Bill Adcocks

Two months after finishing fifth in the marathon at the 1968 Mexico Olympics, Bill Adcocks won the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan in 2-10:47.8. It was the second fastest marathon in the world at the time, after Australia’s Derek Clayton. The following April (1969), Adcocks won the “Athens Classic Marathon”, which commemorated the run over the same course made by Pheidippides in 490 BC. Adcocks time of 2-11:07.0 stood as a course record for 45 years.

A Coventry gas fitter and plumber at the time of the Mexico Games, Adcocks won the AAA marathon title in 1965 and was runner-up in 1968. He won the silver medal at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Kingston, Jamaica, behind Scotland’s Jim Alder.

Adcocks started running both long distance and cross-country races at school and joined Coventry Godiva Harriers as a youngster. He displayed immense talent at the age of 15 and won Coventry cross-county youths titles, and enjoyed a highly successful junior career around the Midlands area. Adcocks went on to serve on the committee of Coventry Godiva for many years and was also club secretary. He retired from running at the age of 30 after reaching the pinnacle of his career. Adcocks worked as a lecturer at a local technical college and then became an information officer for UK Athletics in Birmingham. His autobiography, The Road to Athens (with co-writer Trevor Frecknall) was published in 2004.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-10:48 (1968).