We have looked at Eric’s career as a runner and at the start of his coaching career.   It is time to look a bit more closely at his career as a coach.   Now, in 2024 he is coaching a group of 12/13 year olds  as well as several older runners including Lauren Stoddart (pictured above), about whom more later.    Over the years in the 21st century, he has been mentioned in the Press – broadsheets as well as the red tops – and interviewed on television more than once.   He is still to be seen at cross-country races and track meetings as well but maybe fewer than of yore.  There have been several winning teams under his control and he still exchanges banter with other coaches and former athletes.    He is better known to the public at large for several outstanding athletes and we can look at them here.   The ‘big three are Chris O’Hare, Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr who were almost contemporaries and made up a good group of young athletes who are still friends.

Chris (DoB: 21/11/90) competed for Scotland and for Great Britain.    He ran in the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the European Championships and the Commonwealth Games.   Victor in the GB Championship 1500m once he also had two silver and one bronze medals.   He has a personal best for the Mile of 3:32.98,   and of 3:32.11 for 1500m.   Chris also has the honour of having run more sub-four minute miles than any other Scotsman as at August 2024.   The figures are: O’Hare 25 then Williamson 17, Clement 16, Robson 16. 

Jake ( DoB: 11/7/94) also competed for Scotland and Great Britain.   Jake has an excellent athletics pedigree with both mother and father former Olympic athletes.   The fact that they were more than happy to let him train as a young athlete with Eric is a great tribute to him – it is well known that many young athletes are worked too hard or are not taught proper technique for their chosen discipline.   His athletes always avoid the one and gain by learning the other.   Jake went on to compete in all the major championships – Olympic, World, European, Commonwealth, AAA’s and Scottish, he has one first, two seconds and three thirds in the GB championships, he also has a first and a second in the Scottish championships.   He has a personal best of 1:43.65 for 800m, 3:29.23 for 1500m and 3:50.30 for the Mile.   He is best known for his victory over Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m at the 2022 World Championships, the first middle distance gold medal won at a global event since Seb Coe in the 1984 Olympics.   Jake held Scottish records for 800m, 1000m and the mile.

Josh Kerr (DoB: 8/10/97) maybe better known to the wider public as arch rival to Norway’s Ingebrigtsen is a very, very good athlete in his own right.   He has competed for Scotland and for Great Britain, winning the World 1500m championship the year after Jake had done so.   Based in America he has competed in Olympic, World, Commonwealth and British championships with Olympic bronze in 202 and silver in 2024.   He has a first, two seconds and a third in the British championships.   Personal bests?   1;45.35 for 800M,  3;27.79 for 1500m and 3:48.87 for the Mile.   

All three began their running career with Eric and all still speak highly of him.   Most recently, after he won the World 1500m championship, Kerr went along to the club, signed autographs, had selfies taken and distributed some kit from his sponsors, Brooks.   And make no mistake, he is proud of what they have achieved – but het gets great satisfaction from what any athletes he has worked with does.   Take the woman in the photograph above.   Her name is Lauren Stoddart and she has won the Scottish Senior Women’s 3000n steeplechase no fewer than four times – consecutively, 2016, ’17, ’18 and ’19, which makes the feat even more impressive.   This is the record number of wins for the event and the record number of medals of any colour too.     Her personal best performances are 2:17.2 for 800m, 10:30.7 for 3000m, 63.2 for 400m H, 5:26.83 for 1500m S/chase, 6:48.03 for 2000m S/chase and 10:30.7 for 3000m S/chase.   She has been top of the event rankings four times and in the top 10 no fewer than 23 times.   A very good athlete and Eric is as proud of her as he is of any of his athletes.   

For a variety of reasons, Eric is starting to wind down the actual coaching at the track but he will probably have a surprise or two up his sleeve yet.   He has done a lot for the sport, for his club and it has all been appreciated – I know of no one with anything but praise and affection for Eric.  He has had a wonderful coaching career – so far!