team to third place.   As Inters (Under 17) in 1972, Christine was fourth in 18:05 while Evelyn was seventh in 18:43 and again the team was third.   As Seniors in 1975, Christine was seventh in 24:18 with Evelyn thirteenth in 25:14 and this time the team was first.   1976 however was the last year that they featured in the Scottish Cross-Country Championships and Evelyn was sixth in 23:09.   The track careers were obviously taking precedence at this point.

Rankings at the end of 1977 had Christine tenth in the 400m with 57.0 seconds and in the 800m she was ranked first with her best time of 2:03.5 and in fact had the top seven times in Scotland (and eight of the top nine!) with Evelyn tenth on 2:15.      In the Scottish records at the end of 1977, Christine held the Scottish Native record with 2:05.5 (which she had recorded twice, at Meadowbank in August 1976 and again at Grangemouth in August 1977) and as far as championship wins were concerned, she won the SWAAA 800m in 2:05.7.   In the West 1500m, Christine was second to Jean Duncan with a time of 4:43.

 Right at the start of 1978  in the Commonwealth Games Evelyn won her first round heat in 2:04.1 and also won the semi-final in 2:04.99 but after leading into the last 200m of the Final finished sixth in 2:04.10.   Christine was fourth in the 1500m in 4:12.43, having won her Heat in 4:16.99.   The Games were followed by a good summer.   By the end of the year the Yearbook had Christine leading the 800m  rankings with 2:01.2 and then Evelyn taking places two to seven inclusive with a best of 2:02.6 which, having been run at Meadowbank, was a Scottish Native Record..   In the 1500m, Christine had the first three times (4:12.4 the best), plus fifth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth – only Margaret Coomber filled any of the remaining 12 top times.   In the 400 metres, they were ninth and tenth with Christine recording 56.0 and Evelyn 56.3.   That summer they each had an International appearance – Evelyn ran in the 800 metres against Greece in Athens where she was first in 2:04.24 and Christine ran in the 1500m against Norway in Latvik where she was second in 4:16.8 with the other Scot, Margaret Coomber third in 4:18.    Following  the Games in 1978, they both attended Iowa State University where Evelyn only stayed for a year because of injuries but Christine had a second year during which she had some great successes.

1979 was a very interesting for both women.   Evelyn had two representative appearances on 7th July she was third in the 800m in the Scotland v Norway v Greece at Grangemouth in 208.1, and then just two weeks later (27th July) third in exactly the same time in the Scotland v Wales v Israel in Cwmbran.   Her season’s best however was when she dead-heated with list topper Cherry Hanson (ESH) in 2:04.2 on 11th August at Birmingham.   Evelyn was with that time second in the season’s list for 800m behind Cherry who had a best for the year of 2:02.3.   Evelyn was also third in the 1500m rankings with 4:20.8 at Grangemouth on 25th August.   Christine meanwhile had set a Native record of 4:17.2 for 1500m at Grangemouth on 18th August.   This placed her second in the 1979 rankings  with a time of 4:16,6 in Birmingham on 12th August when defeating Hanson (4:17.3).   This however had her behind Cherry Hanson  whose best of the summer was 4:12.5.     Neither twin seems to have competed in either the District Championships or even in the SWAAA event.

If we separate out the results of the Scottish (SWAAA) 800m championships for the four year period between 1975 and 1978 we get: 1975: 1st Christine – 2:06.8; 1976: 1st  Evelyn – 2:12.0; 1977: 1st   Christine 2:05.7 and 1978 1st  Evelyn 2:04.3.

In 1981 Christine set a wide range of marks when they were at College in the United States  and back at home new names were appearing on the results lists, names like Lynch, Murray and Everett with MacDougall, McQueen and Lightfoot coming up the age groups.   Christine did very well in America but there was not a single mark posted by Evelyn that made the ranking lists over here.   Topping the rankings for 1000 yards with 2:30.3 on 17th January Christine set a Scottish record that would last,  and a week later also in Madison, Wisconsin, she ran 2:07.9 indoors to take fourth place in the year-end lists.  In February she was third in the Mile in Champaign, Illinois, with 4:45.71 which placed her third in the Yearbook.   And in the 1500m her 4:30.4 on 17th April in Lawrence, Kansas, ranked her third in Scotland.   There were no international vests for the twins or Scottish Championships that year but it certainly widened their athletics experience.       If we look at where they were in the Scottish All Time lists after being Senior athletes for only six years, then we see that they are ranked second (Christine, 2:01.2) and fifth (Evelyn 2:02.6) for the 800m, second (Christine 4:12.43) and sixth (Evelyn 4:20.8) in the 1500m and Christine was fourth in the 3000m in 9:20 which she ran in March 1980.   Evelyn was married in 1981 and retired from the sport in 1983 – she says that it just evolved – there was a lot of Achilles tendon trouble and the decision was taken for her.

Evelyn was again absent from the ratings and championships in 1982.   Christine – by the end of 1982 – had two Scottish Records.   She had the Scottish Native 1000m with 2:37.34 which she did at Crystal Palace on 30th June 1982, just two days after setting the Native and National records for the Mile at Grangemouth.   The time was 4:40.65 and the date was 28th August 1982!   Three days, three records.   Although neither qualified for the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane that year Christine did run for Scotland in Maribor Yugoslavia on 24th July where she was third in the 1500m in 4:14.87.   She also won the silver medal in the SWAAA 1500m in a burn-up at the finish to be second in 4:16.7 to Lynne MacDougall’s 4:16.2.   By the end of the year she was in three ranking lists – first in the 1500m with 4:14.87 and she also ran 4:16.9 at Grangemouth on 10th July.   She was also tops in the Mile with her time of 4:40.65 at Meadowbank on 28th August.   Finally she was third in the 800m with her best time of 2:03.14 at Nottingham on 7th July and also had a time of 2:04.75 at Crystal Palace on 30th July.

In August 1988 Evelyn was in a dreadful car accident in which both legs were broken and then there were months of rehabilitation work to be endured.   “The annoying thing was that I had started to train and compete again and was pretty fit and thought I might have an outside chance of making the 1990 Commonwealth Games team.”    Scotland could maybe have done with her services in 1990 and to lose them after she had come through the Achilles injury must have been a real hammer blow.

Where it started: Christine and Evelyn in School colours after competing against Fiona McQueen and Pat O’Neil, Victoria Park, in 1971