We are devastated to hear of the passing of Chris Smith while running in the Scottish mountains. Chris is a long-standing friend of Herne Hill Harriers and was an early member of the GJ/KN Middle distance training group.
His off road ability was legendary and he ripped up many sessions on Streatham Common, leaving others in his wake. Chris was local to Tooting in those days and joined HHH second claim. We loved having him in our group for his running ability, but most of all because he was a great bloke.
Chris was a superb cross country runner winning Surrey League races in the red and black, but nowhere was he more at home than at Parliament Hill. Indeed, he has often been referred to as Mr Parliament Hill. Running there in the colours of his first claim Thames Valley Harriers, Chris floated over the mud whilst others waded through it. He was a joy to watch on these occasions.
He would often join us in the pub afterwards and very much enjoyed the camaraderie. Invariably he would be more interested in how we had all got on, than talking about his own amazing performances. Unsurprisingly, Chris made a superb transition to hill running, and won multiple titles and international vests in this domain. Chris’s passing is a significant loss to the running community, he was one of the finest.
Our deepest thoughts are with his wife Lyndsay, their two boys, Cameron and Alastair and all of Chris’s family.
Geoff Jerwood and Keith Newton