Doug Wilson

Doug Wilson joined London’s Polytechnic Harriers in the late 1930s, but this prime of his career was interrupted by service in World War II. Although he remained athletically active during the conflict, and helped keep the sporting club alive, it was not until 1946 that he was able to display the true range of his talents as a middle distance runner. That year he broke the English record for the 1.5 mile event, won the Amateur Athletic Association’s mile title, and finished sixth in the 1500m event at the 1946 European Championships. He later attended the 1948 Summer Olympics where he was eliminated in the first round of the 1500m competition, finishing fifth in his heat, but his contributions to the club’s international reputation were much more significant than this placement might have suggested. An active recruiter, it was Wilson who travelled and drew in the talents of McDonald Bailey, Arthur Wint, and Les Laing, all future Olympic medalists. After the end of his competitive career in the early 1950s, Wilson worked as a journalist with News of the World, covering four Summer Olympic Games and retiring as the newspaper’s advertising manager in 1985. He soon took on the role of press officer for the Sports Aid Foundation, which he held until 1993, and then became editor of The Olympian, a publication distributed to any who have competed for Great Britain at the Olympics. He also served as president of the Polytechnic Harriers in the 1980s, just as they were merged with the Kingston Athletic Club.

Personal Best: 1500 – 3:51.6 (1950).