THERE is a very interesting Facebook site called ‘Old Running Results and Pictures’ that is forever throwing up copies of old results and reports from yesteryear.
One that caught my eye today and which I thought might interest the Easy Runner blog readers were the results of the Bath half marathon way back in 1992.
The event incorporated the AAA Championships that year so understandably attracted an even stronger field than normal but looking back now the depth of results seem quite staggering.
The top 70 runners all broke 70 minutes with the top ten inside 65mins 10secs; Bristol AC’s Wayne Buxton found that 65:27 only got him 13th while Westbury Harriers’ Maurice Cowman, also a top runner in his day, could only finish 44th with 68:29!
The race was won by Gateshead Harriers’ international Colin Walker in 63:59 with Exeter-based Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier Ian Cornford (64:25) and Tipton’s Dave Payne (64:29) completing the podium.
Plymouth’s Rob Wise was first West Country runner in fifth (64:41) – he later joined Westbury Harriers – with Cornishman Mark King ninth (65:04).
Buxton was the first local runner home and told me that the rumours the course was short were unfounded.
“It was short in the early 80s then it was re-measured and is the same course as it is today,” said Wayne.