Tribute to Ben Jacobs

A great runner and a greater man

Felixstowe Road Runners have lost a long standing and immensely popular club member who died following an accident when out cycling with three other club members on Wednesday 17th May 2023.

Ben Jacobs was an exceptionally talented runner and competed for the club in events across Suffolk and elsewhere in the country, regularly winning in his age category and being placed very high up in overall standings, whatever the distance.  He competed in all road running distances up to and including the marathon and he was a leading light on the local cross country scene where he excelled in the Suffolk Winter League and the County Cross Country Championships.  He had extended his talents by competing in triathlons, right up to Ironman distance, being an accomplished cyclist and increasingly keen swimmer.

Above and beyond his prowess as an athlete, Ben was a brilliant club member and clubmate.  He turned out for just about every event in which the club took part and was always at Tuesday evening training sessions.  Although he was a superb athlete he had absolutely no ego or arrogance and would advise and encourage club members of all abilities and ages in a quiet, humble and supportive way.  Most Felixstowe Road Runners will have experienced Ben drawing up next to them whilst they trained, before he gave a wave of acknowledgement, a word of encouragement or a supportive smile, then gliding past in his lovely running style, always up on his toes, smoothly covering the ground.  His commitment to others was illustrated so well by his long standing role in the organisation of Ipswich parkrun where he would very regularly be out early checking the course before often serving as Run Director for this popular weekly event.

Felixstowe Road Runners paid emotional tributes to Ben at the Woodbridge 10k race on the Sunday after he passed away.  All wore a black ribbon on their running vests.  Some members ran in his memory with his name written on their shoes, others attempted to honour him with outstanding performance on this challenging course. A huge number of the Reds ran together at the back of the field beside one club member who was injured in the same cycling accident.  The support from members of other clubs and from the residents of Woodbridge was extraordinary and very moving.

As individual clubmates we will miss Ben and as a running club there will always feel like a key member is missing.  The running community of Suffolk will be poorer without him.  We have been very fortunate to have him as a clubmate and our hearts go out to all the members of his family who have lost a husband, father, son and brother.  Ben was a great runner and a greater man.

Stuart Mason

Chair of Felixstowe Road Runners

23rd May 2023