Joe Speake

Sprinter Joe Speake was born in Newtownards in 1944 when his father was serving in the Royal Air Force (RAF) based in Northern Ireland. He spent just three weeks of his life in Ulster, however, before moving to what became his home, Liverpool. Speake’s father was a leading amateur athlete in his younger days, and Joe also took up running during his time at Calday Grammar School, West Kirby, Wirral. He also played rugby and won representative honours for Cheshire and Northern Counties schoolboys, and had an England trial

After Calday, Speake went to college in Bradford and concentrated more on playing rugby. A friend and neighbour, however, hammer thrower Barry Williams, talked him into returning to athletics in 1966 and he joined Liverpool Harriers. The following year Speake finished fourth in the AAA 100 yards. He also made his international début against France that year.

By the time the 1968 Olympics came around, Speake had won the Cheshire sprint title three times and went to the Games as the reigning Northern Counties 220 yards champion. He had also joined the New Brighton RUFC, thinking he was going to get overlooked for the trip to Mexico, and was looking to concentrate on rugby as his main sport. Speake ran the lead-off leg in the sprint replay at the Olympics. GB reached the semi-final but were then eliminated after finishing fifth, with four to qualify. After the Olympics, Speake did return to rugby and spent many years playing with Caldy RUFC. By profession, he was an insurance agent.

Personal Best: 100 – 10.6 (1968).