Peter Driver Explained

Peter Brian Driver (26 June 1932 – 12 November 1971)[1] was a British track and field athlete who competed in long-distance running events. He 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.[2] He also ran the 3-mile race at that games, placing fifth.[3]

Driver made one other major appearance internationally, taking sixth place in the 10,000 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships.[4] He won one British national title in his career, taking the six-mile title in 1954.[5] He also won the national junior title in cross country in 1953. A member of South London Harriers, he later 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.[6]

International competitions

1954European ChampionshipsBern, Switzerland6th10,000 m30:03.6
British Empire and Commonwealth GamesVancouver, Canada5th3 miles13:47.0
bgcolor=gold1st6 miles29:09.4

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.topsinathletics.com/default.asp?page=msp&id=85468197 Peter Driver
  2. http://www.gbrathletics.com/ic/cg.htm Commonwealth Games
  3. http://www.thecgf.com/search/athlete.asp?participants=&athleteid=37121&page=&exp=1 Peter Driver
  4. http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=12593&Gender=M Peter Driver
  5. http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/bc3.htm British Athletics Championships 1945-1959
  6. http://www.fleet10k.co.uk/about-us.html Our History