John Mark

As the 1948 Olympic torch was handed over for the final time, people were still left wondering who the honour of kindling the flame would fall to. There were a host of top-class British sportsmen and women at the time but the name of the person who would light the flame was kept secret until the very last moment. Then it was revealed the honour would fall to … John Mark.

Inevitably the one question that rang around Wembley stadium was: “Who is John Mark?”

The 6ft 3in (190.5 cm) tall Mark was selected ahead of established athletes because he personified the athletics youth of Britain at the time. He was a 22-year-old medical student at St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. Mark was a fine athlete and rugby player who went to Cranleigh School, Surrey, and was awarded a scholarship to Jesus College Cambridge in 1944. A two-time athletics Blue, at 440 and 880 yards, Mark was also the former honorary-secretary and president of the Cambridge University Athletic Club. After finishing his medical training, Mark became a surgeon-lieutenant in the Royal Navy based in Portsmouth, and in 1953 won the quarter-mile and helped Portsmouth win the Command Athletics Championship. He also continued playing rugby as a full-back for Old Cranleighans and won representative honours with Surrey and the United Services. After his naval days, Mark settled down into a private practice in Hampshire.