Runner Profile: Richard Wold

Hey, thanks Garry for the kind nomination, I enjoyed reading your profile and have realised we enjoy much the same things in life! One thing this nomination has encouraged me to do is to reflect on my running achievements over the past….. well, too many years and to get all the boxed trophies, medals, records, photos and the Tee shirts that have never been worn, down from the storage.

I have always been into some sport of some sort, in 1973 I raced in the Norfolk and Suffolk ATC 800 meters as well as my schools sports day, and without proper training, I realised, after setting school records for the 400 and 800mtrs, in borrowed and ill-fitting track shoes, that I may have some talent but I never pushed myself or was even encouraged to take it further. One of my biggest disappointments that I sometimes reflect on and wonder how far that may have taken me. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn’t it!

As a teenager, I somehow got into roller skating, and became quite talented. I would spend most of my weekends trading my time at the rink servicing skates, serving customers and doing odd jobs as well as truing the flat spotted wheels on the school lathe all for free evening and weekend skating time, couldn’t get enough of it! As one of the key members of the newly formed roller hockey team we set about training at the Orwell School sports hall, we soon became very competitive resulting in winning the East Anglian League on many occasions and competing in an International Roller Hockey Tournament in 1981.

My road running started at the time when postal entries were the only way to gain entry to races, mile splits were written on a small piece of paper and taped to your wrist watch strap and training distances were measure by a piece of string! My first race was the Hi-Tec half marathon in 1984, which I also ran in 1985 and 86, this was held at the Suffolk Show Ground, as it was called back then! My cousin and I challenged each other to a race, neither of us had trained for the distance and we both ran in some old trainers that were not suitable for running and totally unaware of what to expect, we then chased each other for the following two years all without training for it! This was the race that set me on the lifelong love of running competitiveness.

I became a member of FRR way back when a few of us used to meet up at the Orwell School Youth Club on a Wednesday for a social run, there were George Buxton, Alan Weeks, and a few others whose names now escape me. This soon gained popularity and that’s how the club started in the mid 80’s, my recollection of the year is now a little vague, must be an age related thing!!. Over the years I have been involved in organising several of the races such as the RNR and the Felixstowe ½, I’ve also held Captaincy and served on the committee in various roles.

Some of my most treasured and memorable races have got to include the 2003 London Marathon which I trained and ran with the late Richie Bennett, Prague, Nottingham and Dublin Marathons, most of the earlier races such as the Woodbridge 10K’s – old course, the Chicago Bury 20, some of the Felixstowe half marathons and some local races, although I did travel around with Richie targeting other interesting races including the Nottingham and Stratford Upon Avon Marathons. As a club, we also travelled to Club La Santa for their race weeks, and also holidays, as well some of the aforementioned marathons.

I have completed 10 Marathons in total, with one DNF – Boston 2024 which will not be mentioned, and a few DNS due to injuries. Most that I’ve ran have been under 3:10, with the 1997 London 2:59:59 being my first sub 3 hours but only just, 2003 London 2:56, 1998 Dublin 2:58 and the 1999 Prague in 3:05:51 – that was a really hot day, a flat, out and back, course so it was an ideal event for a fast time but that heat wasn’t conducive for fast times on that occasion!

Whilst second claim for Ipswich Harriers, I competed on track in various distances when my son, Alex, was competing with them. I mainly raced at Watford in the Milers meetings and achieved a 9:39 3k and a 4:26 1500 in the open category. During that time, I also achieved a recorded 16:44 5k although I also achieved sub 16 minutes which wasn’t recorded unfortunately, 27:21 5 mile along with a 34:43 10k and a 1:16 half marathon. Unfortunately, lots of my times have fallen off the Power of 10 and Run Britain sites, disappointing!

I’ve also raced in the National Cross Countries at both Parliament Hills, brushed shoulders with Mo when he was an up-and-coming junior athlete, and also raced at Wollaton Park. Both of these events are great to remind us how much of a difference there is between international and club-based talent!

Some of my top three placing trophies from over the years, and age categories from senior, and upwards, apart from the Marathon medals in the fore.

Sue, who some of you will know, always travels with me to races as my number one supporter, years gone by she would look after other runner’s car keys, kit and on some occasions their children as well as babies in prams along with our own kids. I don’t think I can name but a few races where Sue hasn’t been there for support, and on some occasions, I don’t know what I’d have done without her!

I had a bit of a hiatus when I suffered with mental health problems, around 2004/5, which resulted in a diagnosis of CFS, and also resulted in an enforced layoff from all running. My Doctor, and Psychiatrist, was extremely supportive and got me back to full health but that took nearly 8 years to get there, I remain forever grateful to them both, very sadly one is no longer with us. I’m pleased to say that is now all behind me but I still get concerned comments from close family regarding my wellbeing and the effects of the intensity, and impact from my activities, which acts as stern reminder! It was thought that the running was the perpetrator of the illness as well as the type of person that I am; I remain very conscious of the triggers!

It’s taken a few years to get back to some level of competitiveness, my brain keeps telling me that I should be finishing further up the field but my body tells me otherwise! I’ve managed to regain a standing within my age category and can now hold my own, I recently placed 3^rd in the British Masters Athletic Federations 10m Championships, MV65-69 category, but that’s getting more difficult when I’m reaching 67 years old this year.

The following image is of my recent trophies,

I’m most proud of the BMAF medal, a 10 mile road race at Buntingford.

Injuries, well, I’ve had a fair share but the most serious have been from non-running activities, although I’m recovering from a recent knee niggle and an unrelated shoulder injury which is being a challenge in itself to overcome. I am a keen mountain biker and I’ve raced cross country events in the Mud Sweat and Gears league. I was racing at Thickthorn, Norfolk, July 2019, where I was descending down a technical feature and was taken out by another rider which resulted in eating hospital food and a stay for neck surgery, resulting in three fused vertebrae in my Cervical Spine, a stern reminder that trees don’t move! I still race from time to time and also take the bikes to Wales for some fast trail adrenalin. I’ve also had a decompression in my lumber spine, 2018, and was thought to be unrelated to running and have, to date, been unaffected by both surgeries.

The future? Well, having been running for 40 odd years, I’m in no hurry to hang up my shoes and I’m hopeful to keep going as long as I am able too, there is no other sport where I can take myself out in all conditions and lose myself into my own little world, my music, my thoughts and little old me! I also enjoy running with others and there’s nothing like the banter and camaraderie from fellow runners.

Thanks for reading this, apologies for the length, and please just keep putting those feet in front of each other and…….. just enjoy!

My nominee for the next runner profile is Stuart Ward