Looks like Fred could still be around. Jacqui Double Olympian Fred's hopes for ace Peter From the Bolton Evening News, first published Friday 18th Jun 2004. FRED Norris doesn't envy the task Leigh's long distance athletics star Peter Riley has set himself to win an Olympic place. He's been there, done that, got the t-shirt. But then Tyldesley's greatest ever athlete is glad he is not running today with the unbeatable Kenyans in a league of their own and standards so high. "They do altitude training, mine was low altitude -- down the pit," says the man who got to the top with the help of jam butties, determination and the love of his wife, Doris. At 82 world record breaking double Olympian Fred can look back on his long and distinguished athletics career in the 50s and 60s with pride, a time he took on the greatest for nothing but a certificate and cuttings for the scrap book. Though his records piled up, Fred is disappointed that his achievements have not been recognised with an OBE. His pal and fellow Olympian, the late Chris Brasher, a founding father of the London marathon, started the ball rolling to get Fred's achievements recognised by the powers that be, but when he died last year Fred was told Downing Street wouldn't honour achievements from over 40 years ago. "It would have been nice, but I shan't lose any sleep over it," said Fred. A widower, Fred has not yet come to terms with the loss of the wind beneath his wings, his wife of 60 years, who died after a stroke last year. She was the lynchpin that kept the family together. While Fred was using up his miner's wages to compete overseas she encouraged him to continue running and worked long hours as a weaver to support herself and their son Edmund. At home in Sale Lane, Tyldesley, Fred still re-lives the races he had against the greatest distance runners of the time including multi Olympic champions Emil Zatopek, Alain Mimoun and our own Derek Ibbotson. And he is proud to show a Pathe News film of his working and running life which was screened at Leigh's Regal Cinema. Fred was born in Primrose Street, Tyldesley, and left school at 14 to work in a machine shop. He played football for Sale Lane United and Winton United. He moved to Cleworth Hall colliery at Tyldesley working on underground maintenance, and running never crossed his mind until he watched the 1948 Olympics on a cinema newsreel. "I could do that," he thought as he saw Zatopek steam to victory. He went onto the football field and ran four laps in four minutes. So at the age of 26 he joined Leigh Harriers and just four years later as a Bolton Harrier he was facing Zatopek in Helsinki for the 1956 Olympic 10,000m final in which he finished seventh. Four years later he competed in the Melbourne Olympic marathon but fell victim to the fierce Aussie heat. When he first caught the athletics bug Fred was up at 5am pounding the streets of Tyldesley before starting a tough shift 900ft down the pit and coming up at 4.30pm, dashing home to wash and change before reeling off another eight to 10 miles. He used to train by racing trolley buses along Manchester Road and gained recognition with travelling fans waving him on his way. "Doris used to have supper ready when I came in. There was no such things as diet. My snap was jam and bread and water most days and when I got home after an evening run I ate what was put on the table. I can't remember what it was, but I can still remember my races very clearly, those I won and those I should have won." One which stands out in his memory is a 15 mile run in Dublin when he lapped the Olympic marathon champion Mamoun three times. In his career Fred clocked up 54 English, British, Commonwealth and European records ranging from seven miles upwards, and at the age of 37 he set the 20, 21 and 22 mile world best times and the two hour world record. In 1959 he was international cross country champion but his hopes of a place in the Rome Olympics in 1960 were shattered by injury. "That was probably the best thing that could have happened, because it led to the family emigrating to America. "I won an athletics scholarship to a univeristy in Louisiana, but Doris didn't like the heat there and we moved to Massachusetts where I got a job in a machine shop. Once again Doris continued working making raincoats until she retired." Over the next three years in the States Fred won 43 out of 44 races from three to 20 miles. He became the Canadian marathon champion but the one title he wanted, the American cross country championship, eluded him -- when he was beaten on the run in by an Australian! Meanwhile son Ed, who now lives in Hawaii, was following in his father's footsteps and won the American marathon championship in 1968. Sadly his career came to an end in 1970 when he broke both knees in a ski-ing accident. Fred continued to run until the age of 42 when a specialist wanted to take his knee cap off and scrape it. He told him no thanks and quit immediately. From then he developed asthma from which he has suffered ever since. Fred said: "I never became a spectator or went to meets though I read about the sport." Both Fred and Doris continued working to retirement age and in 1986 they headed home to Sale Lane, leaving Ed and two grandchildren in the States. "Doris couldn't get back fast enough," said Fred, "She had been homesick for many years, but she was a wonderful wife. I couldn't have done what I did without her. She looked after me for 60 years and never complained even when I brought little money home from the pit. "In those days I was allowed time off to run, but I didn't get paid. One Friday I picked up my wage and there was 10 shillings (50p) in it, but Doris never moaned." He added: "How times have changed. If things had been like they are now I would have been a multi-millionaire, but athletics was more fun in those days when we used to win prizes worth seven guineas. I never even took an aspirin and never had to worry about drugs. If I had my time over again I wouldn't change a thing. "I wouldn't like to be racing now though, the standards are so high it seems almost impossible for our long distance athletes to make the Olympic team. Hardly anyone in this country can reach the 5,000m and 10,000m standards. I feel sorry for Peter, he will have a heck of a job making his dream come true, but I hope he does and wish him all the best." _Archive Home_ (http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/) From the Bolton Evening News http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk © Newsquest Media Group 2004 (http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/display5/lancashire/thisislancashire.co.uk/sponsor.php?artid=680728) _Find a Job_ (http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/jobs/) _Find a Home_ (http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/homes/) _Find a Car_ (http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/cars/) Powered by (http://legacy.thisislancashire.co.uk/bold/) (http://adsadmin.newsquest.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.thisislancashire.co.uk/2004/6/18/484689.htm l/46059776/TopRight/OasDefault/essexjobsteaser/fish4job_withus.gif/63333564313 536393433643830626430) (http://adsadmin.newsquest.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.thisislancashire.co.uk/2004/6/18/484689.html/1966467753/Right/OasD efault/lanc-lanc-frontpage-2/danishpine.jpg/63333564313536393433643830626430) (http://adsadmin.newsquest.co.uk/RealMedia/ads/click_lx.ads/www.thisislancashire.co.uk/2004/6/18/484689.html/1643171043/Right1/OasDefault/lanc-lanc-front page-3/rtsewing.gif/63333564313536393433643830626430)