**Hawick and the Commonwealth Games** - Colin fastest man Hume Looking back once again to the XXIII Games in Edinburgh in 1986, and Hawicks fastest man Colin Hume, who participated in the 3000m Steeplechase event. A Teri by birth, Colin started his running career with Teviotdale Harriers in 1968, at the tender age of eight. He showed great promise in his early career, winning the East District Youths cross-country title a decade later with Edinburgh Southern Harriers. That year he was also sixth in the Scottish Youths Cross-Country Championship. In the Junior National Colin won team gold in both 1980 (individual sixth) and 1981 (second). In the Scottish Six Stage Relay he won gold in 1979, 1980 and 1981. His track career was very impressive with personal bests of 1:50.1 (800m), 3:42.72 (1500m), 7:53.06 (3000m), and 8:47.02 (steeplechase). After finishing third in the SAAA 1500m in 1982, Colin moved to Memphis, U.S.A. to establish his career abroad. In his three years in Memphis from 1982-4, he set three athletic records, for the mile, 1500 metres and steeplechase, which still stand today. A rare achievement was his time in 1983 of 3:59.58 for a mile - indoors! After his time in the USA he ran in the National Senior in 1985 (team gold, eighth) and 1986 (team gold). In both 1985 and 1986 he was selected to compete for Scotland in the World Cross, and also won the 1985 East District Cross-Country Championship and Scottish steeplechase title. Prior to the Games in 1986, he won a team silver in the Scottish Cross-Country Relay. His vast experience and talent merited his place in the Scotland Athletics squad for the XIII Games in Edinburgh. Unlike the 1970 Games (also held in the capital), which were popular and successful, the 1986 Games are ill-famed for the wide political boycott connected with them and the resulting financial mismanagement. The majority of Commonwealth nations staged a boycott, so that the Games appeared to be a whites-only event. Thirty two of the eligible fifty nine countries - largely African, Asian and Caribbean states - stayed away because of the Thatcher governments policy of keeping Britains sporting links with apartheid South Africa in preference to participating in the general sporting boycott of that country. Consequently, these Games witnessed the lowest number of athletes since Auckland 1950. Further controversy arose when it was revealed that through this much-reduced participation and the resultant decline in anticipated broadcasting and sponsorship revenues, the Organising Committee was facing a big financial black hole. The boycott ended any prospect of securing emergency government assistance. Businessman Robert Maxwell stepped in to offer funding, taking over as chairman; but although he promised to invest £2m, his contribution was just £250,000. On a budget of £14m, the Games opened with a deficit of £3m, which later grew to £4.3m, and instead of putting enough money into the event to save it, the new chairman of the Games asked creditors to forgo half the payment due to them to keep the event out of liquidation. The debt was finally paid off in 1989, with the city of Edinburgh losing approximately £500,000. In the 3000m Steeplechase event at Meadowbank Stadium, Colin Hume finished 11th from a field of 13 runners, in a time of 9:05.40 minutes. This was some distance behind gold medal winner Graeme Fell of Canada, with a time of 8:24.49. Scotlands overall performance on the track was disappointing, as they finished 5th behind Wales at Meadowbank. Colin, having achieved many honours in running, retired from the sport and married his wife Jackie a year later. The couple left Hawick in 1988 and the family now lives in Mid Calder, West Lothian. In 2001, Colin was inducted to the Memphis Athletics Hall of Fame. In recent years Colin had this to say: We still have family in the town and come back whenever we can. Im still a real fan of the Common Riding. I stopped to have a break from running in 1987 and Im still on that break! #prohawick #Hawick2014
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 12:07:00 +0000
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