I attended Bournemouth Grammar School where a little education was painfully beaten into me. In the annual Inter House Crosss Country races, I used to finish 1st or 2nd out of 150 boys. Strange as it may seem, it did not occur to me to train for these events, nor was there sports coaching of any kind at school. Thereafter, I played football, cricket and tennis, and would sometimes run to keep fit.
By the time I left school, aged 16, I had already played nearly thirty gigs in a rock band with my brother Michael. My career in music took me to 1988 when I was resident bandleader at The Royal Garden Hotel roof restaurant in Kensington. It was there that I met my wife Yasmine (coincidentally the place of her birth) and the time I had the urge to find out what standard I could attain as a competitive runner. I was then 44 years old.
For the following fourteen years, I competed 'unattached' at local races until 2002 when I joined Hercules Wimbledon AC. Two years later I was selected to run for the English Masters M60 Team in the Five Nations International Cross Country held that year at Lloyds Park, Croydon.
Since then, I have competed successfully at BMAF Championships, and been selected to run for England eleven times. In 2015 I entered my first World Masters Championships in Lyon, France. I won a silver medal for the 1500m and bronze for the half marathon races. It was not until this year (2024) in Gothenburg that I achieved my ambition of becoming a world champion. Better late than never.
Masters Athletics is for men and women aged 35+. They compete in five year age bands (ie 35-39, 40-44 etc).
WORLD MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS, GOTHENBURG 2024
THURSDAY 15TH AUGUST - 5000m
My first race was the 5000m track race at the impressive Ullevi Stadium, which is also the home of the Swedish National Football Team. Soon after the gun went, I tucked in behind the Frenchman, Jean-Louis Esnault. I followed him around the track for twelve laps, then managed to outsprint him in the home straight.
Saturday 17th August - 4 x 100m Relay
Whilst I was waiting for my 5000m race two days earlier at the Ullevi Stadium, I was asked to join the M80 4 x 100m Relay Team who were due to race on the Saturday. This was unexpected, but the team could not compete unless I joined them.
Our team comprised:
Leg 1 - Mel James (failed to reach the 2024 100m Final by 2/100th of a sec).
Leg 2 - Jim Smith (2024 100m individual bronze medallist).
Leg 3 - Myself (no sprinting pedigree whatsoever).
Leg 4 - Alan Long (2024 100m individual silver medallist).
Before the race we had a short practice, passing and receiving the baton in the indoor track which adjoins the Slottsskogsvallen Stadium. Then a half hour wait in the Call Room. Then onto the track.
The whole race went really well, and we managed to win and set a new M80 British Masters 4 x 100m Relay record with a time of 64.98", three seconds faster than the old record. We were well chuffed!
Sunday 18th August - 10k Road Race
This was for all age groups (men and women). It was two laps of a hilly 5k circuit in the stunning Slottsskogen City Park. It was a tough course, but I managed to win my age group with three minutes to spare, ahead of two Swedish runners.
Tuesday 20th August - 6k Cross Country
This was my fourth race in six days and I was feeling tired on the Monday. Then I developed flu-like symptoms in the evening (you know the drill - the shivers, headache, sore throat, lethargy, aches and pains everywhere). I slept that night fully dressed under two duvet covers. The 6k cross country race was scheduled for 9am the following morning in the Slottsskogen City Park. I was certain that I would not be able to run, but I had to turn up because two others (Michael Johnson and Barry Roberts) were relying on me to be the third member of the GB M80 Team.
As would luck would have it, we were the only complete M80 team in the race, and therefore only had to finish to get the team gold medals. I got to the starting line with a T-shirt and a long-sleeved top under my GB singlet. Not wanting to squander valuable energy, I did not bother with any sort of warm up, even though I was shivering. I was preoccupied (mentally preparing myself for 6k of plodding torture) when the gun went off. I ambled away as best as I could, but to my surprise, after fifty metres or so, I found that I was actually running.
My arch rival from the 5000m, Jean-Louis Esnault, was a short distance ahead of me leading the M80s. The old competitive instinct (or some other self-destructive impulse) kicked in, and I miraculously found myself tucked in behind him. The aches and pains seemed to fade away, so I just concentrated on keeping up with him for a long as I could.
Jean-Louis was running surprisingly slowly, but at any moment I expected him to put his foot down and disappear into the distance. But he didn't. I stayed close behind him for two of the three 2k laps. Then part way into the third and final lap, Jean-Louis gave a loud groan and clutched his stomach. I asked him if he was alright but he just waved me on past him. So that was it! He had a stomach problem of some sort. I felt that I was in some kind of surreal dream.
On the starting line, I had been certain that I would only be able to trot gently or walk the 6k. But here I was with 1.5k to go in a World Masters Championship race and I was in the lead. The next two M80s were thirty or forty metres behind me. It was a most extraordinary experience. I hauled myself up the last hill and headed for the finish with renewed energy to win by about fifty metres from the bow-legged Spaniard, Emilio de la Camara.
Michael Johnson finished one second behind him to claim third place and individual bronze. Barry Roberts finished eventually to secure our M80 team gold medals
Poor Jean-Louis came fourth, finishing in a lot of pain. Now that the race was over, all my aches and pains returned.
The French have a great word for how I felt - crevé (meaning punctured, worn out). Everything hurt, but I now had five free days to recover and prepare for my f ifth and final race. Easier said than done.
I spent three days in bed and could eat no meals for that period. I lost about ten pounds in weight.
Sunday 25th August - 1500m Track
My favourite event. This was my first race at the Björlanda Athletics Centre with its brand new track. From the start the Finn Markku Juopperi shot into the lead, and I moved into second place behind him. After a lap or so he slowed noticeably so the Swede Paul Simonsson, quickly took the lead.
Again, I slotted in behind. Jean-Louis was just behind us. Four of us hit the home straight together and I took off first. Unluckily my left calf was becoming painful, and it was no surprise when Jean-Louis dashed past me to win by a second. Markku finished third.
What a memorable championships! Five golds, one silver and a British Relay record. I had come from schoolboy cross country winner to World Masters Champion in only sixty-nine years.
Who can say that I am not a patient man?
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