Max Jones, Birchfield Harriers
| This message was received on 15 March 2010
You will have known my father as a family
friend, as a participant in London Marathon, on The Walk most
years, as a helper at elections, as a spectator at football
matches or in many other ways.
Katy and I need to tell you that he died
yesterday. He had a fall at home in Leeds on Saturday night
which caused a series of brain haemorrhages. He died in Leeds
General Infirmary. Katy and I and Matthew were at his bedside
along with my mother & sister and many other close family and
friends.
It is very sad to know how fit and healthy
he was, even at the age of 83, so such a shock to know that he
is no longer with us, and so suddenly. But we are happy that he
died surrounded by family and friends, as peacefully as these
things are, and without a prolonged illness which after his
active life he would not have endured. |
Brief (!) Description of Running Background
Date of birth June 3rd, 1927
- 1943 June : Ran 1 mile, aged just 16, in 5:03.4 on
virtually no training.
- 1946 Dec : for Cambridge University v Oxford. 7½ miles
X-Country : 1st me; 2nd Roger Bannister.
- 1948 Mar : 4th in English Cross-Country Junior
Championship (inaugural event, no Junior Internationals then); the following
week, for Cambridge v Oxford : 3 miles in 15:04.
- 1952 May : Member of Birchfield Harriers team, winners
of the inaugural British Road Relay Championship (over the old
London-to-Brighton course).
- 1981 Mar : Ran in inaugural London Marathon, organised
by my Cambridge team-mate - Chris Brasher. Finished in 3:49:51, 4428th out
of 6600, behind 175 50+ year olds, 12 60+ and 110 women. And 2 WALKERS.
Aaargh !
- 1986 June : Ran fastest marathon : 2:57:06, aged 59.
- 1989 April : 1st Senior (over 60) 92nd Boston Marathon
(USA) in 3:03:46 and 5th M60, 6 days later, in London, in 3:09:29.
- 1991 Aug : Hood-to-Coast Relay, Oregon (USA), oldest
team member by 15 years, but fastest over 10km by between 4 and 20 minutes :
we were last of 800 teams to finish !
- 1994/95 : member of Nike Portland Hood-to-Coast teams,
4th in M40 age-group category.
- 1993 May : 1st over 60 in UK 100km Championships in a
Commonwealth M65 record of 9:13:56. October : 1st M65 in American
Masters Marathon Championship, in 3:07:44, the only time John Keston didn't
win his age group on the roads in 5 years as an M65.
- 1995 May : ran (road) 50 miles in 6:51:22, in a DNF
100km, for M65 World Record. June : ran a (track) 5km at an average
heart rate of 171bpm, Polar measured, finishing the race at 176bpm. At age
68 (note: 220-68 = 152, maximum for a 68 yr-old!).
- 1996 May : ran M65 track WRs of 30 miles (3:57:13);
50km (4:05:56); 50 miles (7:07:11).
- 1981-96 : EverPresent finisher in the London Marathon,
slowest 3:49:51 - see 5 above - fastest 2:58:00 in 1983. The 42 of us are
now guaranteed entry in the race provided we run and finish each year.
Aaargh !
- 1995 July : Silver medallist, individual and team, M65
marathon, WAVA World Championships, in Buffalo, NY, United States.
- 1997 Aug : gained all the M70 track ultra WRs 100km
(10:31:31), through 100 miles in (18:16:47) to 24hrs (191.019km, i.e. 118
miles 1220 yards) and finished 2nd overall in the race, my highest position
for 49 years! September : ran M70 WRs for 50km (4:16:12); 40 miles
(5:49:50); 50 miles (7:34:32).
- 1998 May : ran (road) M70 BR 100km (9:56:00), June :
oldest finisher (and Founder's Trophy winner) in Comrades Marathon in RSA,
October : ran M70 BR (track) 100km in 10:08:13, having lost my WR 2 weeks
before.
- 1999 April : ran 100th marathon, including in the total
one for every Ultra run over 42195m, in the 19th London Marathon (which now
has just 40 EverPresents left).
- 1999 June : retained the Founder's Trophy in the
Comrades Marathon Down Run, the 90km, 55 1/4 miles, from Pietermaritzburg to
Durban.
- 1999 August: Bronze medallist individual and team gold,
M70 marathon, WAVA World Championships, in Gateshead, England.
- 2000 April : One of now 39 EverPresents who finished
the 20th London Marathon. But only just. Lost carboload into sewers before
Start; hit the Wall at 5 miles; walked from 12 miles. Finished,
hypoglycaemic, in 6:17:05; 2nd Half slower than previous slowest marathon,
see 5 above. Aaargh !
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