Brendan Foster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sir
Brendan Foster
CBE

Foster at the 1972 Olympics
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Big Bren
Born	(1948-01-12) 12 January 1948 (age 77) Hebburn, County Durham, England
Height	5 ft 10 in
Weight	10 st 10 lb
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	1500 m, 5,000 m, 10,000 m
Club	Gateshead Harriers
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	1500 m – 3:37.64 (1974) 5,000 m – 13:14.6 (1974) 10,000 m – 27:30.3 (1978)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Great Britain Olympic Games Bronze 1976 Montréal 10,000 m European Championships Gold 1974 Rome 5,000 m Bronze 1971 Helsinki 1500 m Representing  England Commonwealth Games Gold 1978 Edmonton 10,000 m Silver 1974 Christchurch 5,000 m Bronze 1970 Edinburgh 1500 m

Sir Brendan Foster, born on January 12, 1948, is a famous British former long-distance runner. He is also known as an athletics commentator and a person who organises big running races. He started the Great North Run, which is one of the world's largest half-marathon events. As an athlete, he won a bronze medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He also won gold medals at the 1974 European Championships (5,000 metres) and the 1978 Commonwealth Games (10,000 metres). After his running career, he became a well-known commentator for BBC Sport, especially for long-distance running events.

Early Life and Education

Brendan Foster grew up in Hebburn, England. He went to St Joseph's RC Grammar School. Later, he studied at the University of Sussex and Carnegie College of Physical Education. After finishing his studies, he returned to St Joseph's Grammar School to teach chemistry. One of his students was Phil Brown, who later became a football manager. Brendan tried to get Phil interested in running instead of football.

Brendan Foster's Running Career

Brendan Foster was a top athlete who competed in three Olympic Games. At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, he won Britain's only track and field medal, a bronze in the 10,000 metres.

Breaking World Records

In 1973, he set a new World Record for the two miles race. He ran it in 8 minutes and 13.68 seconds at Crystal Palace. The next year, in 1974, he broke another world record. This time it was for the 3,000 metres race. He achieved this on his home track at Gateshead International Stadium, finishing in 7 minutes and 35.1 seconds.

Major Championship Wins

In 1974, Brendan won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch. He then went on to win the European Championships 5,000m race. He beat the Olympic champion Lasse Virén to take the gold medal. In the same year, he was given the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

He achieved his fastest time in the 10,000 metres race in 1978. He ran it in 27 minutes and 30.3 seconds at Crystal Palace. He also won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton.

Olympic Performances

Brendan Foster competed against Lasse Viren of Finland in several Olympic races. He finished fifth in the 5,000-metre final at the 1976 Olympics. In the early rounds of that race, he even broke Viren's Olympic record. This record stood until the 1984 Olympics. His last major race was the 10,000-metre final at the 1980 Olympics. He finished eleventh in that race.

National Titles

Brendan Foster was a very successful runner in Britain. He won the British 5,000 metres championship three times (in 1973, 1974, and 1976). He also won the British 10,000 metres championship twice (in 1977 and 1978). These five titles were won at the AAA Championships.

In 2010, Brendan Foster was honored by being added to the England Athletics Hall of Fame.

Life After Running

After he stopped competing in athletics in 1980, Brendan Foster started a new career.

Business and Media Work

In 1981, Brendan joined the sports company Nike International Limited. He became the UK managing director and later the European managing director. He also worked as Vice-President of Marketing worldwide and Vice-President of Nike Europe. In 1988, he started his own company called Nova International. This company later became View From International. It won a contract to supply the British athletics team. The brand was sold to Marks and Spencer in 2002.

From 1983 to 2017, Brendan Foster worked for BBC Television. He was a commentator and reporter for athletics events, covering all the major competitions.

Founding the Great North Run

In 1977, Brendan helped organise a "Gateshead Fun Run." This event was a new idea for running races. In 1981, he founded the Great North Run. This is an annual half marathon race that goes from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields. It grew to become the biggest running event in the UK. It is also one of the largest half marathons in the world. By 2014, over 1 million people had completed the race. This made it the first IAAF event to reach this huge number of participants. In 2003, Brendan Foster ran in the event himself after being challenged by radio presenter Ray Stubbs.

Brendan Foster has also worked to promote sports in countries like Ethiopia and other parts of Africa.

Awards and Recognition

Brendan Foster has received many honors for his contributions to sport.

• He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1976.
• He was promoted to Commander of the same Order (CBE) in 2008 for his services to sport.
• From 2005 to 2009, he was the Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University.
• In December 2016, he was given the Freedom of the City of Newcastle. This is the highest honor the city can give.
• In August 2017, the IAAF gave him their highest award, the Golden Order of Merit. This was for his major contributions to athletics.
• In 2020, Brendan Foster was made a knight. This means he is now called Sir Brendan Foster. He received this honor for his services to national and international sport, and to culture in North East England.

See also

In Spanish: Brendan Foster para niños