Ian Thompson

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Ian Thompson (born 16 October 1949) in Birkenhead, Merseyside was an English athlete, who gained success in marathon running.

Regarded as just an ordinary club athlete, Thompson suddenly broke through to world class as a marathon runner on 27 October 1973. That day he ran the AAA marathon championship just to make up the numbers for his club, Luton United. It was his first race beyond 10 miles, but he won in 2:12:40, at the time the fastest ever debut at the distance. Thus he qualified for the Commonwealth Games three months later - and he won again, this time in 2:09:12, the fastest ever run in a championship race, a British record and only 39 seconds off the then world record of 2:08:33. This is currently (7 April 2006) the ninth fastest time by a British Athlete and still a Commonwealth Games Record. Further victories followed in 1974 in Athens and at the European Championships in Rome.

In 1976 he suffered cramp and finished only 7th in the trials for the Olympics, for which he was not selected to the consternation of some. Although for many years among Britain's best, he never regained his 1974 eminence and contested only one more major championship. His best times each year between 1977 and 1982 were in the 2:12 to 2:15 range. He won the AAA title in 1980 to gain selection for the Moscow Olympics but dropped out at the Games.

His wife Margaret was an early pioneer of marathon running for women in Britain and ran a British best time of 3:07:47 in Korso, Finland 26 October 1975 and for a few months they held both the men and women's British marathon records until Margaret's time was beaten by Christine Readdy (Kilkenny) in Feltham April 4 1976.