David Morwood (June 2011)
Born 9/10/70
British Masters 1500/5000 CHAMP 'M40' in 2011 and in 2008, as an 'M35' won the British & Irish International cross country Championships in Northern Ireland.
The 2011 track season went well for David Morwood as he explains:-
" I ran 14.56 at the British Milers Club Grand Prix in Sports City, on the 28th of May, which I was delighted with.
As a 40 year old there are not too many 40 year old's who do under 15 minutes -Nobody in the last few years I could see. My objective of the season was to break 15 minutes for 5000. I did it last year but I was only 39. I wanted to do it when I was 40
Some would think that 40 is the real Veteran/Masters age not 35?
" You are absolutely right. Yes the BMA have introduced 35 as a category and, I would encourage any 35 year old's to run in the category because it opens up another area of competition for guys who, maybe aren't getting any quicker but it maintains their motivation to 40. I accept that real veterans athletics starts at the age of 40'
' I won the two indoor middle distance races at Lee Valley 1500/3k and followed that up with a bronze at the European's, be that it was not a great race for me. I was happy to come away with something.'
David had an interesting start to his sporting career:-
" When I was a teenager I was involved in the triathlon. That was my love through out my teens and early 20's It was a very time consuming sport and, when I finished University I did not have the time to devote to triathlons. I had been training for three disciplines so, I stopped the triathlon and concentrated on the cycling. I raced the bicycle all the way through the 90's. Got a first category license and raced up until the year 2000. Then a family came along and I decided cycling on a Sunday, when you go out for four or five hours or even six hours, that does not go down well at home. I then thought I would go back to running again to keep myself in shape and, I found the strength developed over 8 or 10 years, I had a fairly descent heart and set of lungs so, running ability came back quite quickly. I find, having said that, all my track PB's I set last season when I was 39. 4.03.32 for 1500 and 8:32.51 for 3000, 14.51.7 for 5000 so, if I can get anywhere near that I will be over the moon. Now that I have reached the age of 40 what I want to do is try to maintain my form.
Have there been any people in athletics that David Morwood admires?
"I admire my coach who is Mark Kirk. A commonwealth Games 800 runner. He has coached me for the last six or seven years. He has dragged me from a 'Want to be marathon runner' to a track runner. When I first started with Mark I could not run a sub-70 second lap at the age of 33 or 34. Mark has dragged me from that to close to 4 minutes for 1500.Mark has been there and had all the experience and knowhow. I admire Mark from that point of view'
'I admire any veteran athlete who continues their sport. The late 30's and into their 40's. I am inspired by seeing the 50's and 60 year old guys running round the track. That is an inspiration it itself. To think I could still be doing that at that age '"
' I have always been competitive at something. I could not imagine the day when I don't want to do something active and train with a view to competing at some stage, since I was a teenager and I hope to keep going.'
His Club Annadale Striders
" Annadale is a Belfast based athletics club. A great club. I have only been with them 2 or 3 years. I was a member of North Belfast Harriers which I really enjoyed but 'Striders' would be more of a track club. That was the reason I made the move to striders."