Chris Chataway
Media worldwide
have reported the death of
Chris Chataway, the famed broadcaster who helped pace
Roger Bannister to the first sub-4 mile in 1954 and was a 1952 Olympian and later a member of Parliament. He also ran masters track of a sort. I doubt he competed in UK nationals or worlds, but he was still a great distance runner in his later years. The
New York Times reports: “Chataway started running again in his late 50s. At 64, he ran a 5:48 mile on the Iffley Road track, his first race there since Bannister’s sub-four-minute mile.
John Hartley, Chataway’s television colleague, said Chataway had told him that as he stood on the starting line this time, he calculated that in the 41 years between those two miles, he had absorbed 400 pounds of tobacco and 7,000-plus liters of wine…. In 2004, at age 73, Chataway ran a 10-kilometer race in 49:08. The race was the Chris Brasher Memorial. The starter was Bannister.” The BBC story quoted
Seb Coe: “He ran with a couple of my brothers in the Great North Run about three years ago, doing it in a very respectable time.” He also ran a half marathon in one hour, 38 minutes, 50 seconds at age 75 in 2006. Not too shabby. R.I.P., Chris.
Roger and Chris savor moment after first sub-4 mile. Chris was key to record.
2 Responses
Nice to see Chris get his dues,aside from pacing Sir Roger in the first sub 4 minute mile in 54 he won a silver over 5,000m in the European C’ships later that year b4 breaking the 5,000m world record,he will be missed
Leave a Reply