We look back half a century to an infamous day, when the arctic weather took a heavy toll on even the toughest of runners

This year’s Saucony English cross-country Championships was held in beautiful spring sunshine at Parliament Hill last weekend. That was not the case for the Championships which was held 50 years ago this weekend.

“Arctic weather turned ‘National’ into a grim survival test” was the headline which led the AW coverage.

The race was held (for the last time) at Sutton Park – a good course but unfortunately miles away from the changing rooms. The day started with reasonable conditions but worsened in the afternoon, the weather turning from rain to sleet and then to snow as the temperatures plummeted.

Many runners fell in the slippery conditions but it was a strong, icy headwind at the end of each lap which did the damage and ultimately also in the finishing funnels post race. Many runners were taken to hospital and others reported cold, shaking fits with icicles in their hair.

The officials also had to endure the terrible weather and sadly one of their number – Tom Owen from Liverpool – died of a heart attack while travelling home.

One letter in AW from Cambridge and Coleridge members said the following. “The sight of runners unable to hold a limb, still sobbing, and even frightened of what was happening to their bodies was disgusting and then having to find their way two miles back to the schools. Just because we have had to operate under these conditions for the past 50 years does not mean we have to continue for another 50!”

The photographs in AW at the time were taken by Eric North and the terrible conditions they were taken in and time means the black and white photographs aren’t pin-sharp but do give an idea of the snow.

While half a century later runners tend to remember the weather rather than the race, the result itself should not be forgotten.

Welshman Malcolm Thomas, representing Thames Valley Harriers, was victorious and improved on his second place of the year before behind Dave Bedford, who was a spectator this time around due to an Achilles problem.

Bill Robinson of Gateshead sprang a shock, 36 seconds back in second, having revelled in the conditions. A previous best of just 23rd, he had only been 59th in the Inter Counties and 16th in the Northern.

Three-time Commonwealth medallist and sub 13:30 5000m performer Allan Rushmer was third.

The top eight was completed by 1976 Olympic marathoner Keith Angus, 1974 European 10,000m medallist Tony Simmons, 1971 Inter Counties champion Grenville Tuck, former British steeplechase record-holder Gerry Stevens and 1982 AAA Marathon champion Steve Kenyon (2:11:40).

The 1968 Olympic 1500m runner Maurice Benn was 11th, with 1974 European 5000m champion Brendan Foster in 14th. The 1970 winner and the 1971 European marathon runner-up Trevor Wright was 23rd. The latter had been in the top 10 when his legs seized up in sight of the finish.

Others who struggled included Commonwealth and European Marathon champion Ron Hill who was 53rd, European Indoor 3000m champion Ricky Wilde in 65th, 1969 European 5000m medallist Alan Blinston in 83rd and 1970 Commonwealth 10,000m champion Lachie Stewart in 149th. The former UK 10,000m record-holder Mike Freary was 203rd, while 1976 Olympic Marathon trials winner Jeff Norman was 333rd and 1966 AAA Marathon champion Graham Taylor 366th.

Of some of the future top coaches Norman Poole was 116th, Lindsay Dunn 222nd, Bud Baldaro 228th and Mick Woods 314th.

There were some doubts over some of the results post-race, however, as many scoring cards and team sheets were ineligible and runners were taken to hospital with their discs still in their hands!

Stan Greenberg, the former BBC athletics Statistician, recalls: “As the weather was quite sunny and bright in London I went up by car wearing an ordinary suit and mackintosh. There was virtually no cover of any sort, and the conditions deteriorated from heavy rain to freezing sleet, snow and biting cold as the temperature dropped disastrously.

“Many of the runners fell over and a lot didn’t finish. Those that did finished with icicles in their hair and in terrible condition. Some were taken to hospital. In my own case I was literally soaked to the skin, through suit and coat and on arrival home in London I went straight to bed with, near pneumonia, for two days. In my mind I have never been so cold, and certainly never so wet.”

National cross-country champs results-fest! https://t.co/ocPnzbeO9M

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) March 2, 2022

Future AW deputy editor Jon Wigley, who would run 28:37 for 10,000m was 239th, and AW correspondent Alastair Aitken 658th of the 887 finishers, well under half the number that finished in Parliament Hill this year. Another AW correspondent, Martin Duff, was 69th in Reading’s bronze medal-winning team.

Duff remembers the following: “The weather was appalling and the conditions deteriorated throughout the afternoon. The race was held on the moorland at the top of the long hill of the road relay. We had been there before as the 1968 National where I was in the Manchester fourth-placed team.

“The senior race started fairly benignly but the rain then sleet, then snow lashed down so it became a strong man’s race. I was running beside the tall Mike Davis of Thames Valley when he suddenly went down a hole and I never saw him again.

“I was able to finish strongly and only one man, Commonwealth silver medallist marathoner Bill Adcocks, passed me on the last lap.

“Because of my strong finish I was better placed than most to feel okay but trying to put the tracksuit and wet gear on post race (remember we had to line up in funnels to get our place disc) was difficult and my hands just shook and trembled.

“Getting the spikes off was hard but once back in trainers there was about long jog back to the school on the other side of town that served as the base and where we were able to get a wash down in the cloakroom sinks. The run there, that day in 1972, is why I still love going there for the road relays.”

Reports and photos from the Saucony English National Cross Country Champs at Parliament Hill. https://t.co/jMYWF3Rqct

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) March 3, 2022

Back then there were only three races instead of the ten now and the women participated elsewhere – one week previously at High Wycombe.

The earlier races were not as badly affected but the quality of British running at the time and the future years is illustrated well by the junior race alone.

Dave Black, who would run a world 5000m junior record later in the year and go on to Commonwealth silver less than two years later, won in 30:43 from Ray Smedley (31:15), who would make the Olympic 1500m semi-finals just a few months later.

Julian Goater, the 1982 Commonwealth 10,000m medallist the man who produced what many believe to be the greatest senior National win in history, in 1981, was third in 31:32.

Dennis Coates, who four years later would set a British steeplechase record in winning his Olympic heat, was fourth. Barry Smith, a future Golden 10,000m winner, was fifth and future Olympic steeplechaser Tony Staynings seventh.

Future national winner and Olympic eighth-placer Bernie Ford was an off-colour 11th, one place up on future world 5000m record-holder Dave Moorcroft in 12th.

The 1974 Commonwealth steeplechase medallist John Davies was 17th and Olympic marathon medallist Charlie Spedding 23rd.

The Youths race was nowhere near as star-studded, with Neil Saunders edging Scot Paul Bannon on the line. Bannon would win a Commonwealth marathon medal for Canada in 1978. Mike Kearns in 28th would go on to break the British 1500m record in 1977 (3:36.81) and then finish fourth in the first London Marathon in 1981 in 2:13:37.

Sale won the team race and their team included future 1:47.2 800m performer Tony Settle, and Adrian Royle, who would run a 27:47.16 10,000m.

I watched my first National in 1973 and competed in my first as a Youth in 1975 in Luton. My first senior race came in 1979, also at Luton.

The only time the conditions bore a passing resemblance to 1972 were when I competed was at Bristol exactly 30 years after Sutton Coldfield in 2002. However, compared to that infamous day, I’m sure it was a walk in the park.

Again the weather turned in the men’s race and sunshine turned to sleet and a 50mph wind on top of the Downs brought runners to gibbering wrecks in the finishing funnel. I recall badly burning my uncontrollably shaking hands after the race, trying to hold a cup of tea!

Sam Haughian won the senior men’s race in 39:26 from Allen Graffin’s 39:51. Haughian, whose best run was a 13:19.45 fifth place in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, sadly died at the age of just 24 in a car crash in South Africa.

The women’s race also featured a blizzard. It was easily won by Liz Yelling (27:36) ahead of Amanda Wright (28:39). Third was the now top W55 athlete Lucy Elliott (29:03).

Junior star at the time, Emily Pidgeon, won the under-13 race with future World Junior 1500m champion and Olympic marathoner Stephanie Twell seventh.