TRIBUTE TO ALEX ROWE
His running achievements
over the years would literally fill this magazine and, if you want to check
them out, then visit this Personal
Profile website on:
http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=6750
My regular association
with Alex is to publish his weekly Newspaper Reports on the WRR Website. I task I thoroughly
enjoy as it also brings me up to date with the races our members have taken
part in. This, in turn, enables me to keep our Results Section up to date.
I do not know much
about the running fraternity, but what I do know is that our Alex is quite an all
rounder. He is just as comfortable doing road race, cross country or track and
field and is an excellent ambassador for Wesham Road Runners wherever he goes. He is also an International Athlete in his own right. Alex is held under high esteem by every member of WRR and I do not know of
anyone who has a bad word for him. On
the contrary, everyone has the highest respect and admiration for Alex and hold him in very
high esteem.
I hope the following
articles, written by members of the club, will show him just how important and
well thought of he is to
Sincerely
Brenda Earnshaw WRR Editor 18th March 2010
TRIBUTE
TO ALEX ROWE
Submitted by: Dave Waywell 26th February 2010
An extract from the Northern Vets
website:
Saturday 17th May 2008
Submitted by: Nigel Shepherd – 2nd March 2010
TRIBUTE
TO ALEX ROWE
Submitted by: Nigel Shepherd – 2nd
March 2010
THE BEST IS YET TO COME
Rowe, born in Croydon in 1957, discovered that he could run at primary
school and was the best at cross country during his secondary school days. With little encouragement, however, he
drifted away from running and he was 28 when he tentatively took up jogging. The following year he entered a fun run and
the year after that, three marathons, best time 1:24.53. It was not until 1988, after changing his
job and relocating to Lytham St. Annes, that his performances started to improve. Joining Wesham in 1991, his first and only club, he soon brought
his half marathon best down to 1:15.37, and reduced his 10k best by five minutes to 33:55. With extra competition from his
new club mates and taking part in man more races, 1994 was a purple patch
for Rowe, refining his 10k time to 31:46 and half marathon to 1:11.05. The death of his father from
cancer in 1993 gave him the incentive to improve his marathon and raise sponsorship
from his efforts. He finished 139th in the 1995
Becoming a veteran in 1997 was a turning point
and an inspiration. Once of his first races was the London Marathon, where he improved to
2:32.49, but found that running in veteran competition was no pushover and this
was only good enough for 13th
veteran overall.
Early in 1998, after several
performances which were below expectations, Rowe decided to apply some science. Previously he had got by with training three
or four days a week, totaling about 30 miles, but now decided to follow a
structured training schedule devised by Bruce Tulloh.
A few months later the results were apparent. He produced a host of good
performances, including winning the Lancashire 10k Championships and a veteran course
record in the Manchester to
Blackpool Relay. Rowe’s immediate aim was to
win a place in the International
Veterans Cross Country and tried for a fast time in the
Inter Area 10k in
Rowe got off to a good start in 1999 with a 7th overall place and first vet in the Morpeth
to Newcastle race. He has set his sights on the
This article appeared in the Winter 1999 edition of the Veteran
Athletics Newsletter.
Sent in by: John Bertenshaw
TRIBUTE TO ALEX
Alex is a Wesham legend and he was our first
decent runner to stay. Previously we were a grooming club for
I remember once in the Lakes, (wearing a Wesham sweat shirt) and I was
stopped in the street by a complete stranger wanting to talk about Alex! (Like people used to
quote abroad, Ah English "Bobby Charlton!!!) (I'm older than most of you lot) (He played for
Unlike Boss Wrinkly, Alex's sense of directions is
second to none. I supposed it had to be when you are used to leading races as
often as Alex
used to!! On the Pennine Bridleway driving to the next leg, I think I was map reading and Alex was driving. He knew
the next road I was suggesting we turn down was one way!!! He once also knew
all about a road that had collapsed near the Top Lock pub on a training run.
He is also one of the most modest,
unassuming men you will ever meet - unless you had met Alan Hudson first - both really
talented runners who never blow their own trumpet. One Monday night Alex mentioned a 10K race he'd done in Croydon...............but
forgot to mention he actually won it!!!
I've only ever heard Alex swear once at the Welsh Castles). No, not even when he
crashed the bus, when somebody (who shall remain nameless), was keeping us
waiting, (ahead of a long journey home), Karl!
Written by: Martin Bates
Submitted: 1st May 2010
TRIBUTE TO
ALEX ROWE
Beating Alex is like
Not only is he a great runner, he
does plenty for the club. Fishing out all the race results and putting them
into a report for the Gazette/LEP every week;
organising the Welsh Castles relays, teams,
dropping off/picking up, driving the mini bus; even staying up all night
organising the North West relays in Stanley Park last year. If you need help or advice, Alex is your man. He’s a walking, (or should that be
running), encyclopedia on running!
Well
done Alex, and keep up the great work.
Written
by: Steve Myerscough
Submitted:
4th May 2010
TRIBUTE TO ALEX
Alex is interested in everything to do
with running and runners in a quiet unassuming way.
Alex has a knack of understanding everything you are
talking about and empathizing with you.
Alex has an unrelenting determination in his running
and this is still showing in his times and his international status as a vet 50.
Alex has a great sense of humour and is one of
the lads, always joining in where he deems fit...
Alex is a great team player and musterer of
troops for relay teams etc and takes on extra duties, always to
the highest level of competence including his coverage in the Gazette.
Alex is one of those people who is such a special
guy, that even though he's quiet and unassuming...he's known and
respected all over the country by his greatness in running and his
longevity in the sport at such a high level.
Alex is a living running legend.
Written by: Michaela Dempsey
Submitted: 6th May 2010
TRIBUTE TO
ALEX
I first met Alex in 1994 at a mutual friend’s
birthday party, some time before we came to know each other as runners. I knew Alex was a runner and a
pretty useful one too, but I don’t remember us chatting much about running – we
chatted a bit and played a few games of [potato] conkers – I can’t remember who
won – I think it was a draw! Alex did mention that he was a member of WRR and, as I was unattached at the time, he
suggested that joining a Club
[WRR] may help my running. I thought no more about it for
a while. Anyway, some of the photo’s we
took, which are in this article somewhere, will show both
I joined Wesham two years later,
thanks to Pete Bartlett who suggested I came down to the Club when we were chatting at the at
the Grasmere Gallop in the June of 1996. Anyway, I digress so I’ll get back to it:-
Alex and I soon became good friends and would
chat for ages on Club nights and were usually last out of the Community Centre where we were based at the time, and would regularly carry on our chat
in the car park, even in the cold and wet where we would both quite often
politely stand there chatting almost freezing to death or getting soaked! We
still do when we get chance but are not as tolerant of the cold and wet
nowadays, [old age]! He will chat for
hours and hours to anyone about running amongst other things but mostly about
running.
He lives with his
partner of 30 years and daughter Beatrice.
Alex started running in 1985, and in 1987 did a few Half-Marathons, including Guernsey in 1:35 with his best at the time being just inside 1:25, and a
Everyone knows Alex is passionate about the sport and, unlike us mere mortals, he’s bl**dy
good at it too and is an inspiration to runners of all abilities both locally
and nationally. That passion shows in his almost limitless energy for anything
to do with running, whether it’s competing or organising.
When I joined WRR Alex was Club Captain and did pretty
much all the work regards organising Club Teams for relays and other events and
was always foremost in the organisation of Team events even after relinquishing his
role as Club Captain. He has done a great deal of work for the Club over the years, mostly behind
the scenes, to help things run smoothly, principally as Club Captain and Press Secretary. In the years I’ve known him he’s
been instrumental in Team
selection and entry to all the regular relays: Lancs County, Northern Area and National road
relays, the now defunct Manchester to Blackpool road relays, the Welsh Castles
relays, British Masters road relays to name but a few,
and is always keen to help in organisation of any athletics event. He is on the
committee of the Lancashire
Athletics Association and Northern Veterans AC.
Here are a few of my
experiences of the legend that is Alex Rowe – I have tried to recollect the
true facts but can’t guarantee that there is no exaggeration although, as many
a writer has said, why let the facts get in the way of a good story.
As Club Captain Alex always did the Monday night route and became well known for underestimating the distance of
any particular route he suggested. For instance,
Another memory of Alex, a legend in his own
lifetime, was at Ballycotton in 1997 when we shared a room together when staying over for the Ballycotton 10m. If I recall correctly, he drank 4, or was it 5 pints, of Murphy’s on the Saturday night and, when I was nursing my hangover after drinking not much more, he got
up early on the Sunday morning and asked if I fancied a run. This was the morning of the race! I said I’d give it a miss but he went out
anyway and did 5 miles then still ran 53:33 in the race that afternoon! He went
back the year after and ran 52:59 and then in 1999 and came 4th and 1st M40
in 52:22 – no-doubt with similar pre-race prep! By the way,
I shared this snippet recently with a Club-mate and he was nothing if a little
impressed.
That same person
mentioned in the same breath that, when coming back from the London Marathon one year, Alex was heard to say that he’d had a poor run and struggled in the later
stages and that he had collapsed over the line in a disappointing 2:32!
Another memory of Alex was at the Brampton-to-Carlisle 10m in 2008 when we missed getting our baggage on the bus at Brampton for transporting to
the finish at Carlisle and 5 mins before the start of the race Alex went searching round the school
to find someone to help. In the meantime, with Gemma (Unsworth)’s help, myself, Charlie and Karl managed to leave our
bags with someone whose husband was running and she put our bags in her car.
The gun went and I legged it from the school entrance and set off down the road
to catch the other runners. Alex had missed the start like me but had decided that he would wait until
his Garmin locked on before he started running, which he did, and set off about
one and a half minutes behind everyone else. He passed me at about a mile and a
half and disappeared off into the distance, catching groups of runners, running
with them for a while, no-doubt chatting to them as well, then legged it to the
next group. They probably thought he was
having a laugh! Anyway he finished in a creditable 58:02 on his Garmin and 59:34 in the
results and still bagged 2nd
M50! I don’t know to this day whether the Garmin helped or not!
Recently on the Club trip to Fort William to do the Lochaber Marathon we were all musing over what times we would run and we all suggested
what time we were aiming for, apart from Alex who wouldn’t be drawn into any discussion
around his expected time. Of the people on the trip I appeared to be the only
person who had done any training and big things, [sub-3:00], was expected of me
so the pressure was diverted from the big man himself. I predicted 2:49 for Alex; 3:03 for myself and
3:41 for Jenny. Jen and I had done some
training at least. Unlike Alex, who appeared to have turned up totally unprepared. Anyway, he surprised
everyone, [including himself, I think], by running 2:46:44 and easily clinching
1st M50, seemingly without trying very hard. Well, it didn’t really surprise
anyone because he is, of course, a bl**dy good runner. I ran 3:06:38 and Jen ran to form with
3:41:05. Rumour has it that Alex was back into training the very next day. A couple of weeks later he ran
his best 10k this year with 35:13!
He is heavily into Cartology and will
always choose the map shelf in preference to magazines. I guess he must
memorise them because, in all the time I’ve known him, he’s never failed to
find his way anywhere. Who needs a Sat-Nav when you have Alex in the car…?
I hope this short
précis gives those who don’t know Alex that well an insight into his character and
I hope also that you, and of course Alex, found it an interesting and entertaining
read.
Written by: John Bertenshaw
Submitted: 12th May 2010.
Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor
Alex Rowe
|
Best
known performances |
|||||||||
|
Event |
PB |
2000 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
|
800 |
2:14.07 |
|
|
|
|
2:16.7 |
2:14.07 |
2:17.3 |
2:17.2 |
|
1500 |
4:22.5 |
|
4:28.4 |
|
|
4:22.5 |
4:24.76 |
4:34.0 |
4:34.83i |
|
3000 |
9:17.8 |
9:17.8 |
|
|
9:33.95 |
9:42.8 |
9:34.76 |
9:50.43i |
9:47.34 |
|
5000 |
15:56.05 |
16:07.2 |
16:01.36 |
15:56.05 |
16:19.09 |
16:23.00 |
16:13.70 |
16:55.68 |
16:44.25 |
|
10000 |
33:18.35 |
|
33:32.91 |
33:18.35 |
34:03.45 |
34:25.17 |
34:33.47 |
35:44.47 |
|
|
5K |
16:14 |
|
|
|
16:17 |
16:29 |
16:14 |
16:55 |
16:33 |
|
4M |
22:01 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
22:01 |
23:17 |
|
5M |
26:23 |
|
|
26:23 |
26:64 |
27:16 |
27:37 |
27:55 |
27:58 |
|
10K |
32:48 |
|
|
32:48 |
32:50 |
33:50 |
33:48 |
34:34 |
34:02 |
|
7M |
40:46 |
|
|
|
|
|
40:46 |
|
41:09 |
|
Event |
PB |
2000 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
|
10M |
53:26 |
|
|
53:26 |
54:44 |
56:09 |
55:22 |
58:11 |
58:32 |
|
HM |
71:50 |
|
|
71:50 |
73:06 |
73:06 |
74:29 |
|
77:38 |
|
14M |
84:51 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
84:51 |
|
15M |
85:13 |
|
|
85:13 |
86:20 |
87:34 |
|
|
|
|
20M |
2:12:33 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2:12:33 |
|
|
22M |
2:29:45 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2:29:45 |
|
|
Mar |
2:37:13 |
|
2:37:13 |
|
2:38:29 |
2:46:16 |
2:43:50 |
2:51:29 |
2:48:53 |