Still Running (weakly). Issue 96

PAST – inspiration – “I’d like to go for a walk in the forest with you and not come back,” said Gordon Pirie, as he sat with Chris Brasher and John Disley over a New Forest pub lunch in October 1991. The three friends had a complete set of Olympic medals between them – Brasher 1956 steeplechase gold, Pirie 1956 5000 silver and Disley 1952 steeplechase bronze. All three knew that Pirie was dying.

But his name at least should not be allowed to perish, because he, as much as anyone – yes, as much as Bannister – reignited British athletics after the Second World War. His six world records, his victories over Emil Zatopek and Volodymyr Kuts, his maniacal training and his rebellious nature endeared him to the British public, who voted him BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1955.

In retirement, he was ignored by the British athletics establishment and struggled to find secure employment or a settled homelife. He spent long periods abroad, especially in New Zealand, where he coached many successful runners. But he finally returned to England, passing away two months after that lunch with Brasher and Disley at the age of just 60.

PRESENT – perspiration – My first ‘marathon’ was the Tanners Marathon of 1976, a Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) challenge of 30 miles up and down the Surrey hills. The target was to get round in 10 hours, which my companion and I just about managed, only to discover that the course record was held by some bloke called Gordon Pirie, who had jogged round in about 3 hours many years earlier!

Born in Croydon, I trod in Pirie’s footsteps quite often without realising it. He had spent his early years in Coulsdon, just to the south. My school Sports Days were held at Croydon Arena on Albert Road in South Norwood, where he did many sessions; early cross-country races took me over Farthing Downs, his favourite training location; and my later track sessions – and a few 24-hour races – were on the tartan of Tooting Bec track, which was cinders when Pirie trained and raced there in the 50s.

Years ago, I bought Roger Bannister’s book, First Four Minutes, for 50p at a jumble sale, and was amazed to discover the 3:59.4 man’s autograph on the title page. In addition, part of the cover of an athletics programme had been cut out and sellotaped beside Bannister’s name: it bore the unmistakable and invaluable signature of Gordon ‘Puff Puff’ Pirie himself!

FUTURE – suggestion – Which leads me to ask what we can take from Pirie’s training, which in the end accounted for over 250,000 miles – essentially 100 miles a week for 50 years?

A few days ago, there was a headline in the lifestyle section of The Times, “Should you push through the pain barrier?” I think we know what Gordon’s answer to that would have been.

But let us be a bit more nuanced. He was criticised, in his time, for not resting before big races, for training too hard for too long, for not letting his body absorb the enhanced fitness his rigorous training had given him.

So, let us promise ourselves that we will try and know when to train hard – and, equally importantly, when to ease off in the build-up to a race to which we attach importance. History is littered with runners who left their best performances on the training track – as well as those who, forced to rest by injury or other circumstances, found themselves running better than ever in the aftermath.