This is the full
account of my request to Tommy Brannon to contribute an article to the ‘Poly
Patter’ bulletin I am producing. It seemed fitting to pick Tommy as the first
to be a subject of ‘Focus On’ as he had just picked up a couple of awards
at the presentation night, he is the Grand Prix course record holder and he
won the Heaton 10k on Sunday 14th November. His enthusiasm is such
that the full article is too big for the bulletin but it certainly warrants
a publication.
STEVE CLARK
Full name: Thomas Alan (a.k.a. Tommy)
Brannon
D.O.B.
(Rolf Harris
was No.1 with Two little Boys that Christmas!)
Height: 5ft 10 (1.78m)
Weight: 10 stone
When did I start running?
When I was really young my Dad and elder brother used to
go fishing up near Ovingham. One weekend during the summer holidays mum took
me, my elder sister and younger brother up to see them. We had to get the
train to
I think I ran in the under 9's and after getting through
the heats I eventually finished third in the final and won a medal. I still
have it. Later the same day, everyone was invited to run round the field with
Christina Boxer (
I wasn't anything special until maybe thirteen and I started
to compete against another lad (Keith Middleton) for the course record (previously
held by another former NSPoly club member Alan Cappleman). Keith used to run
the two laps of the playing field on the Tuesday and I used to do it on the
Thursday. I guess that's when I became competitive. He always beat me in the
final Team Championship race though. His dad, Eddie encouraged me to come
to the Club. Keith was a sprinter (100m and 200m) and Eddie knew that I wasn't
so he put me with Dave Scanlon and Dave sent me out with Gilbert, Alistair,
Kenneth and Audra.
After a short time I was sent to train with Tommy Anderson's
group which contained John Fail, Martin Frost, Simon Frost, Paul Fail and
Eddie Irwin - lads older than me with the exception of Paul Fail. They were
really fast and even though only Paul was my age he was just awesome. Training
with them really educated me to what it was all about.
Why did I take up running again?
Running to me is like breathing. It's part of who I am. When
I left North Shields in 1990 to go to university I still kept my running up.
Unfortunately I wasn't based near any running clubs in
It wasn't until I entered training for my current job and
shared a flat with a keen fell runner in 1999 that my desire to start running
again commenced. However, the old injuries kept returning plus the extra weight
I was carrying did not help. I remember sitting on the side of a hill in Sedbergh
(pronounced SeDba) with my cousin
When I came home in June 2001 I tried to run but again the
knees began to hurt, but instead of going to a physiotherapist I went to see
an osteopath. After six months of treatment I began running and people like
Ray Doyle and others always made supporting comments. But without the constant
nagging and encouragement of Steve Gilroy I'm not sure how far I would have
got.
My favorite race
I have had so many highs. Many have involved breaking club
records at Junior and Senior level - especially the Clive Cookson race when
I finished third behind Gary Nagel and Chris Naisbit and broke the club record
by thirty seconds ( I still didn't win the sealed
handicap though!!) . According to my mum, she and my dad were out shopping
in North Shields and as the result came over the radio and my dad shouted
to everyone in the shop - "that's my son!" Of course, he did not
say anything to me when I got in after the race.
Winning the North Eastern 800m title has to be up there,
too. I still have the race on video-tape. On it one can hear Eddie Middleton
and David Quinn, both great supporters, talking about me and Eddie saying
"go out now man, go on" followed by Dave's voice saying "he's
afraid of Jamesy, man". The thing is, I'm a racer not a time-trialist.
Other competitors pull me to fast times. I just hang on as long as I can and
hope that gets me to two hundred metres from the finish line then I'm on my
own. I can go from there.
And of course, Sunday will always be remembered. Winning
the Heaton Harriers Memorial Road Race was an amazing feeling. It's such an
historic race with some great athletes the ilk of Mike McLeod, Don Speight,
the Hudspith's, Steve Cram and so forth all having won it in the past. That
can never be taken away from me.
But I suppose the one that most club members know me for
is the one I can least remember. May be that is because it wasn't a race as
such but more of a time-trial. Of course, I am referring to the Alan Catley
inspired Grand Prix. Without Alan, I dare say most club athletes would have
no idea of my past. But the record has stood now for some sixteen years. It
was set on the very first run of something that has become the back-bone of
many club athletes’ winter training sessions. It is great to see that the
organizers have developed the holistic approach and allowed athletes from
other clubs to enter the event. It reinforces Jimmy Alder, the godfather of
North-East distance runnings' view, that North Shields Polytechnic is a friendly
club and it is an honour to be part of its history.
My favourite training runs
I'm a bit of a work-horse really. I am not supportive of
the 'no pain, no gain' ideology but I do agree that hard work is the foundation
of all future performance. Without pushing oneself in training how can one
carry it through in races. That is not to say that I'm sick after every training
session or completely drained. That would be counter-productive. Everyone
needs rest days. Whether that incorporates steady runs or days-off is up to
the individual or the coach, (preferably by agreement between both).
Hill sessions and fartlek runs have always produced that
dig-deep sensation. Knowing that I am pushing my body really hard gives me
that sickly buzz within me. In the days of training with Peter Saint it used
to be the nine-mile fartlek session round Earsdon, Shiremoor, Formica, down
Now that I'm back training with George Seber at Stakeford
I guess it's the continuous hill running that gets me going. It's odd really
because everyone who goes there has the impression that it is this fantastic
place with up to the minute facilities. It's not. I remember when
My sporting heroes
If I was asked that question twenty-years ago the answer
would have been Alf Tupper (The Tough of the Track, 'Roy of the Rovers') and
Seb Coe. Now, my perspective is different. I'd like to think that I'm not
as arrogant as I used to be. That I am much more humble and grateful for the
opportunities and rewards running has given me.
I see people running everyday. Some of whom will never win
a race, but they train hard and compete against themselves. That inspires
me. When I came back to running in January 2002 lots of people supported me.
John Brown, Ian Richardson and Mick Golightly allowed me to train with them
for a while. Ron Stewart put me through my first winter and I'll always be
grateful to Ron for that.
But sporting heroes can come from anywhere. Ellen McCarthy's
solo sailing round the world, Frank Bruno taking on Mike Tyson and (similar
to Henry Cooper fighting Muhammad Ali) nearly winning. Watching Brian Jack,
Kevin Keegan, Lynn Davies, David Hemmery or Brian Hooper during the TV series
Superstars; Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddle (Chariots of Fire). But
I guess above all of these it has to be Sir Steve Redgrave, who for twenty-years
lived and worked his dream. Yet he was magnanimous enough to acknowledge that
without the support of those around him he would not be regarded as the greatest
oarsman ever to have entered a boat.
Weekly average mileage
Since returning to running I have become very superstitious
about things. I no longer plan ahead as much as I used to and I don't keep
a diary of training sessions. George does all that. At a guess I would say
that I average fifty miles per week. Honestly have no idea and it makes
me apprehensive even to think about it. I just turn up, George says: 'okay
five laps, off you go' and that's it.
Personal Best's
200m -
23.9
400m -
49.4
800m - 1.49.2
(unofficially) 1.50.02 (officially)
1500m - 3.46.7
3000m - 8.23.0
Grand Prix - 17.24
Clive Cookson (5.25 miles) 24.45
10 mile - 50.09
Half Marathon - 1hr 07. 20 seconds
Thanks for this opportunity,
Tommy