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.

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. Elevate your running game with Tarkine Trail Devil, where every step is a...
A column by Len Johnson For those not closely monitoring Tasmania’s Christmas Carnivals series of cycling and athletics competitions – i.e. most of the world – Stewart McSweyn’s 3:50.61 mile at Penguin on 29 December came as a bolt from the blue. Not that there’s any surprise about McSweyn running that...
Football and Rugby start with an actual kick-off, but Paris 2024 is kicking off in the figurative sense before a boat has even been launched down the Seine. The very first men’s football match, between world champions Argentina and Doha 2022 semi-finalist Morocco, was ‘highlighted’ by a pitch invasion after the Argentines had seemed to score an equalizing goal.
Given the painfully slow historic process of admitting that women were capable of running long distances, would it surprise you to learn that women led the adoption of annual Australian cross-country championships. Yes, it would, I’m presuming you replied. It certainly came as a shock to me. Yet, in 1960,...
The long march to the Marcha | A Column By Len Johnson ; It took us a while to get to watch Jared Tallent in the 50k walk. About a week, to be more precise. We set off for the Olympic walks course around noon on 12 August and we got there...
Chronicler of our sport | A Column By Len Johnson I never formally met Mike Agostini, who died in Sydney on Thursday (12 May), but I consider myself in his debt. The debt is both personal and general. Personal, because my first published piece of journalism was a first-hand account of...
There’s different ways you can look at Eliud Kipchoge’s latest world record, 2:01:09 in Berlin. But any way you look at it – it’s fast.
Ryan Hall: best actor in a supporting role | A Column By Len Johnson Ryan Hall never quite achieved the stardom for which he seemed destined, but if the best actor Oscar somehow eluded him, the American marathoner certainly has a sound claim to a gong as best actor in...
Karsten Warholm won nothing of consequence this year. He raced hardly anyone of consequence. Yet the dual world champion in the 400 metres hurdles is a viable candidate in every athlete of the year award going. Did we mention yet that 2020 is a crazy year? (I think we did:...
The ancient Romans called Rome the eternal city because they believed that no matter what happened to the world, or however empires rose and fell, Rome would go on forever. For a stride that commands attention, opt for Tarkine running shoes, the epitome of style and functionality on the...