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Authors: Stan Eldon
Tags: Police, Biography, Autobiography, Memoirs, long distance, life story, Running, cross country, athletics, international races, constable, half marathon, Disability Sport
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April, after I had won a six mile invitation race at the White City in 29:48, I started training on the track, which meant running to Tidworth or running on a local grass track at Bulford. My first track session of the year was about nine miles in total, and started with running two 880 yards in 2:7.5 and 2:8, with 440 yards recovery, followed by two 440 yards in 59 and 56.8 seconds, and then 6 Ã 220 yards, run in between 26 and 28 seconds, and finishing off with 2 Ã 100 yards in about 10.5 seconds. I took a 220 yard jog between every fast run after the 880 yards. A word of explanation about my sprint times; they were always taken from a flying start. This pattern of training, progressively getting faster in a training session, was to be my main training for the rest of my running career, and helped me to develop a fast finish.
In May I had quite a few club races; some for Salisbury and others for Windsor. These included a 2:05 880 yards, several miles in around 4:30, and a 440 yards in 54.5. I ran for Berkshire in the Inter County Championships at the White City, and finished sixth in 14:0.8. Wins in the Berkshire Championships followed; the one mile in 4:18.4 and the three miles in 14:27.2. My next run was not so good, I ran in the Southern six miles and could only finish sixth in 29:59, but within four days I was back to my best. Winning a three mile race for the Army against Hampshire in 14:14.8.
Most of my training was on the track at this time, and typical sessions could include up to 28 Ã 220 yards, with the same recovery and all run in under 30 seconds. Other sessions would include up to 14 Ã 440 yards, but these were normally as part of a longer session where I would run other distances as well. Another typical day at this time would be 6 Ã 3/4 mile, with a two lap jog between each 3/4, and finishing with 6 Ã 220 yards.
Other races in June included finishing sixth in the Southern Counties three mile in 13:59 (first time under 14 minutes), the Army three mile title in 14:10.2, run on a very heavy track at Aldershot, and a 3,000 metre invitation, on the same track one day later, in 8:33.
July was a very busy month, both before and after finishing my National Service in the second week. I ran for the AAAs against Kent in a two mile race; 4 th in 9:17.6. I was ninth in my first AAA senior championship three miles at the White City, where I ran 14:02. All together I had over twelve races in that month, plus an unusual event. Just before I left the Army I was sent to Aldershot for the Army Modern Pentathlon Championship; the event I had declined to enter. Not to take part, but to run the 4,000 metre course and set the standard that the competitors had to match to score maximum points. I was not open to bribery, so I ran as fast as I could and set 13:01 as the standard over the cross-country circuit.
I had a busy July and I was back at Inkerman Barracks, Woking, for my demob from the Royal Military Police. I had a total of around fifteen races during that month, both before and after leaving the Army. Apart from the Inter Services Championships, where I finished third in the three miles in 14:19.4, most of these runs were in club matches.
While in the Army my running had progressed rapidly. I set a world best for the three miles for a junior under nineteen years of 14:19 in 1955, and in April 1956, I set a world best by six seconds for an under nineteen-year-old of 29:48.3. I was only eighth and it was my first six mile race, but I did have some good names behind me, including Chris Brasher who later that year won the Olympic steeplechase. The Kenyans have probably got fifty or maybe hundreds of young runners running faster than these times today. I had been the Army Three Mile Champion, but had not managed to win the cross-country because that was held by Basil Heatley, the man who was to win an Olympic silver medal at the marathon in 1964.
Chapter Five: On the Beat
I left the Army in July 1956 and
In May I had quite a few club races; some for Salisbury and others for Windsor. These included a 2:05 880 yards, several miles in around 4:30, and a 440 yards in 54.5. I ran for Berkshire in the Inter County Championships at the White City, and finished sixth in 14:0.8. Wins in the Berkshire Championships followed; the one mile in 4:18.4 and the three miles in 14:27.2. My next run was not so good, I ran in the Southern six miles and could only finish sixth in 29:59, but within four days I was back to my best. Winning a three mile race for the Army against Hampshire in 14:14.8.
Most of my training was on the track at this time, and typical sessions could include up to 28 Ã 220 yards, with the same recovery and all run in under 30 seconds. Other sessions would include up to 14 Ã 440 yards, but these were normally as part of a longer session where I would run other distances as well. Another typical day at this time would be 6 Ã 3/4 mile, with a two lap jog between each 3/4, and finishing with 6 Ã 220 yards.
Other races in June included finishing sixth in the Southern Counties three mile in 13:59 (first time under 14 minutes), the Army three mile title in 14:10.2, run on a very heavy track at Aldershot, and a 3,000 metre invitation, on the same track one day later, in 8:33.
July was a very busy month, both before and after finishing my National Service in the second week. I ran for the AAAs against Kent in a two mile race; 4 th in 9:17.6. I was ninth in my first AAA senior championship three miles at the White City, where I ran 14:02. All together I had over twelve races in that month, plus an unusual event. Just before I left the Army I was sent to Aldershot for the Army Modern Pentathlon Championship; the event I had declined to enter. Not to take part, but to run the 4,000 metre course and set the standard that the competitors had to match to score maximum points. I was not open to bribery, so I ran as fast as I could and set 13:01 as the standard over the cross-country circuit.
I had a busy July and I was back at Inkerman Barracks, Woking, for my demob from the Royal Military Police. I had a total of around fifteen races during that month, both before and after leaving the Army. Apart from the Inter Services Championships, where I finished third in the three miles in 14:19.4, most of these runs were in club matches.
While in the Army my running had progressed rapidly. I set a world best for the three miles for a junior under nineteen years of 14:19 in 1955, and in April 1956, I set a world best by six seconds for an under nineteen-year-old of 29:48.3. I was only eighth and it was my first six mile race, but I did have some good names behind me, including Chris Brasher who later that year won the Olympic steeplechase. The Kenyans have probably got fifty or maybe hundreds of young runners running faster than these times today. I had been the Army Three Mile Champion, but had not managed to win the cross-country because that was held by Basil Heatley, the man who was to win an Olympic silver medal at the marathon in 1964.
Chapter Five: On the Beat
I left the Army in July 1956 and
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