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MASTERS ATHLETICS SPRING 2014.
The decision by Scottish Athletics to raise the qualifying age 2013. The nomination included his work (over the last 47
for Masters to 40 and their consultation with clubs discussed years) for Leamington C & AC, Warwickshire AA, and
at SVHC meeting. SVHC in touch with Scottish Athletics, National Police Athletics.
unimpressed by their response. The change came into force
on 1 October and applies to road and cross country Whilst a member of Midland Masters he won silver at 400m
competition while track and field athletes remain unaffected. and gold in the 4x400 in the European Masters in
Strasbourg, France.
Mel James reported that the Welsh Masters are now running
their own championships; they are Open.
Mel was asked by Steve Brace, Welsh Athletics, if we would
be interested in including a BMAF Masters mile race, in 5-
year age categories, as they are expanding the half
marathon to include mile races on 1 October in Cardiff.
Meeting felt that this would be a good idea.
Midland Masters and Leamington C & AC athlete Sue
Harrison has collected two more awards for her outstanding
run in the European 100km Championship in Belves, France
last April. Running for Great Britain in only her second outing
over the distance Sue won the bronze medal in an
outstanding 7h48.12 (previously reported in Masters
Magazine).
As a result of this performance Sue was voted "Coventry The book is part history, part autobiography and part
Solihull and Warwickshire" 'Sportswoman of the Year, comment, covering the British distance running scene during
beating the World Champion Squash player and a Junior the author's life time, starting just after the second world
Cycle Cross Champion. The award was presented at a Gala war. During this time there was a rapid ascent to a peak
Evening at the St. Johns Hotel, Solihull in December. between the end of the sixties and the middle of the eighties
followed by an ever hastening decline. The state of British
A second recognition came Sue's way when the Officers of distance running in this period of sixty or so years is mirrored
the Warwickshire County A.A awarded Sue the County's top exactly by the author's own running career, the realisation of
trophy, -'The Ellis Trophy', - for her European 100km this fact being the original stimulus for the book. In part the
performance. The Trophy is awarded to 'the County athlete book is a celebration of the 'glory days of British distance
who achieves the most outstanding performance anywhere running, a time when standards were reached that have
in the world during the previous 12 months'. Sue become the never since been equalled.
only athlete to be awarded the trophy twice and is the only
female athlete to win it. Sue won it first in 2010 for her Gold Chapters cover the source of motivation for serious distance
Medal winning performance in the World 50km Final in runners, the development of types and amounts of training
Ireland when she set an English National and a World leading to the present day consensus on training for distance
Masters record. She is amongst good company as previous running, the influence of Universities and colleges and the
winners include Marlon Devonish, Nathan Woodward and running clubs, the vital role played by so called 'good club
Andrew Pozzi. runners', the dissociation of good club runners from the elite
that commenced towards the end of the last century, the
Her Coach Les Barnett was awarded the Warwick District massive growth in fun running and the concomitant decline in
Trophy for the 'Unsung Hero / Club Volunteer Award' for numbers of serious runners, the marathon, the World Cross
Country, controversial matters within the sport, the rise of the
East Africans and whether running is in the genes or simply
due to nurture plus hard work, why we run and how do we
know if we are running as hard as we can, racing and
training, and a lot more.
There is plenty of evidence that distance running as a sport
really did flourish during the twenty five years from the mid-
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