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A quite superb coach of all disciplines, Tom McNab’s expertise  was used to help such decathletes as Norrie Foster, Peter Gabbett and Greg Rutherford.   He also has an encyclopedic knowledge of the various professional Games meetings – Highland Games, Border Games and all those in between.    He comments on all of these in this account of the evolution of the Jumps – High, Long and Triple.   Incidentally, he refers to Guts Muths right at the start – there is an extract from Wikipedia of the gentleman at the end of the account.

                                                                THE TECHNICAL EVOLUTION OF THE JUMPS 

by  Tom McNab

 Though 18th century European physical educationists like Guts Muths clearly show students jumping, it is in the rural games of Great Britain that high jumping undoubtedly found its first competitive expression.   This being said, we hear in a French work by Guillaume Depping  of the early 19^th century English jumper, John Ireland : “with a furious bound, he cleared a bar suspended sixteen feet (4m.90) above the ground.”   Just so. Ireland is referred to in several 19^th century works, but mostly as an acrobat rather than as a competitive jumper.  Depping’s book tells us something of the uncertain nature of track and field athletics of the period and the lack of critical faculty. 

The first records of competitive jumping occur in the Scottish Border and Highland Games in the first quarter of the 19^th century. Jumps were ground to ground, without advantage of spiked shoes until the middle of the century.   It was in the 19^th century Border Games that jumping of all kinds found its most diverse expression.  This meant also the standing jumps, multiple hops/steps and an event closely aligned to high jump, the hitch and kick, of which more later .

The best early height recorded in Border Games was 1m.60 by Thomas Anderson of Innerleithen in 1829.  “Unlike most jumpers, he had a straightforward technique, in place of the side jump”, said an account of the time.  This is clear indication of a primitive “Fosbury” layout, feet first, ensuring a safe landing, or side-on Western Roll.  Other jumpers were probably using an upright, “scissors” technique.

Border jumpers took high jumping to close to 1m.70 by the middle of the 19^th century, though there is no record of any technical development.  This is hardly surprising, as Border Games featured untrained, barely literate, farm labourers infrequently competing barefoot on rough fields, within a poorly-developed competitive structure.

By the final quarter of the century, amateurs had arrived, bringing with them a high volume of literate, well-equipped athletes, often working from cinder surfaces and with them came the first athletic literature.  With the rapid development of the railway system, it had also earlier brought into being a circuit of élite professional athletes who travelled Scottish rural games in the May-September period. 

One of these was the great Scottish all-rounder, Donald Dinnie, also the world’s most versatile wrestler.  Dinnie was almost certainly the first man to clear 6’0” (1m83) in 1868, at the age of thirty one.  What is interesting is that Dinnie took off from the inside foot, lying along the crossbar on his side, in what was probably a primitive Western Roll.  Equally interesting is Dinnie’s observation, during his 1870 American tour, of the Scottish American, James Goldie, diving over the crossbar in what was almost certainly a primitive “dive” straddle.

In 1876, Brooks (Oxford University) became the first jumper to officially clear 6’0” (1m83), achieving 6’2½ “ (1m 90).  Brooks deployed the same frontal feet-first method (a reverse flop) as the Scot, Anderson, had possibly done almost half a century before, described later by Americans as the “shoot” method.

Sweeney clearing the bar (approach from the right)

Almost twenty years later, in 1895, Mike Sweeney, an Irish-American, made the first great technical break-through, creating the Eastern cut-off.  This was essentially a modified “scissors” from a curved run, and had probably been deployed in one form or another for some years before.  Sweeney took the technique to a high level of maturity, securing a centre of gravity position close to the bar, with a flat layout, clearing 6’5⁵/₈”.  “I came down to the mark on my take-off exclaiming “I’ve got it!  I’ve got it” and as I jumped I went blind, but I cleared the bar.  The next thing I remember was Teddy Roosevelt picking me out of the pit”.  At his point, the Border Games “hitch and kick” returns, strangely in the New York Caledonian Games of 1898.  The event involved jumping to kick a tambourine suspended from a crossbar.  Not surprisingly, Sweeney won with a new world record of 9’2”, which still stands. 

Less than a decade later, the American, George Horine, is credited with the invention of the Western Roll, a hop-over jump involving take-off from the inside foot, not dissimilar to the earlier technique of Donald Dinnie and of Horine’s contemporary Alma Richards. Both the Western Roll and the Eastern Cut-Off describe their geographical derivations.

George Horine in the Stockholm Olympics

The rules on “diving”(heads ahead of hips) produced in 1924 a unique Western Roll variation by the 1924 American Olympic champion, Harold Osborne, who threw back his outside shoulder, marginally improving the quality of his layout.  .  “In a great many respects my form resembles the Western form..”  

No other jumper, to my knowledge, copied this technique until the Scot, Alan Paterson, in 1946.

Then came the American, Clinton Larson.  “I take a run of twenty yards or more.  My idea is to gradually increase my speed so that by the time I hit the take-off, I am running at full speed”.  Larson used a back layout “scissors”, lying flat along the crossbar, and cleared 6’9½” in 1924 in an exhibition.  Doherty ² describes Larson’s layout as inefficient, yet some photographs of the period show him in a surprisingly flat position, in essence a reverse straddle.

Dick Templeton’s Spalding booklet “High Jump” (1928) represents one of the first attempts of American college coaches to produce specialist technical works.  Templeton had himself been denied Olympic selection in 1920 for “diving”, (head and shoulders leading hips over the bar), as had later “Babe” Didrikson, an Olympic gold in 1932.  “High Jump” covers the full span of layout techniques since the 1890’s, but is the first book to lay a strong emphasis on take-off.

The “step over” technique (the straddle) had been shown in American athletics literature of the early 1920’s, but no-one seems to have laid claim to its invention, though the Texan, Bill Stewart, is often given the credit.  Stewart had been a rancher.  “At first, he took the barbed wire fences with the scissors high jump form, but found this both destructive to the seat of his trousers and unpleasant anatomically ….  He was forced to use the belly roll for with this form he could hold down the barbed wire as he rolled over it.  I never believed Jim’s yarn either” –  thus his coach Dean Cromwell.   The American Dave Albritton, became the first straddler to medal in the Olympics of 1936, though he used the Western Roll until the later heights.  The Berlin Olympics was probably the last Games in which every technique in previous history was displayed.

In the late 1930’s, the “diving” rule was relaxed (though it stayed in IAAF rules until 1951), permitting more advanced layouts.  Lester Steers (USA) cleared 6’11” (2m10) in 1941 with a “V” layout, but surprisingly it was a crude “scissors” technique which took gold for John Winter (Australia) at the 1948 Olympics.   What the “scissors” and its more sophisticated relative, the Eastern cut-off, did was to centre body weight over the take-off foot.  This Horine’s Western Roll and Stewart’s straddle did not do because of the need to initiate rotation on the ground.

 Few cut-off jumpers (Japan’s 1936 Olympics jumper Asakuma was an exception) could secure better layout positions than Western rollers, and none better than even flat straddlers such as Albritton.  The change in “diving” rules enabled layout positions far beyond even the most flexible Eastern jumpers, and only poor global communications enabled the Cut-Off to survive beyond World War II.

When the Russians arrived at the 1946 European Games, their jumpers used primitive Eastern cut-off techniques, but by they soon analysed American techniques and correctly deduced that the core of high jump lay in approach-run and take-off.   One of the major problems with both Western Roll and straddle had always lain in the loss of vertical lift due to lean-in at take-off in order to initiate rotation.  The Russians resolved this by initiating rotations through the swing of the lead leg and arms, thus preserving a more erect take-off position.  This free leg swing, combined with a double-arm shift, also aided take-off thrust and secured a higher centre of gravity position at take-off. 

It would not be overstating the case to say that Russian coaches transformed modern high jump.  This is not to ignore their injection of speed into the approach-run and their specialised conditioning methods.

Mildred McDaniel

Women’s high jump, in the first three Olympics had been won by scissor jumpers (1928 and 1932), or by Eastern cut-off exponents (1936).  It was only in 1956 that a straddler, Mildred McDaniel (USA), was to take gold.  The Russians, though applying the same technical principles to the women’s event, were unable to find females of Brumel’s calibre.

The embryonic state of women’s high jumping was underlined in 1964 when the Olympic title was taken by Rumania’s Iolanda Balas, using a primitive Eastern Cut-off, and Pamela Mason Brown (New Zealand) cleared 1m 82 with a basic scissors, the greatest height thus achieved by a woman.  This was to be the last occasion on which these techniques were to be deployed in Olympic competition.

Iolanda Balas

Then, in 1967, came Dick Fosbury.  Here it might be worthwhile observing that by the mid 1960’s landing areas had moved from sandpits to a mix of sand and scrap foam, then on to landing beds.  It was only this  that permitted the existence of Fosbury’s Flop with any prospect of a long season.   The American’s technique was the product of classic trial and error.  Fosbury, a basketball player, simply experimented with a basic “scissors” technique, (unwittingly mimicking Clinton Larson’s back layout scissors), then added the curved run of Mike Sweeney’s 1894 Eastern Cut-Off .  That, and the speed which both Larson and the Russian straddlers had deployed, gave us the Flop.

Dick Fosbury (from the cover of World Athletics)

 Four years later, over 80% of international jumpers were using the technique.  Television had accelerated the development of technical knowledge in a manner which was not available to the written word.   Conservative Russian coaches initially rejected the Flop as “gymnastics”; other less inflexible Communist coaches took it on and tried to add a straddle-type free leg swing and double-arm shift.  Indeed, the Hungarian jumper, Istvan Major, managed to do both.  Alas, a straight free-leg swing took time and it was not long before it was discarded.

It is remarkable how mature the first Fosbury Flop proves, on examination, to be.  For Fosbury’s final curve and take-off position is no different from most modern jumpers, though some use a double-arm shift, and others throw in a high inside arm. What is significantly different is the fact that Fosbury ran all the way on a curve. Another difference lies in layout position, for Fosbury’s layout was relatively flat, whilst many modern jumpers have produced arched positions of an efficiency close to the best 1960’s straddlers.

What has happened since Fosbury’s first full semi-circle approach has been a j-shaped run, with the curve only in the final 3-5 strides. Some jumpers have deployed a double-arm swing, the aim to give maximum centre of gravity height at take-off and interaction through the take-off leg. Others have settled for a high inside arm and shoulder , with the aim of locking into a strong, high take-off position. But the big issue has always been to hold shape at take-off, “ staying away” from the crossbar, in order to be able to drive vertically.   Another technical development has been greater arch in flight, for Fosbury was relatively flat. The best floppers now achieve an arch almost as efficient, in centre of gravity terms, as the dive-straddlers of yore.

We have come a long way from the barefoot Scots Border athletes jumping ground to ground, to modern Floppers taking off from synthetic surfaces and landing on well-sprung landing beds.  Is further technical development likely?  I doubt it.  The next change could well be in the nature of high jump itself, either two-footed jumping, or team- synchro events.  Don’t hold your breath.

LONG JUMP

The Ancient Greeks were ahead of us in at least one way, in that they deployed a landing-pit, the skamma, which also served as an area for combat-events. Alas, it is far from clear from the visual evidence that long jump was the same event as that which we now practice.   For we see jumpers in flight, (often supervised by a whip-wielding coach) , holding light weights called halteres. This would almost certainly indicate a multiple jump, like five spring jumps, where the use of weights would provide advantage.

This deployment of weights featured heavily in Lancashire in the second half of the 19^th century, part of a betting-based culture involving an infinity of standing and running jumps. In 1854, Howard of Chester leapt 29ft. 6 inches, off a beat-board, and carrying 8lb. dumbells.

All of this being said, we still have the Greeks writing of “making the bater ring”. The “bater” was the take-off area, and this is a clear indication of a running jump. The plain fact is that we will probably never know what the Greeks did.

* 

*Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths, also called Guts Muth or Gutsmuths (9 August 1759 – 21 May 1839), was a teacher and educator in Germany, and is especially known for his role in the development of physical education. He is thought of as the “grandfather of gymnastics” – the “father” being Friedrich Ludwig Jahn. GutsMuths introduced systematic physical exercise into the school curriculum, and he developed the basic principles of artistic gymnastics.    GutsMuths is also considered by many to be the father of modern pole vaulting, as he described the jumping standards, the distance of the approach, recommendations on hand grip, and the principles of pole jumping.

“Many coaches, but by no means all,  have been competing athletes in their day but even fewer have been national champions or set national records.   Tom McNab has been national champion for triple jump five times and also set a national record for the event.   He has worked with many top class international athletes and his career has expanded far beyond the usual. ”    So starts the Tom McNab’s profile on this website which can be found at Tom McNab – Anent Scottish Running .   No mean athlete, and a top class coach but there is even more to Tom than that.   An athletics historian with academic knowledge backed up and illustrated with his own experience, a successful novelist using athletics as the basis for some excellent fiction and, combining his writing talent with his historical interests he has written some very interesting articles on the sport.   We are fortunate to be able to reproduce some of them here.   Read and enjoy then using the links below.

The Intercalated Games    Handicaps: A History   The Husplex    The Technical Evolution of the High Jump   

James Reston as he was in later life in the USA 

Over the years many club members have emigrated and for many reasons – after the first War there were several because of the recession which was in evidence all over the world – they went mainly to the USA.   After the second War, spirits were high, everybody was happy and there were many who emigrated, but this time mainly to the former Dominions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.   James Reston was a very good athlete indeed – runner, member of many championship winning teams, club captain and committee member at the start of the twentieth century who emigrated to America in 1920.    Why did he go?    His son was James ‘Scotty’ Reston – a top class journalist who interviewed American Presidents from Kennedy and Nixon right through until his death in 1995. That was a massive leap for the family fortunes.

We should begin by looking at his running career, then we will look at his life away from the track.  

Reston was in the main a cross country runner of some ability who first appeared in the club handbook for 1901/02.  There was a J Reston from Coatbridge who ran in the National in 1900 for Coatbridge finishing eleventh, which was four places in front of the Clydesdale’s last scoring runner, in a race which was won by a single point.  Reston was not a member of any of the Coatbridge teams in races in January or February of that year – not in the West District Championships nor in the Scottish Junior Championships.   For the latter Coatbridge had 12 names listed in the programme with another six as reserves but none were called Reston.    The Coatbridge team that day finished third with their first three runners being Andrew Forrester (2^nd), Alexander J Forrester (9^th) and James Reston (11^th).   All three were counting runners for the Clydesdale team the following year.  

Reston improved dramatically over the year, if the relative positions of the Forrester brothers are any guide, and finished fourth and third scoring runner for Clydesdale Harriers.   The other runners were D Mill who was first, R Reid second, A Forrester eighth, R Frew eleventh, AJ Forrester 12^th.   The fact that the two Forrester brothers were from Coatbridge adds to the suspicion that he was indeed the J Reston Coatbridge from the year before.

In season 1902/03 he won the prestigious Clydesdale Harriers Individual and Team Race held over 7 miles from Scotstoun in Glasgow, on 22^nd November, 1902 from team mate Robert Frew with Garscube’s Samuel Kennedy third.   He was again fourth in the National but this time was first scoring runner for the second placed Harriers team with the remaining scoring runners being Wilson twelfth, Frew thirteenth, A Forrester thirteenth, S Stevenson twenty fourth and AJ Forrester thirty fifth.   1903 was the first time that Reston was selected to run for Scotland in the Cross-Country International for the simple reason that it was the first ever international.   It was held at Hamilton Park and contested by Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales.   He finished 22^nd of 41 finishers in the race and was fifth scoring runner for the third placed team.

The teams that ran in the 1903 international

He ran again for the Scottish team in 1904 after finishing third in the Scottish Championships at Scotstoun Showground.   The club was again second and was led home by Sam Stevenson who would be a competitor at the Olympic Games in 1908.   Stevenson had come through the ranks steadily to become a national title winner on the track as well as over the country.  This time though Stevenson was second, Reston was third, Robertson seventh, Dick twenty eighth, Frew thirtieth and WG Kerr thirty eighth.   The international was held at St Helen’s in Lancashire where Reston finished 20^th in a field of 43 to be fourth Scottish finisher in the team that was third.

The above pages from the Clydesdale Harriers 1903/04 Handbook indicate that he had quickly become an important member of the club.     He was by now – only two years into the club – Vice Captain.   Each section had a section Captain and vice captain and at this time the club had the Headquarters Sections plus Airdire, and Dunbartonshire.

Below we have two more pages from the 1903/04 Handbook which have further information of this season’s work.

The next two pages of the Handbook refer to the Clydesdale Harriers 7 Miles Open Individual and Team Race held annually at Scotstoun which was one of the classics for several decades and be contested by all the clubs and runners in the country.  For several years there was a sprinting competition in the Scotstoun arena with heats and semi-finals to entertain the spectators while the runners were out in the country running a two lap course round the west end of Glasgow.   Prizes were often presented at a ‘smoking concert’ in the club rooms at 33 Dundas Street the following Wednesday.  At times they sold tickets to the evening at 3d a ticket.

In the following extract from the same handbook, he is mentioned three times in two pages with a ‘special mention’ for his fourth place in the National.

Not only was he a talented cross-country runner – and remember that the national championships were held over ten miles of road, grass, plough with obstacles to be climbed or waded through – but a good track runner.  

He also ran on the track in 1904 and at the Clydesdale Harriers Sports on 28^th May at Meadowside was part of the winning two miles team race in which the first three – S Stevenson, William Robertson and James Reston – were all club members and all international athletes.

He was promoted from Vice-Captain in 1903/4 to Captain in the next (‘04/05) season with Sam Stevenson as his vice-captain.   He ran in all the usual races over the country – club championships, 7 Miles Team Race at Scotstoun and the National Championships on 4^th March at Scotstoun.   This, 1905, was his last National Championships he was fifteenth, again behind Stevenson who was third, and in front of Martin twenty second, Campbell twenty fourth, A Forrester twenty sixth and W Robertson thirty eighth.   The team was third.  

*

It was at this point that Reston, who had been living in Clydebank for some time, disappeared from the scene.  He is not spoken of in athletics notes, sporting papers (such as ‘The Scottish Referee’) or even the club handbook.

What do we know about him as a person?  He was reported to be 5’2” tall and known as “Wee Jimmy”.   This is at variance with our typical picture of a Clydesdale Harrier of the time, modelled as it was on the Gentlemen’s Club with “one black ball in three” to exclude applicants for membership. but does indicate that all were welcome in the club.

In the search for more information about his personal circumstances we will use in the main two sources:

First there is the firsthand information from the biographies of his son and his journalistic contemporaries;

Second, we will use much of the research information gathered by Hamish Telfer.

A mature Jimmy at Dumbarton Rock

All of the biographies, whether they be very short or fairly long, mention that James was a ‘devout Christian’, or that he ‘had strong Calvinist beliefs’ or a variation on that theme.   They all unanimously mention that he was not a well-off man.   Eg: his son was ‘born in poverty’   or ‘born into a poor Scottish Presbyterian family’.   This is maybe a bit simplistic.

Johanna Reston, Jimmy’s wife.

To start at the beginning: James was born on 30^th April, 1872, to Thomas and Elizabeth Reston at 4 Claythorn Street in Calton, Glasgow.   Thomas was a cloth lapper by profession (ie one who moved cloth in the factory from one machine to the next in the weaving process) and by definition not a well-paid man.   By 1881 they were living at 3 Glenpark Street in the Barony District of Glasgow.  His father was now a van driver and James had three brothers and two sisters.   They moved again and by 1891 they were living in Cardross, Dumbarton; his father was now a Warehouseman and James a ‘Dyer Markhand.’

Those who said he was ‘born in poverty’ were probably exaggerating quite a bit, but in the days when men were employed as needed by the employer and then ‘let go’, his father had to move around quite a bit to stay in employment.   He started as a cloth lapper and then had two other jobs and house moves before going back to the same job in the same factory.  

James met Johanna Grace Irving, a woman from Stranraer whose father was described as a master craftsman and of some means.   He was a sculptor who was employed in making gravestones.   She had moved to Glasgow and was a clerk at a wood merchant’s and stayed at the YWCA in Calton.   James and Joanna were married on 22^nd June 1903 in the United Free Church.   By now they were living at 6 Radnor Street, Radnor Park, Clydebank, James’s employment was listed as Vertical Machineman.   They had a daughter (Johanna junior) born in 1906 and a son (James junior) on 3^rd November 1909.

We are told that.  They had enough money for ‘simple food and plain clothing’ but almost nothing extra.   Scarcity of money combined with a harsh code of self-denial, sacrifice and rigid religiosity imposed by his mother.    He worked as a machinist in the shipyards but, typical of the time, he was employed when needed by the yards, frequently laid off with no ancillary benefits and no guarantees of full-time work.   But by the census of 1901 – when James was starting to make his name as a runner – he was still living at home, but ‘home’ was now back in the Calton district where his father had returned to his trade as a cloth lapper while James was 28 years old and an ‘iron fuller’ which we are told is a practice in metal working and of moulding metal material.

Why did he stop running?   By 1905 he was 33 years old which was quite old for a runner of the time and he was now also a married man with a first child due in 1906 and a job which did not pay very much and was liable to be stopped when the employer thought it necessary.   This is where the first trip to America took place.   By April 1911 he had gone to stay with his brother in Dayton, Ohio and try to make a better life there for himself and his family.   We know that they were not at all well off when we note that he travelled ‘steerage’.   Not a word known today, steerage was the lowest possible way to travel.   Wikipedia tells us

“Steerage refers to the lowest possible category of long-distance steamer travel. It was available to very poor people, usually emigrants seeking a new life in the New World, chiefly North America and Australia. In many cases, these people had no financial resources and were attempting to escape destitution at home. Consequently, they needed transportation at an absolute minimum cost. In many cases they provided their own bedding and food. Steerage was very cramped and there was hardly any room for fresh air to get there. Many people died in steerage.

The term steerage was used to refer to the lowest category of accommodation, usually not including proper sleeping accommodation. In the United Kingdom, it was often referred to as third class, but there were instances where steerage was effectively fourth-class. In time, the designation came to refer to the lowest category in general, and in modern times is sometimes used sarcastically to refer to any uncomfortable accommodation in an airliner, ship or train.

Beds were often long rows of large shared bunks with straw mattresses and no bed linens.”

He made it safely to Ohio, found a job and sent for the family who came across to join him.   It didn’t work.   Johanna was a strict housekeeper, ran the family budget and was a very strict observer of the Christian religion as practised by the United Free Church.   For whatever reason, some say Johanna fell out with her sister-in-law, it didn’t work out and they came back home.  

There is a lot of discussion about this period in his life in “Scotty: James B Reston and the Rise and Fall of American Journalism” by John F Stacks.   This version of the aborted emigration says that in 1911 when his son was only two years old, he went to America where he hoped life would be better.   He went to Dayton, Ohio, but the ‘Independent’ tells us that domestic and financial problems overwhelmed the family’ and they returned home.   Stacks book says: “Less than a year after they had finally realised their dream of moving to America, the Restons were back in Scotland, their savings gone, living in a tenement house outside Clydebank.   They eventually settled in Alexandria, this time in a red stone tenement, on the banks of the River Leven.   And there they remained for another decade, trapped by poverty and then by the outbreak of World War 1, their hopes for a better life shattered.”

The Valuation Roll of 1915 has a James Reston as a resident at 808 Dumbarton Road and his occupation as ‘machine-man’.   This property was owned by Wiliiam Beardmore who owned shipyards around the west end of Glasgow with a well known Beardmore yard in Dalmuir, Clydebank.   Hamish Telfer suggests that James may have spent the war years in a reserved occupation.  In 1920, the Valuation Roll lists a James Reston, also a machine-man, living at 29 Gray Road, Bonhill, Alexandria.

More flesh is added to the statistics in Scotty Reston’s own words in his autobiography, “Deadline: a Memoir”published in 1991 when he says: “My father was a gentler sort, he was a strong, handsome little man – ‘five feet two in ma stocking feet’ he would say.   At work he was called Wee Jimmy.   He had golden hair and light blue eyes.   He was a machinist and worked when there was work at John Brown’s shipyard, or at the Singer Sewing Machine Company, or at Beardmore’s auto factory where they made munitions for the British army during the war.   In most of these jobs he was an inspector, and he took great pride in measuring things down to a hair’s breadth and he was very good at it.”

We stay with the two books to follow him on the second emigration in search of better things.     

Stacks again: “Throughout the years of World War 1, and in the face of periodic unemployment and the expense of two children, the family scraped together enough for another passage out of Scotland.  “How they every saved enough money on my father’s salary to get back to America, I’ll never know.” Reston said.   In 1920 Jimmy Reston again went off to America.   Months later Johanna, James and Joanna sailed in steerage to make another try at success.  [They sailed out on the SS Mobile arriving at Ellis Island on 28^th September, 1920]  In New York they were immediately put into quarantine as a precaution against smallpox, and young James worked in a kitchen at the quarantine facility to, as his mother put it later, “get more food for his family”.  When they finally arrived in Dayton, Ohio, Jimmy met them at the train station running happily down the platform.   He had found a job and had rented space in a gloomy rooming house along the railroad tracks.   The good news was that there were electric light and an indoor toilet.”

We are further told that James, and son James, at the age of 10, became paid caddies at the local Dayton golf club and young James attended the local Oakwood High School.   For more information on how he went from there to become a world class journalist with friends in very high places, there is plenty on the internet.

We hear no more of James Reston the runner but the story is a familiar, if depressing, one to anyone who knows anything about the desperation of the working man in that period of Scottish history.   His career as a runner was a series of triumphs with medals at every level, honourable club positions such as club captain in a club modelled on a gentleman’s club with celebrated sportsmen in a wide variety of sports, and competitor in the first two international cross-country races.   His life plunged into extreme poverty and then there was the tremendous upswing in the States where he lived to see his son become a well-known, highly respected and, maybe more important to a man who had known penury, very well-off journalist, before he died of cancer at the age of 62.   Unfortunately there is no record of his early career in athletics despite his son talking of him taking 15 mile walks on Carman Muir, Balloch.   It would have been an opening but nothing is said of it.

Thanks are due to Hamish Telfer for the statistics used in the second half of the profile and to Allan Sharp for his help when I was starting this profile.

Hamish Robertson, future ESH Club Secretary and, between 1972-75 and 1984-86, ESH President, in athletics kit, standing on the far right of the photo.   

Hamish Robertson (Edinburgh Southern Harriers)

Father of Alex Robertson. Hamish ran Edinburgh to Glasgow Relays after the War, with a total of seven (May 1949, November 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955.) He raced stages 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 – and was a member of the team that won bronze in 1953, when he tackled the long 6^th Stage.

In the 1954 Senior National XC, he secured another team bronze. Hamish ran the National in 1950, 1951, 1952 (29^th and ESH second counter), 1953, 1954, 1955 and 1956.

The career of his near namesake WA Robertson overlapped with Hamish’s and they ran in several teams together.  In 1952, Hamish finished 14^th in the Eastern District CC Championship at Kirkcaldy and ESH secured team silver medals, narrowly behind Edinburgh University. Then, in 1953, Hamish was 16^th and sixth counter in the ESH team that won the title comfortably!  

In the Eastern District Cross-Country League, Hamish was 5^th in an ESH team that finished second at Kirkcaldy in November 1950. ESH won the league in 1950-1951

He was 9^th and counted in a winning ESH team in January 1952 at Liberton, over six miles of snow-covered country and icy roads. ESH won the league overall that 1951-1952 season.

ESH won the title again in 1952-3.

Hamish counted in an ESH team that finished second to EU in an Eastern CC League race at Falkirk in January 1956.

Leaders at the five mile mark of in the 1957 Scottish marathon championship: left to right, George King (22), John Kerr, Andy Fleming (16), Hugo Fox, Hamish Robertson (4), not known, Harry Fenion (17), not known, Ronnie Kane (24).

As a marathon runner, Hamish finished seventh in the 1953 Scottish Marathon Championship (named as J Robertson), fifth in 1955 and sixth in 1957 (in his fastest time of 2.46.07, well below the Scottish Marathon Club First Class Standard).   However, I don’t think he ever joined the Glasgow-based Scottish Marathon Club.

In 1953, Hamish also ran: Shotts Highland Games 15 miles where he finished sixth.  In this annual event, he was sixth again in 1954 (14 miles); and fifth in 1955 (only six seconds behind George King of Greenock Wellpark).

 In 1955, on 25^th June, Hamish was fifth in the Scottish Marathon, 2.46.58; on 13^th August 1955, second in Atholl and Breadalbane (Aberfeldy) 13 mile road race, winning the handicap, prize (value £2); on 20^th August 1955, fifth in the City of Edinburgh Highland Games marathon.

In 1956, Hamish was not as fit but, on 5^th May, finished one place ahead of Jackie Foster in the West Calder AAA 10 miles.

In 1957, on 22nd June,he was sixth in the Falkirk to Edinburgh Scottish Marathon Championship in 2.46.07.   Twenty three runners started. 14 finished below the standard of 2.55, another three were too slow and six dropped out, including such able and well known runners as AH Fleming, Ronnie Kane and Gordon Porteous.  Hamish was in front of Emmet Farrell, JM Kerr and Tom Scott .   On the 20^th July that year, he ran the Anster Fair 12.

In 1958, he dropped out of Edinburgh to North Berwick 22 miles and also failed to finish the 1958 Scottish Marathon on 21^st June. However, he ran better on 26^th July, finishing sixth in the Gourock Highland Games 14. Was this his competitive swansong? His son Alex remembers Hamish, who was born in 1928,  running as a veteran at several races, including one in Glasgow and the Kingsway Road Relays in Dundee.

HAMISH AS AN OFFICIAL

Edinburgh Southern Harriers was blessed at this time with many able and willing administrators, officials and back room boys.   From the above photograph Ian McKenzie, an excellent team manager, was ESH President from 1975-77.  Ian Clifton, a very popular Scottish official, was ESH President from 1978-80, SCCU President from 1977-78 and SAAA President in 1986. Martin Craven, a GB and Scottish International runner, and a great team man, was ESH President from 1980-82. George Brown, another fine runner and invaluable team man, was ESH President from 1982-84. From 1975-1984, Hamish Robertson was a well-respected, very encouraging Secretary for ESH. He was  Club President from 1984-1986.

Jackie Foster was an ESH team mate. His very first marathon was the 1955 Scottish event, when Joe McGhee (the 1954 Vancouver Empire Games Marathon Champion) broke the Scottish Championship record with 2.25.50. Jackie recalls that Hamish Robertson advised him about preparation and tactics for this long-distance challenge. That morning, before the race, they went to Woolworth’s, where Hamish purchased a pair of black gym shoes – “the type worn by Brownies at the time, with a brown gristle rubber sole, costing five shillings a pair.” Hamish was almost running barefoot – years before Abebe Bikila!

Ian McKenzie wrote: “I first met Hamish in 1952, when he was an active athlete, and received his help with training along with Jackie Foster. Although he remained a club member he took a break from being actively involved when Alex and his sister were young.

When Alex took up running, Hamish became more involved as a committee member and progressed to Secretary.

I am not aware that he ever represented us on any governing bodies, but he certainly officiated at cross country and track and field meetings for many years. He was always prepared to take on many roles at the marathons and half marathons the club organized. He remained active until he was a good age. 

At all the races, such as the Edinburgh Marathon etc. he would record finishers, hand out medals and keep finishers moving through the funnels – each job was vital to the event. On the track he was often the starter’s marksman or raking the sand at the jumps.

As you will have gathered, he would undertake any duty he was asked to perform. 

An unsung, but important helper.” 

Alex Robertson said that his father Hamish was a hurdles steward during the 1970 Commonwealth Games at Meadowbank, Edinburgh.   Aged 15, Alex himself was a baggage steward. In 1972, Hamish was also a baggage steward at the Europa Cup. He was a great help to emerging athletes like Allister Hutton, Ken Harkness, John Gladwin and many more – on Sundays they often set off for a long run from his house.  He was a guest on the television programme ‘This Is Your Life – Allan Wells”. Hamish helped Stewart Miller to set out cross-country courses in the South of Edinburgh. In 1997, he arranged a sponsor to publish the ESH Centenary History book.  

The East District XC Relays were at Fernieside: in 1969, 1971, 1973. Hamish would have officiated.

The last time that  Fernieside was used as a cross-country venue was on 18^th January 1975, when ESH won the East District XC Championship team title (1^st Allister Hutton, 4^th Colin Youngson, Nigel Bailey, Craig Douglas, Martin Craven, Alistair Blamire).

Brian McAusland wrote: Hamish was first voted as a member of the SAAA East District  and General Committee of the SAAA in 1990 having been elected for the first time in 1989.   Note that this was an elected position, members being voted for at the Annual General Meeting.   The clubs voted him onto the Committee.  Once on the General Committee, he was given the additional remit of being a member of the Thistle Award Scheme committee with Frank Dick, Barry Craighead and George Parrott. 

Alex Jackson wrote: “Hamish worked in the same building as I did at Edinburgh University, Kings Buildings.

I do remember he retired in 1988 as it coincided with me becoming East Secretary of SCCU.

He  didn’t officiate at any cross county after that I can see.

But as you know he was an ESH man and would go to great lengths to help with anything the club organised.

For the first Edinburgh Marathon of 1982, the Race Director was Dave Farrar, who was an ESH member and he brought in experienced hands, including Hamish, from the club to run the event. (He also helped with the second Edinburgh Marathon). 

The James Clerk Maxwell Building at Kings Building where Hamish worked had huge lecture rooms with literally hundreds of desks.

In the less busy summer university months, when undergraduate students were on holiday, before the first Edinburgh Marathon in 1982, Hamish used the lecture theatre desks to do the race registration administration work  for the race.

If you looked in the room you would see desks covered with registration paperwork. No computers (or very few) were around in 1982 to do all the admin registration work.”

There is an assumption that athletes are better catered for in the 21st century than they were in the 19th or even most of the 20th.    I would say that the assumption could at least be queried.   Even a quick look through the newspapers of the first half of the 20th century reveals that the quantity of track and field meetings was very high.   Tracks were very busy –

• Ibrox hosted the Rangers Sports, the Glasgow Constabulary Sports, until 1922 the Clydesdale Harriers Sports, Bellahouston Harriers meetings and many more;
• Celtic Park – up to the War in 1945 – held the Celtic Sports,  the Inter Club Championship organised by St Peter’s AC, some Clydesdale Harriers sports, Maryhill Harriers, West of Scotland Harriers  and others,
• Hampden held the SAAA Championships regularly, international meetings and even the Maryhill Harriers club championships at which world records were set.   
• Meetings were held by  (1) Athletic Clubs,  (2) local councils, (3) a variety of associations (eg the Deaf Blind Association held regular meetings),
• there were the Championships:- University Championships, Inter University Championships and County Championships.   The Ayrshire Championships had championship events held at West Kilbride and Darvel and other venues around the county.  
• Works organised Sports Meetings – Singers in Clydebank, Babcock and Wilcox’s in Paisley, Dirrans in Kilwinning are only three examples and even Junior Football clubs emulated their big brothers in having athletic sports meetings (Dalmuir FC was one such).
• The private schools such as Loretto, Glasgow Academy, Dollar Academy all had their own sports days and almost every one of them had open events from the amateur athletics circuit as well as those confined to former pupils.

They were all amateur events with few exceptions – Rangers FC, Celtic FC, Partick Thistle, St Mirren, Falkirk FC and others were in this category – with, I think, only Clyde FC Sports being professional, and for many years the Glasgow Police Sports were also professional.     The Games circuit was biased the other way – almost all were professional with few being amateur.    However you look at it though, there were more than enough events for an athlete to compete in in his preparation for any particular event.

Competition was always keen.   The major sports meetings in Glasgow and Edinburgh always worked hard to attract the top talent to their meetings.   Sometimes the athletes were specially invited, sometimes the athletes were here for an international meeting, sometimes they were on their way home from a major championships and at times there were even touring parties of Americans or British Universities stars from Oxford and Cambridge.    These athletes would take part in special scratch events arranged to showcase their talent or would have the field handicapped in such a fashion as to bring out the best in them in their quest for a fast time.   eg when Nurmi raced at Ibrox, Tom Blakely of Maryhill Harriers received a handicap mark of 400 yards – almost a lap.   Often enough the ‘star’ failed to win but set a record or a fast time.   The thrill for the spectators was seeing a quality athlete race through what might have been a top-class Scottish field.

Of course, these international athletes did not automatically decide to race at Ibrox one week, Celtic Park the next and Murrayfield later on by chance: the promoters were just that – they promoted their meetings as well as they could.   The top men at the football clubs were promoters in chief.   Men like Willie Maley, William Wilton and Bill Struth all went to the AAA’s championships, the Olympics and on occasion further afield to persuade the ‘stars’ to come to their meetings.    There is little doubt that expenses were paid, fairly  generous ones too and at one point both Rangers and Celtic were suspended from membership by the SAAA.   But the athletes came – if there were not enough good Scots to make a competition, then there would be exhibition events in such as pole vault or shot putt to entertain and educate the crowds.   There were even demonstration boxing matches and at one time Celtic Park had a concrete track as well as a cinder track and they held motor cycle trials on it.   

The meetings were well advertised in the local and national Press, there were sporting publications with the “Scottish Referee” circulating right up to the First World War.   

Compare that with the current athletics situation.

There are so many good pictures of Pamela available that we really should show at least some of them on their own.   We have some here in her club vest and in a Scottish vest.

The championships of 1925 had been a success with 36 schools taking part.   The standard was high and two new records were set.   The 1926 version of the meeting started off with a hiccup.   Due to take place on Saturday, 17th May they had to be put off: 

Why had they been cancelled?   This notice from the ‘Glasgow Herald’ maybe gives the game away.

They did go ahead on the new date and the following lengthy but comprehensive  report is from the ‘Scotsman’.

The number of schools taking part is not noted but the prize winning establishments included 

Alloa Academy, Ayr Academy, Allan Glen’s, Boroughmuir, Coatbridge, Dalkeith HS, Daniel Stewart’s, Dollar Academy, Dumbarton Academy,  Dunfermline HS, Govan High School, Greenock Academy,  Heriot’s, Hillhead HS, Kilmarnock Academy, Kintyre Technical School, Leith Academy, Queen’s Park, Royal HS, Stewart’s College, St Mungo’s, Trinity Academy, Vale of Leven Academy, Watson’s College.   That is 24 schools from all over Scotland, almost all of which are state schools as opposed to fee-paying private schools.   If the intention of the SAAA is setting up the Championships in 1900 was to broaden the appeal of the sport and the standard across the country generally, it seems as though they were succeeding.   Incidentally, Harold Abrahams, was in Edinburgh the night before the Games giving a talk in which some of the ideas seem strange and his comments on Eric Liddell a bit off.  This is it:

Quite the diatribe but a former public school pupil and Oxbridge graduate should realise the bad form shown in criticising a fellow athlete.   A remarkable sentence.   I can’t help feeling that had the boot been on the other foot, Liddell would not have commented thus on Abrahams.

*

Into 1927 and there were 36 schools taking part which the reporter felt had helped the high standard of the previous year being maintained.   The following complete report and list of results from the ‘Scotsman’ shows this.

Allan Glen’s, Alloa Academy, Ayr Academy, Bellahouston Academy, Boroughmuir, Coatbridge HS, Dalziel, Dollar Academy, Dunfermline HS, Heriot’s, Keil School, Kilmarnock Academy, Leith Academy, Queen’sPark, Robert Gordon’s College, Rothesay Academy, Royal High School, Stewart’s College,St Aloysius,  Trinity Academy, Waid Academy,    Medals distributed to 20 schools of the 36 entered is not at all a bad distribution.   Note too that a B McGettrick of St Aloysius was among the prize winners – the name of McGettrick has been associated with the school for most of the 20th century.

*

In 1928  the  meeting  was  again held  in  Edinburgh,  and the school making the headlines in both ‘Scotsman’ and ‘Glasgow Herald ‘was Keil School from Dumbarton.  East  and  West  sides  of  the country were featured above the coverage in the ‘Scotsman’ with Keil representing the West.  

The name to note in this set of results must surely be JR Blamire who won the Under 14’s 100 yards, had a second place in the 300 yards and a second in the Broad Jump.   He would go on to win in the 1929 and 1930 inter-scholastics as an Under 16 and the family has been represented in athletics right into the late 20th century and possibly further.   Note too the number of Dunbartonshire schools participating – from a relatively small area there were Dumbarton Academy, Vale of Leven and Keil School.

*

In 1929, the event was held at Hampden Park in Glasgow and the Keil School excelled again with even more material success.   The ‘Scotsman’ describes it as one of the most eventful meetings ever staged by the SAAA – no small claim that.

Note that the number of schools who competed over the years was still being added to: McLaren HS from Callander, Viewforth School, Gourock High School and Rutherglen ere all among the prize winners this time round.

Pamela winning the road race at Cartha

Pamela McCrossan came late to the sport and has done so much, and so well, that we wonder what she might have achieved had she begun running earlier.  She concentrated on road and country although she did take part in some veteran’s  track races, and also turned out for the club in the league. She finished first W55 in the 2018 Scottish Cross-Country championships; and has run for Scottish Masters eight times in the British and Irish Masters Cross-Country Championships.     

Pamela has completed the questionnaire for us as a start to an in-depth look at her running career.

NAME Pamela McCrossan
CLUBs Clydesdale Harriers and SVHC
DATE OF BIRTH 10/6/1961
OCCUPATION Theatre Charge Nurse (now retired)

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE SPORT?   Cliff Brown is a neighbour of mine.  He was a runner and a member of Clydesdale. He encouraged me to do a Ladies 10k race one year (about 24 years ago) and he helped me train for it. He then persuaded me to join Clydesdale Harriers and I have been running and racing ever since.

HAS ANY INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP HAD A MARKED INFLUENCE ON YOUR ATTITUDE OR INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE?  Clydesdale Harriers have had a huge influence on my running and helped me improve over the years.   I have received so much help, support and encouragement from everyone there and I have made many good friends. Now I am very proud to be an Honorary Member of the club and to have in the past been Ladies’ Captain.

WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU GET OUT OF THE SPORT?   So many things! It keeps me fit and healthy and I get to enjoy the pre and post-race banter and chat with other runners. I often get to meet new people when I race or do parkruns and I get a great sense of achievement after a good race or a hard training session. I also get to spend time with like-minded people and fellow runners who are always so friendly.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BEST EVER PERFORMANCE OR PERFORMANCES?   That’s a difficult question as I have done so many races over the years. However I was totally surprised and delighted to finish as first lady in the Aberfeldy Marathon in 2012 at my first attempt at the distance. I have also been lucky enough to be part of a medal winning team on the eight occasions I have represented Scotland at the Masters International British and Irish Cross-Country events.

AND YOUR WORST?  A Dunbartonshire cross country race many years ago when I went over on my ankle and had to be carried off the course by John Hanratty! I then had to go to the Western Infirmary as a fractured ankle was suspected (it was actually ligament damage) and I had to take time off work. The only race yet where I have been a DNF.

WHAT UNFULFILLED AMBITIONS DO YOU HAVE?   None really. At my age I consider myself very fortunate just to be able to run and still compete in races.

OTHER LEISURE ACTIVITIES?   I go to classes in the gym, go to the theatre and cinema and I like to go on holiday as often as possible! First thing I pack is the running gear! I also do a lot of walking.

WHAT DOES RUNNING BRING YOU THAT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE WANTED TO MISS?   Running has brought me the opportunity to represent Scotland and the chance to spend many wonderful running holidays in the Canary Islands with friends from Clydesdale and other clubs. I have also enjoyed many weekends travelling away for races and special social occasions with friends I have met through running. These are just a few things I would not have wanted to miss.

CAN YOU GIVE SOME DETAILS OF YOUR TRAINING?   I try to run 4 or 5 times a week and do different types of sessions. There may be a speed session, a steady run, a hill session, a long run and maybe a parkrun too. I also like to do some classes in the gym for cross training.

Pamela Running in the West District Championship

The replies above are very interesting so we asked her to elaborate on them.  She tells us that her very first race was one of the annual charity 5k Races for Life in Glasgow with work colleagues before she was ever an actual runner.   She says, “I hadn’t trained at all.  I ran and walked where I had to and really enjoyed it , maybe that’s where my love of running really started!  However, I was always fairly fit with dog walking and aerobic classes, step classes etc.” 

As for her family background and sports before taking that first step into competitive running she says: “I have no family history whatsoever of running and I never ran competitively at school at all. I did play in the hockey and netball teams without any great success.“     She adds: “My first race after getting to know Cliff was the Ladies 10k in Glasgow. He set up a small group for women to train specifically for this. This must have been around late 1990s.”

I then joined Clydesdale and my times gradually improved until I was fast enough to pick up some prizes.  Some races I did win as first lady I can remember are Stranraer 10k 2 years in a row, Erskine Bridge 10k, Bearsden and Milngavie 10k, East Kilbride 10k  , Monklands half marathon, (  twice  I think ) ,  Bute Highland games 10k,  Aberfeldy marathon 2012,  Kirkintilloch 12.5k . I have also won Vets races  over the years too eg Bathgate Hill race. In many other races where I did not finish first overall I was top 3 or first in age group eg 2nd in Mull half (2014 ) and 3rd Lochaber marathon. (2014)”

Pamela came to the sport relatively late and it is impossible not to wonder how well she would have run had she started running earlier.   That she is a very good runner is in no doubt at all and it only takes a look at some of her racing statistics to see that.    She is a prolific racer – in the 19 years since 2004 she has run at least 445 races; ie: these are only the ones that Power of 10 know about!   Although she is known as a road and cross country runner she is a prolific racer and has some very good track races to her credit.   Some statistical information, not all of it because it would be overwhelming, about her career is illuminating.  We can start with a look at her personal best times in the table below table below for evidence the quality of her running.

These are quite excellent times at 13 different events on three different surfaces.   As a V45, 2008 was when she set most pb’s with 5 miles in Glasgow on 8^th November, 10 miles on 15^th November at Brampton, 10K on 29^th November at East Kilbride having set her Half Marathon pb on 7^th September in Glasgow.   The week before the purple patch of three pb’s in November she had run 40:07 for the 10K in Stranraer where she had been first Lady.

How about frequency of racing?   Have a look here:

Remember that these are only the races that appear on the Power of 10 website and she undoubtedly ran more than that in total.   Of course, many athletes run lots of races, but low key races, or only races near home that don’t require a lot of travel, or races that pose no challenge or even turn out in races but don’t race them, merely run round the course enjoying the company and the scenery.   That does not seem to be Pamela.  

Her first run in the National Cross Country Championship was in 2007 when she finished 73^rd but given that there were no age categories in that event we get a better picture when we look at her appearances in the National Masters Championships between 2010 and 2019.

Not at all a bad record with the lowest age group placing 8^th.   Note too that it is normal for a runner to drop a place or two as they go through the years – they get older and new ‘young’ ones come into the category.

Pamela has run in many of the classics such as the Tom Scott 10 Miles in Motherwell (best time (66:24), the Brampton to Carlisle 10 Miles in the north of England (best time 64:37), Balloch to Clydebank (half marathon), Nigel Barge Road Race (5 Miles), Glasgow University Road Race, Springburn Cup Road Race (10K) as well as marathons from Lochaber in the north of Scotland to London in the south of England.   Not averse to travelling nor to facing a challenge then.   Pamela has also been highly ranked in the RunBritain Rankings which is open to thousands of runners from all over the country.   Her best rankings, ie top ten in the UK, have been the following.

Her best marathon ranking in Britain was 22^nd in 2012 as a V50.

Pamela’s progress in individual races at the start of the century has been steady.   She ran regularly in the Balloch to Clydebank Half marathon between 2004 (W 40) to 2019 (W 55):

*2004 – 95:38; 2007 – 92:14;  2008 – 89:24; 2009: 89:10; 2010 – 88:11; 2011 – 90:41 (W50).   There was a gap in her appearances at that point and her next race was as a W55 in 2019 when she recorded 91:57. 

While the Balloch (like the Dunky Wright, all the races in the Polaroid 10K series, etc) was a home race, she also showed the willingness to travel to races – that has also been a feature of her running.  

*The Brampton to Carlisle 10 miles race was run in 2004 (65:49, 11^th Lady); 2005 (66:31, 3^rd V); 2006 (67:13, 16^th Lady); 2008 (64:37, 1^st V45)

*2011 The Blackpool Hilton Half Marathon (89:48 3^rd Lady )

*2014 The Isle of Mull Half Marathon (90:31, 2^nd Lady, 1^st Vet)

*The Isle of Man Half Marathon 2019 (97:55, 3^rd Lady, 1^st V45)

* 2016 Islay Half Marathon (5^th lady, 1:38:12)

She even travelled for marathon races:-

*2012  Aberfeldy  (3 hours 24 min – first marathon and first lady)

*2013 London Marathon (3:28:55)

*2014 Lochaber Marathon (3:23:47, 3^rd Lady, 1st V50, 1^st SVHC)

*2015 The Baxter’s Loch Ness Marathon (March 3:31:41)

*2015  The Greater Manchester Marathon (April 3:27:15) NB: Short

And there are other examples of this trait.  

The willingness to travel to races that she felt she needed reminds us of Ian Stewart’s comments to some of his rivals – “I’ll travel 200 miles to get into a good race, you’ll travel 200 miles to get out of one.”   Pamela is definitely in the former camp.

Then there are the parkruns.   The parkrun is a wonderful development for the sport.   They are all over 5K, they are free to run in, they are well staffed by volunteers and the times given out are accurate.   All attractive features for any runner, for the really ambitious trying to better their time, and for the new runners just wanting to get round They all have their different challenges eg Drumchapel, Tollcross and Pollok are hilly and times are approximately two minutes slower, even for the faster runners than on some other courses..   Held all over Britain they are popular events.   Needless to say, Pamela has done her share of runs in parkruns all over the country and also needless to say has been first across the line in some, set records in some, run personal bests, set course records and had a lot of pleasure in just being part of the scene.  

She has run in these events, since 2014 according to Power of 10, in Victoria Park, Greenock, Springburn, Pollok, Tollcross, Drumchapel, Linwood, Eglinton, Ruchill, Levengrove, Jersey, Nobles Parkrun in Isle of Man, Blackpool, Bolton and Erskine Waterfront.   What immediately jumps out is the wide geographical spread of the event despite the obvious preponderance in the West of Scotland.   Jersey in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, in the south of England, Blackpool in the north of England, Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Lanarkshire.   And she has done well competitively in them.   It would be almost impossible to reproduce all her Press cuttings, but some of them are noted below.   She did run a lot of these runs which is of interest for several reasons eg.  Being relatively short compared to her usual racing distances, they were useful speed training sessions as well as runs in their own right.    How many did she run?   So far she has run 142 and holds V60 records for Drumchapel, Tollcross and Erskine as well as some age group records for other such runs. Here, for example is the list from 2017 as listed in Power of 10:

22 races at six venues spread between Glasgow and the Channel Islands and look also at the consistency of the times run.  

A few comments on her running in them on reports chosen at random from many more:

“Drumchapel, Event Number 59, 29/07/2017:

*

Linwood: The female course record is held by Jennifer Wetton who ran a time of 16:55 on 29^th October 2016.   The Male Record is held by Jack Arnold who ran a time of 16:16 on 20^th August 2016.   The age grade course record is held by Pamela McCrossan who recorded 20:23 on 13^th August 2016.

And finally at Bolton:

“The first lady to finish was Pamela McCrossan of Clydesdale Harriers who was running for the first time at Bolton in her 45^th Parkrun.   One of our regulars Olivia Kearney of Bolton United Harriers chased her all the way to the finish and was 22 seconds behind her at the end.   This gave Olivia a Personal Best time of 22:30 which was 7 seconds quicker than she ran a fortnight ago, and this was her 195^th time running at Bolton.   

Pamela in Bolton

Have a look at her best annual parkruns as a measure of consistency.

The Scottish women that Pamela has been racing with and against during this period have been of a high standard.   Note that in her category alone there have been such as Fiona Matheson of Falkirk Victoria, Rhona Anderson of Dunbar, Sonia Armitage of Aberdeen, and Hazel Dean of Central.

Speaking in early October 2023, Pamela says: “I only started back at the track 9 weeks ago. Hadn’t paid to enter a  race since  end of 2019 due to Covid in 2020 and a variety of injuries in 2021 plus part of 2022. Started back doing some parkruns in August 2022 and have kept them up. Tried the selection race for Masters International a few weeks ago and was very surprised to finish second in my age group so was automatically selected for Scotland team in November. Was delighted to say the least.  That has given me an incentive to do some proper training. “   She did run in the Vets International on 11^th November in Glasgow where she finished twelfth and part of the bronze medal winning team, the others being Fiona Matheson who won the race and Hilary Ritchie in ninth.  

What training did she do when she was running well?   In 2008 when she had her wonderful 3 personal best times in the one month,  she was doing five runs a week – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday.   Sunday, as for all distance runners, was the long run of usually 13 – 15 miles, Monday and Wednesday were steady runs, Tuesday reps in the Business Park (ie flat, good surface), Thursday either long reps on grass or another steady run.   Fairly typical week for most endurance runners – two ‘effort sessions’, one long run and steady running the rest of the time.   It certainly worked for Pamela.   There were gym sessions, exercise bikes, cross-training and other endurance related activities but the running was the main thing and followed a pattern.  

One of the hardest weeks was the week ending 9^th October:-

Monday: 9.12 miles

Tuesday: 8 x 800 in 2:56, 2:55, 2:54, 2:52, 2:56, 2:56, 2:55, 2:53 8.5 m in total

Wednesday: 4 miles

Thursday: 5.2 miles in 38 minutes

Friday : Rest

Saturday: Glasgow University Road Race: 31:48  pb   Total distance 7 mls

Sunday: 13.3 miles 1:40:24

How had the training developed ten years later, in 2018?   If we take the October/November period, we see that in the week ending 11^th November she had done six days training.   Not all running.   She summarised the week as 5 runs, 2 races and 2 gym classes.   The gym sessions were a Spin Class and Body Pump on Monday; the training sessions were a hill session on the Tuesday, 6.3 miles in 48:44 minutes on Wednesday, a varied session on the golf course on Thursday, a short course championship at Lanark with warm up/cool down on Saturday, the Jimmy Irvine 10K on the Sunday.   A varied week with a total of over 30 miles – but given the variety the total mileage is almost irrelevant.      There were harder weeks in the course of the year.   Eg, week ending 8^th July:-

Monday :Spin Class 45 minutes    +     Body Pump 1 hour

Tuesday: 6 laps of the Business Park – 3 medium, 3 small, 3 medium  6.1 miles

Wednesday: 6 miles in 45.01 minutes

Thursday: Body Pump 1 hour  +  Kettlebells 30 minutes  + running reps of 10  x  2 minutes to a total of 6.57 miles

Friday:  Rest

Saturday: Drumchapel Parkrun – Total Distance 4.57 miles

Sunday:  Long Run 15.0 miles in 2:04.45

The difference is very noticeable.   More miles, harder runs and more varied gym work for cross-training + variety and all endurance based.   The results are clear to see: continuing to train hard, more success and genuine enthusiasm for the sport as she advances through the age groups.

We do not know what the future holds for Pamela but her enthusiasm burns as brightly.

There are more pictures at  Pamela’s Gallery –   go  here 

The picture below is of Santini from West Calder High winning the 100 yards at the Inter-Scholastics in Edinburgh on 17th May, 1930.   Interestingly the caption describes him as winning at the the SAAA.   The ‘Scotsman’ report follows.

Note some of the schools participating in the open events (ie Over 16) whose names we might not have noticed before – eg Lenzie Academy, Broxburn and North Kelvinside

Following his career – in the Under 16’s the name of JRG Blamire which was first noted as winning the Under 14 100 yards in 1928 in 11.6 seconds and the 300 yards in the same year in in 41.2 seconds.  He is seen in these results winning the Under 16’s 300 yards in 41.6 seconds, finishing second in the 100 yards, second in the broad jump and leading off for the winning Relay team.   .    

The meeting in 1931 was held on May 16th, again  at Inverleith.   Two of the winners are pictured above and with one from Edinburgh and one from Glasgow the Edinburgh-Glasgow balance was struck.   We note also that the standard programme of 20 events was adhered to and that there were 30 schools taking part.   And JR Blamire is now in the Open (ie over 16) events and a member of the second placed relay team.  Report and results from the ‘Scotsman’ below.   

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The event was next held on 21st May, 1932 and was previewed as below in the ‘Edinburgh Evening News’.   Note the venue – not any of the more usual venues but the relatively little known Helenvale Park.   Helenvale had a very good track on which many excellent times were set at their annual sports meetings.   These were over all distances not just for sprints or for distance runners  and the Irish John Joe Barry set a world best for the 1000 yards there.   The track was also surrounded by a good stepped terracing which helped spectators view proceedings.   Last year’s entry of 30 schools had come up to 46.   

The report from the Herald: 

The range of schools was wider still with such as McLaren High from Callander, Dunfermline High School Ardrossan Academy, Waid Academy as well as the many from Glasgow and Edinburgh and their environs.

The photograph comes from the local Hawick News on 21st May in 1933  when there were 37 schools involved. There was a lot of coverage in local papers up and down the land.   Local schools were mentioned in the Kirkintilloch Herald (Lenzie Academy and St Ninians were to enter teams), The Wishaw Press (Dalziel High School: pupil won the 100 yards), St Andrews citizen (Madras boy was second in the shot putt) and many more areas had selected results published.   The only national to cover the event in its entirety was the ‘Glasgow Herald’ whose report and results are here.

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The above photograph appeared in the ‘Aberdeen Press and Journal’ on 19th May in 1934 above the following article celebrating the local Grammar School’s first time entry to the Inter-Scholastics which were to be held in Glasgow, again at Helenvale Park.  

Coverage of the event was for some reason difficult to find.   A hint of a possible reason is in this snippet from the ‘Wishaw Press’.

Bad weather cancelled the field events.   And probably affected the crowd and maybe even lost some runners from the meeting too.   The ‘Glasgow Herald’ had some little coverage, and the only online version is a bit blurred and smudged although most of it is easily readable.

Note the name of the winner of the Mile – JN (Ian) Lapraik who would go on to be a very good runner at Glasgow University and in Scottish athletics generally before serving in the Army in the 1939-45 War.

Aberdeen schoolboy competing in 1938

The 1935 Sports was still operating on a rota of Edinburgh and Glasgow venue, year about and took place in Edinburgh.   Note that Prince Philip of Greece, later the Duke of Edinburgh, took part in the Under 14 High Jump.   The report and results from the ‘Glasgow Herald’ read as follows.

New schools to the list include Boroughmuir Secondary, Dunfermline High, Hawick High, Lasswade Secondary , Musselburgh Grammar, Viewforth (Kirkcaldy).

A year later, on 15th June, 1936,  the Inter Scholastic Sports took place at Scotstoun in Glasgow.   With many of the competing schools coming from Glasgow and Edinburgh, the competitors were from all over the country – Perth, Ardrossan, Falkirk, Dundee were all represented.   The ‘Glasgow Herald report with results is below.

In 1937, from June 21st’s ‘Scotsman’ came this illustrated report on the 37th Sports:

The sheer number of Glasgow schools represented on the say was amazing when we look back a mere 10 or 12 years – Albert Secondary, Allan Glen’s, Glasgow High, Hillhead HS, Hyndland HS, ,Jordanhill College. Pollokshields, Queen’s Park Secondary, St Aloysius – 9 of them winning medals and almost certainly others which did not appear in the results.   Note too the absence of Glasgow Academy which determinedly held their own school sports on the same day as the Inter-Scholastics. 

Numbers were big and growing: in 1938 there were 48 schools competing – a number described as ‘by no means a record’.  They were held on 18th June at Goldenacre, ‘Scotsman’ report follows:

In 1939, on  12th June, the Aberdeen  Press & Journal printed the following article-the North East had started its own Inter-Scholastics  and  the  standard  was  high  as  the  results  show.   It  was  one  week  before  the  national  event.   

Did  it  pay  off  for the   city?   Yes,  it  would  seem  so.  At  the Scottish  Schools  Athletic Association  Inter-Scholastics on 19th June,  1939, The ‘Scotsman’ tells us that there were 56 schools competing.   The paper’s report is below.

With 56 schools represented it would be expected that some new names would be seen among the honours.   With most of the names were familiar there were indeed some unfamiliar names – Beith Secondary, Albert Road School, West Calder High are the ones who stand out.   These Sports were the last before the War started: in 1914 the Inter-Scholastics continued throughout, would it be the same this time around?

The war was under way before the 1940 version of the schools championships took place on 22nd June and reported on in the following Monday’s papers.   The surprise was probably that the event was held in Stirling – the first time outside the Edinburgh/Glasgow double act.

It had been a successful period for the event: more schools taking part, standards continuing to rise and the venue had been spread to include Stirling.