Peter Driver
British long-distance runner
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter Brian Driver (26 June 1932 – 12 November 1971)[1] was a British track and field athlete who competed in long-distance running events and was a Commonwealth Games gold medal winner.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (English) |
| Born | 26 June 1932 West Ham, London, England |
| Died | 12 November 1971 (aged 39) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | long distance |
| Club | South London Harriers |
Medal record | |
Biography
Born in London and a member of South London Harriers, he won the national junior title in cross country in 1953.
Driver became the British 6 miles champion after winning the British AAA Championships title at the 1954 AAA Championships.[2][3][4]
Shortly afterwards he represented the England team and was the gold medallist in the six-mile run at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. His winning time of minutes was a games record and the first time anyone had run the distance in under half an hour at the tournament.[5] He also ran the 3-mile race at that games, placing fifth.[6]
Driver made one other major appearance internationally, taking sixth place in the 10,000 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships.[7]
Driver became honorary club secretary of Fleet & Crookham AC. A year after his death the club founded the Peter Driver Memorial Road Races, including a six-mile race in recognition of his Commonwealth victory, which is now known as the Fleet 10K run.[8] Later, the Fleet and Crookham Athletic Club named their ground the 'Peter Driver Sports Ground'.
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | European Championships | Bern, Switzerland | 6th | 10,000 m | 30:03.6 |
| British Empire and Commonwealth Games | Vancouver, Canada | 5th | 3 miles | 13:47.0 | |
| 1st | 6 miles | 29:09.4 GR |