Eddie Gentle

My father. My original inspiration in running as a child.

Growing up I never knew much about my father's early running career as he never spoke of it. I had a feeling that he was a pretty good runner from the fact that he had been selected to carry the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games torch during its journey through Sydney.

Each runner in the torch relay was required to run a one mile section of road, at their appointed time based on a continuous 24/7 schedule from 2-22 November 1956, and within a very strict time limit. In New South Wales the time limit was 6 minutes, calculated by the officials with regard for the climate & the burning time of the torch fuel, while carrying a 960 gram torch that was spewing red-hot embers from the hexamine fuel tablets. The commemorative medallion given to my father upon completion of his relay leg remains one of my most prized possessions.

From the ages of 18-20 I was able to beat my father in races - but I really had to work for it! Over the years we had some great tussles where I narrowly prevailed a few times. In my best City to Surf run in 1991, Dadd beat me over the top of Heartbreak Hill. I only caught him because he had been tripped on the downhill section alongside Waverley Cemetery & he was sitting in the gutter being patched up by the course medics. He urged me to continue & the final results show that he got up & finished a mere 10 minutes behind me. On that day I learned about #nevergiveup.

I have learned more about my father's running from his sisters & brother after his passing, and from his running mates at St George. I sincerely appreciate this help.

Following are some of my father's results, discovered from archived newspapers & Annual Reports of the St George District Athletic Club. The age categories used in the 1950s included Sub-Junior (Under 17) & Junior (Under 19).