Christopher William Brasher (August 21, 1928 - February 28, 2003) was a British athlete and sports journalist who helped found the London Marathon.

Brasher was born in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. In 1954, he acted as pacemaker for Roger Bannister when the latter ran the first sub-four-minute mile at the Iffley Road Stadium in Oxford. Two years later, at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, Brasher finished first in the 3,000 metres steeplechase with a time of 8 minutes 41.2 seconds, but was disqualified for allegedly interfering with another runner, Ernst Larsen of Norway. The following day, after an investigation, he was reinstated as gold medallist.

Brasher, a graduate of St John's College, Cambridge, went on to enjoy a distinguished career in journalism as sports editor for The Observer newspaper and in broadcasting, working as a reporter for the Tonight programme. Brasher was awarded the CBE in 1996.

He died at his home in Chaddleworth, Berkshire, after an illness lasting several months.[1] (http://sport.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,10488,905308,00.html)

External links

• "Athletics world mourns the man behind the London marathon (http://sport.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,10488,905308,00.html)" - an article by John Ezard in The Guardian, dated March 1, 2003
• "Marathon founder Brasher dies (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/2807839.stm)" - a BBC Sport article, dated February 28, 2003
• "Great British Olympians:Chris Brasher (http://www.times-olympics.co.uk/historyheroes/stgbo08.html)" - an article by David Walsh in The Sunday Times from 2000.

Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Olympic Champions in Men's steeplechase

2500 m steeplechase: George Orton | 2590 m steeplechase: Jim Lightbody | 3200 m steeplechase: Arthur Russell

4000 m steeplechase: John Rimmer

3000 m steeplechase: Percy Hodge | Ville Ritola | Toivo Loukola | Volmari Iso-Hollo (twice) | Tore Sjöstrand | Horace Ashenfelter | Chris Brasher | Zdzisław Krzyszowiak | Gaston Roelants | Amos Biwott | Kip Keino | Anders Gärderud | Bronisław Malinowski | Julius Korir | Julius Kariuki | Matthew Birir | Joseph Keter | Reuben Kosgei | Ezekiel Kemboi

Olympic medalists in athletics (men) | Post-war British Olympic champions in men's athletics

1956 Chris Brasher (3000 m steeplechase) | 1960 Don Thompson (50 km walk) | 1964 Ken Matthews (20 km walk) | 1964 Lynn Davies (long jump) 1968 David Hemery (400 m hurdles) 1980: Allan Wells (100 m) | 1980 Steve Ovett (800 m) | 1980 & 1984 Sebastian Coe (1500 m) | 1980 & 1984 Daley Thompson (decathlon) | 1992 Linford Christie (100 m) | 2000 Jonathan Edwards (triple jump) | 2004 Jason Gardener, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish & Mark Lewis-Francis (4 x 100 m relay)