John Disley was Wales’ outstanding athlete in the Fifties, competing at two Olympic Games and two Commonwealth Games. He became Britain’s first world-class steeplechaser, setting four British records at 2 miles and five at 3,000 metres. In September, 1951, he broke his own British and Commonwealth record for the 3,000m steeplechase, clocking 9:11.6 at the White City, London.
Among those he beat that day was the future Olympic champion Chris Brasher, These two men would go on to co-found the London Marathon thirty years later. That victory proved the North Wales born athlete was in the shape of his life and on course for a the Helsinki Olympics the following year. He won the second heat with a huge improvement on his record, becoming the first British athlete to break nine minutes. He ran even faster in the final, but had to be content with the bronze medal – only the second individual Olympic athletics medal won by a Welsh athlete after Tom Richards’ silver in the marathon in London four years earlier. His record breaking success saw him become the Welshman to be voted British Athlete of the Year and he also won the Welsh Sports Personality of the Year award in 1955.
At the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 he ran 8:44.6, but could only finish sixth in a race that was surprisingly won by Brasher in a British and Olympic record time of 8:41.2. It was Brasher’s first win over Disley.
There was no steeplechase event at the Commonwealth Games in 1954 and 1958, so Disley had to compete for Wales in the Mile race in Vancouver in 1954, where he lowered his own Welsh record, and the three miles in Cardiff in 1958, where he had to pull out with an Achilles problem.
He also competed for Great Britain at the European Championships in Brussels in 1950 (13th) and Berne in 1954 (10th). He won 19 British vests between 1950-57, representing the London Athletic Club, and he won three AAA Steeplechase titles. His triumph in the 2 miles event in 1952 was classed as a world’s best (9:44.0 secs). He won four Welsh titles at the Mile and lowered the Welsh record six times in that event. During his career he set 18 Welsh records at 1,500 metres, Mile, 3,000 metres, 3,000 metres and 2 miles steeplechase and 5,000 metres.
Born in Corris, he was educated at Oswestry High School, in Shropshire, and went to Loughborough College as a student in 1946. He became a schoolmaster in London before taking over as Chief Instructor at Plas y Brenin, The National Mountain Centre from 1955-1957. Shortly before his appointment as Chief Instructor, he broke the record for the ascent on foot of all the Welsh 3000 ft peaks in the remarkable time of 7hrs 26min. During that time he played a pivotal role in the development of orienteering and competed in the 1966 World Orienteering Champoionships. He was a member of the International Orienteering Federation (1972-78). He was awarded the CBE in 1979 for his work in outdoor education and was vice-chairman of the Sports Council (1974-82). He was also President of the Snowdonia Society for 10 years.
Despite his outstanding career on the track and in sport in general, arguably his greatest achievements were still to come. In 1979 he entered the New York Marathon with Chris Brasher to see what the running movement was doing to attract 11,000 runners to take part. On their return, Brasher wrote an article in The Guardian: “To believe this story you must believe that the human race can be one joyous family, working together, laughing together, achieving the impossible. Last Sunday, 11,532 men and women from 40 countries in the world, assisted by over a million people, laughed, cheered and suffered during the greatest folk festival the world has seen.”
He ended the article by wondering “whether London could stage such a festival? We have the course, a magnificent course . . . but do we have the heart and hospitality to welcome the world?”
Disley lovingly designed and measured the course and in 1981 the London Marathon was born. There were 7,474 runners in the inaugural event in 1981, while by 2015 a record 37,675 runners finished the race. It has developed into one of the greatest annual sporting events in the world. More than 1 million people have since run the race and tens of millions of pounds have been raised for charity. Disley became President of the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
John Ivor Disley (Athlete and sports administrator) Born in Corris on 20 November 1928; Died in London on 8 February, 2016
