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Speaker Roy Tate - Marathon Running

Wed, Jun 26th 2024 at 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Roy regaled us with how he ended up running marathons for fun. Speaker Finder Robert Allan, Visitors Host, Grace & Banners John Watson, Cash Desk & Sergeant at Arms John Waterhouse


Roy had recently ruptured his Achilles tendon whilst walking with some of the other Blaize members. He said that the last time he had done this was over 40 years ago when running. He said that in his late 30s he decided he was not fit enough so took up jogging.


In order to decide how far he was going he went out in his car to measure route and then ran it. He told he was Jill going to run none-stop for 5 miles. Her reply was "are you really?" Initially he ran alone but then started running with a friend. The friend taught youngsters at school one was the premier league soccer player James Milner.


They decided to join Pudsey & Bramley Athletic Club. Here they were they had to do warm up and cool down stretches. Other members of the club were mad keen fell runners. One a woman who was in Olympic team and came second in London Marathon. Roy thought the club was good for friendship but he avoided fell running thinking it damaging on the joints to go hurtling down the fell sides.


After a quite a while of jogging he decided to have a go at fun runs. His initial aim being to run 10 kilometres in around 30 minutes. He then built up to half marathons with aim to achieve these in under 1 hour 45 and a final goal of 1 hour 30. He thought the best one was the Great North Run which was also a great fun day out. The family all went up to the start in Newcastle and then Jill and the children took a train to South Shields but even though he was running Roy beat them to the finish line. He said his son was so taken with what his dad was doing that he decided to do one without any training and the next day he could barely move.


After doing lots of half marathons he then decided to have a go at a full marathon. This required lots of training building up the miles. The first one he undertook was the Bradford one and he aimed to get around in under 4 hours. This one took place the week after the big fire at Bradford City Football ground. The end was in Peel Park but the finish was at the top of the park and the last 400 yards to the top was really hard. However he achieved his goal of doing it in just under 4 hours. The next year he managed to complete it in in 3hours 40 minutes.
The next year he went to the Nidd Valley half marathon which he ran 1 hour 29 minutes because trying to beat another competitor. Then he did the Leeds marathon in 3 hours 30 minutes.


One memorable run was a half marathon at the Wharfedale Rugby Club. He ran the course following a woman competitor but towards end she suddenly said cheerio and set off sprinting for the finish leaving him standing. Then the final circuit was around the rugby pitch and he slipped and ended up covered in mud. He thought that at least he’d be able to soak it off in the club bath but when he went in so many competitors had been there before him that the bath was just full of mud. In the end he had to go home covered in mud.


Another memorable one was the Rotherham half marathon at the time of the miners’ strike. All around the course there were strikers shaking buckets at runners looking for donations. Where they thought the runners were going to be carrying money Roy had no idea.

He said that he enjoyed every minute except when he ruptured his Achilles tendon. He continued running until his early 50s.

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