A Column By Len Johnson

Len Johnson wrote for The Melbourne Age as an athletics writer for over 20 years, covering five Olympics, 10 world championships and five Commonwealth Games.

He has been the long-time lead columnist on RT and is one of the world’s most respected athletic writers.

He is also a former national class distance runner (2.19.32 marathon) and trained with Chris Wardlaw and Robert de Castella among other running legends. He is the author of The Landy Era.

So, with support from World Athletics and the Victorian government, the Melbourne Track Classic has been picked up, dusted off and will be presented at Lakeside Stadium on 23 February as the Maurie Plant Meet (MPM), a World Athletics Continental Gold meeting.
The big picture numbers were more stable too. Australia got three medals in Tokyo – Nicola Olyslagers silver in the high jump, Moloney and Barber bronzes in the decathlon and javelin. It was three again in Eugene only this time Patterson and Barber contributed gold with Kennedy getting a bronze.
But that was before the whole sport was hit by a missile with the news that Peter Bol had returned an “AAF (adverse analytical finding) for Erythropoietin Receptor Agonists (ERA): rEPO (rEPO).” Synthetic EPO, in other words, which is a proscribed substance.
In the approaching weeks, prior to the World Cross Country Championship in Bathurst, RT will unveil a comprehensive, 10-part series, composed by Len Johnson, that delves into the historical narrative of Australia's participation in World XC. Australian cross-country aspired to Olympian heights Part 1 of 10 - Written by Len Johnson When...
In the approaching weeks, prior to the World Cross Country Championship in Bathurst, RT will unveil a comprehensive, 10-part series, composed by Len Johnson, that delves into the historical narrative of Australia’s participation in World XC. Part 2 of 10 – Written by Len Johnson Once upon a time in Maryland When...
I saw my first world cross-country championships in 1985, travelling to the Portuguese capital Lisbon with my wife, Anne Lord, and the Australian team which, for the first time, included a junior men’s team. It was a memorable trip which concluded with the personal highlight of running the Cinque Mulini cross-country.
Anyone can win a championship once. Well, almost anyone. History is sprinkled with one-time surprise winners of every event from the Olympic Games to the school sports. Doing it twice is enough to prove the first win was not just a fluke, but doing it three times, well, that’s something...
Prior to the World Cross Country Championship in Bathurst, RT will unveil a comprehensive, 10-part series, composed by Len Johnson, that delves into the historical narrative of Australia’s participation in World XC. Part 5 of 10 – Written by Len Johnson Continuing my meandering paper chase through our world cross-country history,...
Prior to the World Cross Country Championship in Bathurst, RT will unveil a comprehensive, 10-part series, composed by Len Johnson, that delves into the historical narrative of Australia’s participation in World XC. Part 4 of 10 – Written by Len Johnson Traveling in a fried-out Kombi On a hippie trail, head full...
Prior to the World Cross Country Championship in Bathurst, RT will unveil a comprehensive, 10-part series, composed by Len Johnson, that delves into the historical narrative of Australia’s participation in World XC. Part 10 of 10 – Written by Len Johnson With Bathurst ‘23 rapidly closing in, it is time to...
                   

Brilliantly

SAFE!

2022