Brendan Foster
Encyclopedia
Brendan Foster CBE
(born 12 January 1948 in Hebburn
, now Tyne and Wear
, (County Durham
at the time), England
) is a British
former distance runner, entrepreneur and the founder of the Great North Run
. He won the Bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics
. He also won the 5,000 metres at the 1974 European Championships
and the 10,000 metres at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
.
and Carnegie College of Physical Education, Foster went on to become a secondary-school chemistry teacher. His pupils included footballer turned manager Phil Brown, whom he tried to encourage to take up running over football.
, claiming Britain's only track and field medal (bronze in the 10,000 metres) at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Although only winning a bronze medal, Brendan Foster had the distinction of setting the Olympic record in the heats of the event, a record which lasted until 1984. In 1973 he broke the World Record for two miles
at Crystal Palace
with a time of 8:13.68. In 1974 he won the European Championships 5,000m, beating Olympic champion Lasse Virén
en route to Gold. 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 10,000m with a time of 27:30.3 run at Crystal Palace on 23 June 1978, while also winning 10,000m Gold at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
in Edmonton
. Foster was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1976.
Since retiring from the sport after the Moscow Olympics in 1980, Foster has worked for BBC
Television, commentating and reporting on Athletics at every major event since 1983.
In 1981, Foster founded the Great North Run
. The 2005 race was the 25th staging of the event, in which over half a million people have taken part over the years. The event regularly attracts over 50,000 entrants, making it (as it has been every year since 1981) the UK's biggest road race, with only the London Marathon coming close to challenging it for numbers of participants. In 2003, Brendan ran the Great North Run himself for the first time in many years after an on air challenge from Ray Stubbs
of the BBC
at the 2002 event.
Foster was Chancellor
of Leeds Metropolitan University
from 2005 to 2009. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours
. 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, Lasse Viren of Finland (see, for example, "The Montreal Olympic Book" / Montrealin olympiakirja, written by Matti Hannus and published in Finland in 1976). Interestingly, Foster lost all his three Olympic races against Viren — the 1976 Olympics 10,000 metres and 5,000 metres and the 1980 Olympics 10,000 metres — but he never or almost never lost to Viren outside the Olympics
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
(see, for example, "The Moscow Olympic Book" / Moskovan olympiakirja, written by the "Runner" / Juoksija magazine and published in Finland in 1980).
International Limited in 1981 as UK Managing Director. Progressing to European Managing Director, Vice President Marketing (Worldwide) and Vice President of Nike
Europe. In 1988 he set up a company, Nova International with three friends from Nike
. This company was later renamed to View From International, which won a contract to supply the British athletics team. The brand was later sold to Marks and Spencer in 2002 for an estimated £2m.
In 2010, he was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 12 January 1948 in Hebburn
Hebburn
Hebburn is a small town situated on the south bank of the River Tyne in North East England, sandwiched between the towns of Jarrow and Bill Quay...
, now Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
, (County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
at the time), England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
former distance runner, entrepreneur and the founder of the Great North Run
Great North Run
The Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon, taking place annually each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields in England. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.The first Great...
. He won the Bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 1976 Summer Olympics
At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, 37 events were contested in athletics. There were a total number of 1006 participating athletes from 80 countries.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:**...
. He also won the 5,000 metres at the 1974 European Championships
1974 European Championships in Athletics
The 11th European Athletics Championships was held from 2 September to 8 September 1974 in the Stadio Olimpico of Rome, the capital of Italy.-Track:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982-Field:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982-Track:1969 |1971 |1974 |1978 |1982...
and the 10,000 metres at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
1978 Commonwealth Games
The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec...
.
Early life
Educated at St Joseph's Grammar School, the University of SussexUniversity of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
and Carnegie College of Physical Education, Foster went on to become a secondary-school chemistry teacher. His pupils included footballer turned manager Phil Brown, whom he tried to encourage to take up running over football.
Athletics career
Brendan Foster's athletic career saw him compete in three Olympic GamesOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, claiming Britain's only track and field medal (bronze in the 10,000 metres) at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Although only winning a bronze medal, Brendan Foster had the distinction of setting the Olympic record in the heats of the event, a record which lasted until 1984. In 1973 he broke the World Record for two miles
Two miles
The 2 mile is a historic running distance. Like the mile run, it is still contested at some invitational meets, perhaps because it provides an easier record to break for meet promoters , as well as its historical chronology. It is largely superseded by the 3000 m and 5000 m, and by the 3200m in...
at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
with a time of 8:13.68. In 1974 he won the European Championships 5,000m, beating Olympic champion Lasse Virén
Lasse Virén
Lasse Artturi Virén is a former Finnish long-distance runner, winner of four gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics...
en route to Gold. In the same year he broke the 3,000m World Record on his home track, Gateshead International Stadium
Gateshead International Stadium
Gateshead International Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. The stadium is primarily set up for athletics, with a running track, but it is home to Gateshead Thunder rugby league club, Gateshead Senators American Football and Gateshead FC. It has also held a...
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 10,000m with a time of 27:30.3 run at Crystal Palace on 23 June 1978, while also winning 10,000m Gold at the 1978 Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. Foster was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1976.
Since retiring from the sport after the Moscow Olympics in 1980, Foster has worked for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Television, commentating and reporting on Athletics at every major event since 1983.
In 1981, Foster founded the Great North Run
Great North Run
The Bupa Great North Run is the world's largest half marathon, taking place annually each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and South Shields in England. The run was devised by former Olympic 10,000 m bronze medallist and BBC Sport commentator Brendan Foster.The first Great...
. The 2005 race was the 25th staging of the event, in which over half a million people have taken part over the years. The event regularly attracts over 50,000 entrants, making it (as it has been every year since 1981) the UK's biggest road race, with only the London Marathon coming close to challenging it for numbers of participants. In 2003, Brendan ran the Great North Run himself for the first time in many years after an on air challenge from Ray Stubbs
Ray Stubbs
Raymond "Ray" Stubbs is a broadcaster and former footballer. He works for ESPN, presenting live Premier League and Scottish Premier League matches, having joined the satellite sports channel from the BBC in 2009.-Football career:...
of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
at the 2002 event.
Foster was Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
from 2005 to 2009. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours
New Year Honours 2008
The New Year Honours 2008 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 29 December 2007, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2008....
. 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, Lasse Viren of Finland (see, for example, "The Montreal Olympic Book" / Montrealin olympiakirja, written by Matti Hannus and published in Finland in 1976). Interestingly, Foster lost all his three Olympic races against Viren — the 1976 Olympics 10,000 metres and 5,000 metres and the 1980 Olympics 10,000 metres — but he never or almost never lost to Viren outside the Olympics
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
Miruts Yifter
Miruts Yifter ]] is a former Ethiopian athlete, winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics. His name is also sometimes spelled as Muruse Yefter....
(see, for example, "The Moscow Olympic Book" / Moskovan olympiakirja, written by the "Runner" / Juoksija magazine and published in Finland in 1980).
Business
Brendan joined the sports company NikeNike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
International Limited in 1981 as UK Managing Director. Progressing to European Managing Director, Vice President Marketing (Worldwide) and Vice President of Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
Europe. In 1988 he set up a company, Nova International with three friends from Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
. This company was later renamed to View From International, which won a contract to supply the British athletics team. The brand was later sold to Marks and Spencer in 2002 for an estimated £2m.
In 2010, he was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame
England Athletics Hall of Fame
The England Athletics Hall of Fame was launched in 2008 with a panel of experts selecting a list of potential inductees for athletics fans and members of the public to vote on. The Hall of Fame honours those who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport of athletics in England...
.