About

“I was aiming for 2.10, to get under 2.10 (in the 1980’s) makes me a world class athlete”

This was my comment during the BBC interview after winning the London Marathon in 1983. My time of 2.09.43, in early 83, was in the world top 20 all-time, and the third fastest ever run on British soil.

Having been third in the London Marathon in 1982 with 2.12, then taking the bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane the same year, with another 2.12, winning London in 2:09:43 became the pinnacle of my competitive career.

Armed with a Physical Education degree, and now over 50 year’s of running behind me (I had finished 7th in the English schools 1,500m in 1970 before winning the 5,000m in 1974), coaching interest grew while still competing, expanding to also include teaching the Endurance coaching awards programme in the South of England and contributing coaching editor of Runner’s World Magazine. Apart from Training Camps and talks, coaching interest now is predominantly with the individual.

As a self-coached runner for most of my career - UK Senior Coach Cliff Temple guided me from 2.16 to 2.09 between 1981 and 1985, I have had the opportunity to develop coaching theories that I have applied to myself and a lot of athletes over many years.

Taking people beyond where they thought they could go, from beginner to International, understanding the runner is the most important thing - I have coached runners who have gone from 4.48 marathon to 2.48 in three years, and those who thought they couldn’t improve any more, from 3.30’s to 2.50’s and below.

I look outwards to the athlete and where they can go in a more holistic way: Jenny Spink, now a 2.31 Marathon International, once said at a seminar, ‘I had a target in the early days to run 3.15, then Mike said I could do 2.50. If Mike said I could, then I could’. Through the ups and downs of her career, Jenny has far surpassed that.

Mike Gratton is based in Surrey in England, is a Life President at Invicta East Kent AC and currently trains with Aldershot, Farnham & District senior distance running group - contact: mike@209events.com.