John Bryant (25/4/44-29/4/20)
John Bryant, Married to Carol with two sons Mathew & William, ran in 24 marathons. His fastest time was
2:21. That may not seem an outstanding time for a top club runner BUT, if you consider throughout that time he was at the head
of proceedings, in the hot seat of National Newspaper journalism, which included being the Editor of the Daily Telegraph;
A Managing Editor of the Times and he was an Editor of the Sunday Correspondent, Features Editor of the Daily Mail, as well
as coaching people like Zola Budd plus, the fact he became President of his club, Thames Hare & Hounds AC. I thought
his column 'Bryant,s' Eye' in the
Times was always interesting. He was also an immense help to Chris Brasher and
his London Marathon set up. John had been Captain of the Oxford University cross country team in 1966 and met that 'Great'
Oxford University man, Roger Bannister. He wrote a book about him.
Amongst other athletic efforts, John won the London Championships on the track over 5000m. Despite his passion for running
since an early age, the slim good looking and friendly man, had one very unfortunate incident that nearly wrecked his running
life altogether. It was in 1987 when he was knocked down by a car receiving horrendous leg injuries but the surgeon saved
his legs from amputation. The amazing thing was he ran again in races, but suffered with pain in his leg after his races
at times. After the Ranelagh Half marathon I saw him in some considerable pain, for a while after the race but, he never
complained & continued with some more London marathons and, even doing the Surrey Vets Cross country Cnampionships at
Petersham, which I ran in myself. A man amongst men was John Bryant.
It so happens in 1999, after I had done 19 consecutive London's, I was hit by a dispatch rider in the City, while carrying my
files across the road. That was on the Thursday before the London Marathon which was on the Sunday, 3 days afterwards &
before my 20th London, and received a broken collar bone, 8 fractured ribs and a bruised lung and ended up spending a few
days in the London Hospital, and, it was after that
John wrote to me on 19th of May 2000.
"I was so sorry to here of your accident which robbed you of your Ever Present place in the marathon. I do hope you are
recovering steadily? It will be a long hard haul by the sound of it but you are equipped mentally and physically,to battle back
that non-athletes can only dream of. A dozen years ago I almost lost a leg while training, so I know what you must
be going through. All I can give is the advice I have given to quite a few athletes, anybody can get knocked over,
it's getting up again that sorts out who you are. I know Alastair, you will get up again. It will take time and it will hurt,
but persevere and you will be back. I look forward to seeing you running again soon.
Yours Ever jOHN BRYANT."
I feel that says something about thoughtful John Bryant, who unfortunately died after an illness, a genuine loss to
athletics.
Alastair Aitken
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