Sheffield's Unsung Heroes

On 26th September 2021, I will embark on a mission to complete the Sheffield Half Marathon. Loads have done this before and milked it for all its worth, but not with the background I have. Are you sitting comfortably? If so, I’ll begin.

I actually hated running and athletics with a passion growing up. Why? Because our house was consumed by it. This impacted on the ‘father and son relationship’ with my dad who, on reflection, was one of the mighty warriors who started the ball rolling to make Sheffield the global sporting force it is today.

In contrast, my dad loved running and he would drag me to athletics at the cinder track at Hillsborough to run results across the track or mark the course in the freezing cold at 6am on a Saturday morning. But his ideas and passion went even further than that.

He spotted a Sheffield lad who was a class above in local cross country and he did what he could to make sure others heard about him by writing for the Sheffield Star and Green ‘Un. That young lad went on to win Olympic Golds and break World records in the 1980s. Later in his life, he ran the 2012 Olympic Games and then wrote a fantastic piece about my dad in The Times Educational Supplement after he sadly passed away unexpectedly.

These unsung heroes of Sheffield sport from the 70s and 80s put on a national cross-country race and, while this was underway, they were also busy planning and organising Sheffield’s first marathon in 1982 after watching the London marathon the year before. They organised many more sporting events (culminating for my dad with the World Student Games in 1991) and they did it all without the aid of the internet or computers.

Without these amazing individuals would we be where we are today? Probably not. If we didn’t have these people who sacrificed very nearly everything, including financially and emotionally with their families, we may not have the likes of Lord Coe or Dame Jess or, at least, it may have been even harder than it was for them in the first place.

So, as I said, I hated athletics and running and have never had any desire to run! However, having had a dog for a few years and walking him every day, when he passed on the daily walks stopped and I noticed the pounds piling on. Something had to be done!

My partner (who had taken up running a few years before) talked me into ‘Couch to 5k’. Jo Wiley coached me through and then, watching my partner do her first half, I realised that if it wasn’t for dad, this race may never have happened. It brought back many memories - I loved my dad very much - and I thought what would be a more fitting tribute than to run a half marathon for him.

OMG I wasn’t expecting it to bring so much out of me. I was so prepared and trained perfectly ready for 2020 – we all know what happened next. I rolled on my application to compete but forgot until six weeks ago! So, it’s been a bit of a rush as I start my race taper.

Why am I telling you my story? Well because it’s a bit different, I guess. It has a purpose, and I am NOT running for donations or to support a personal charity. I just want you all to read this and realise that behind all these amazing sports stars there are volunteers, mums and dads, aunties and uncles who start it all off and keep them going.

Because of that I would like you to simply acknowledge that we are lucky to have these people in our beloved Sheffield, take £1 out of your pocket and give it to your charity, nobody else’s, yours. If you want to categorise it, mark it as ‘Rich’s Run’. There will only be one half marathon, so please make it count!

Just to add a smile, the irony is that my surname is Tomlinson, and the Sheffield Half is one of the Jane Tomlinson Trust events.

Please support us all safely and remember these amazing people. Thanks so much.

Richard