Brendan Foster
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nickname | Big Bren | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | 12 January 1948 Hebburn, South Tyneside, England | (age 76)||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 10 st 10 lb (150 lb; 68 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | 1,500 m, 5,000 m, 10,000 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | Gateshead Harriers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal best(s) | 1,500 m – 3:37.64 (1974) 5,000 m – 13:14.6 (1974) 10,000 m – 27:30.3 (1978) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Sir Brendan Foster
Early life
Educated at
Athletics career
Brendan Foster's athletic career saw him compete in three Olympic Games, claiming Britain's only track and field medal (bronze in the 10,000 metres) at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. In 1973 he broke the World Record for two miles at Crystal Palace with a time of 8:13.68. In 1974 he won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch in a time of 13:14.6 behind Ben Jipcho before winning the European Championships 5,000m, beating Olympic champion Lasse Virén en route to Gold in 13:17.2. When the then world record was within reach, he ran the final lap in a relatively leisurely 62 seconds after establishing a commanding lead before it. In the same year he broke the 3,000m World Record on his home track, Gateshead International Stadium with a time of 7:35.1. That year, Foster was awarded the BBC's prestigious Sports Personality of the Year award.
He established his personal best in the 10,000 m with a time of 27:30.3 run at Crystal Palace on 23 June 1978, while also winning 10,000 m gold at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton.
Foster only placed fourth in the 1978 European Athletics Championships 10,000-metre race, but he ran faster than any 10,000-metre European Champion has run ever since (see various European countries' books about the European Athletics Championships from 1982 to 2006). Foster finished fifth in the 1976 Olympics 5,000-metre final, just 1.4 seconds behind the winner,
Foster's final major race was the 1980 Olympics 10,000-metre final, where he finished eleventh, almost 40 seconds behind the winner, Ethiopia's Miruts Yifter.[3]
In 2010, he was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame.
Business, media and other activities
Brendan joined the sports company
After retiring from athletics following the Moscow Olympics in 1980, Foster worked for BBC Television, commentating and reporting on the sport at every major event from 1983 to 2017.
In 1977, he helped organise the "Gateshead Fun Run", a pioneering running event.
Foster has also promoted sport in Ethiopia and other African countries.[1]
Recognition and honours
Foster was
References
- ^ ISSN 2043-0442.
- ^ "Hull boss Phil Brown takes on Great North Run challenge". Daily Mirror. 16 September 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2009.
- ^ a b Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Brendan Foster". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015.
- ^ Hannus, Matti; "The Thousand Stars of Athletics" ("Tuhat yleisurheilun tähteä"), published in Finland, 1983
- ^ Butcher, Pat (2004) "The Perfect Distance – Ovett & Coe: The Record-Breaking Rivalry", Weidenfeld&Nicolson, London
- ^ "Brendan Foster takes gold in a very different arena". The Independent. 1 July 1997. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ "M&S adds View From sportwear to its line up". The Independent. 6 June 2002. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ "Olympic hero sells sports brand". BBC. 5 June 2002. Retrieved 14 November 2009.
- ^ Engelbrecht, Gavin (5 June 2013). "North-East fun run was first in the UK". Northern Echo. thenorthernecho.co.uk.
- ^ "Great North Run: Thousands complete half-marathon". British Broadcasting Corp. 7 September 2014.
- ^ "Great North Run 2014: One millionth finisher crosses line". British Broadcasting Corp. 7 September 2014.
- ^ Knight, Tom (18 September 2003). "Foster rejoins party with jog down memory lane". The Telegraph. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ Ex-Olympian quits university role. BBC News. 28 January 2009
- ^ UK list: "No. 46777". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1975. p. 14.
- ^ "No. 58557". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2007.
- ^ Southern, Keiran (13 December 2016). "Freedom of the City". chroniclelive.co.uk. chronicle. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- ^ Athletics Weekly staff (3 August 2017). "Brendan Foster awarded IAAF Golden Order of Merit". athleticsweekly.com. Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
- ^ "No. 63135". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 2020. p. B2.
- ^ Kelly, Mike (9 October 2020). "Arise Sir Brendan Foster of Hebburn". chroniclelive.co.uk. chronicle. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
External links