Keep on running... as the song goes.
And one veteran South Wales athlete has taken that quite literally by extending an astonishing record that is unlikely to be threatened at any time in the future.
Ian Swanson, a stalwart of the Port Talbot Harriers athletics club, has completed 35 years of racing in the Gwent Cross Country League without missing a single meet – which adds up to a quite incredible 178 consecutive races.
The Gwent League, the staple winter diet for athletes from South Wales and the West of England, has been a breeding ground for some of Britain’s most talented runners.
With an average race distance of 8km or five miles, that means Swanson has clocked up somewhere in the region of 900 miles over the traditional mud, hills and tough terrain of the cross country circuit.
With this season’s final meet at Singleton Park earlier this month cancelled due to the storms, Swanson’s 178th outing came last month at Chepstow Racecourse where he competed in the Male Veterans Over-65 category.
“I’ve enjoyed every race which is why I’ve kept on doing it for so long,” said Swanson. “I’ve been fortunate to stay relatively fit and healthy – and obviously that helps too.”
Port Talbot Harriers are justifiably proud of Swanson’s achievements and hope he has a few more miles in those legs yet.
“Ian is an inspiration,” said a club spokesman. “We are very lucky to have him as one of our longest-serving members and are immensely proud of his achievements.
“His dedication to the sport is amazing and this is a record that could stand for a long, long time.”
