Joe McGhee

Joseph McGhee (9 July 1929 – 17 April 2015)[1] was a Scottish marathon runner, who won a gold medal at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada.

For the American politician, see Joseph McGhee.

Joseph McGhee
Personal information
Born( 1929-07-09)9 July 1929
Falkirk, Scotland
Died17 April 2015(2015-04-17) (aged 85)
Sport
Country Scotland
SportMarathon
Medal record
Representing  Scotland
Gold medal – first place1954 VancouverMarathon

Career

McGhee was a member of Shettleston Harriers athletics club,[2] and also the Glasgow University Hares and Hounds.[3]

McGhee won the marathon event at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada. The event was run in sublime heat, and Englishman Jim Peters had been leading the race by 17 minutes coming into the stadium, but collapsed. Only six runners finished the race,[4][5][6] out of 16 starters. McGhee had been the only Scot in the race,[2] and his victory was overshadowed in the press by coverage of Peters' collapse.[7] McGhee won the 1954, 1955 and 1956 Scottish National Championships, making him the first Scotsman to win three successive marathon championships. Fraser Clyne later achieved the same feat in 1992–94.[4][8]

Personal life

McGhee attended St Francis' RC Primary school,[1] and St Modan's High School in Stirling.[3] He later studied at the University of Glasgow from 1946 until 1951.[1] McGhee later became a flight lieutenant in the RAF.[4] McGhee also worked as a teacher, during which time he taught Mike Ryan. Ryan later said he thought of McGhee as he won his bronze medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.[9] McGhee wrote an autobiography entitled The Forgotten Winner, which was never published.[3]

He married in 1960, and had five children and six grandchildren.[1]

References
  1. "Obituary: Joe McGhee, Falkirk's gold medal-winning 'King of the Road'". Falkirk Herald. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  2. "Sixth Column". The Guardian. 6 August 1994. p. 15. Retrieved 16 April 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Joe McGhee – Scotland's 1954 hero". Scottish Athletics. 21 April 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  4. "Sound of McGhee's marathon silence now spans all of 40 years. And he still won't discuss win over a man called Peters". The Herald. 6 August 1994. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  5. "Scottish marathon runner Joe McGhee dies aged 86". The Scotsman. 20 April 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  6. Kingston, Gary (26 July 2014). "Marathon Man was lost in the shadows of the 1954 Empire Games". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  7. "Justifying his selection..." The Observer. 5 November 2000. p. 288. Retrieved 16 April 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "CHAMPIONS RETURN FOR 2015 BAXTERS LOCH NESS MARATHON". Loch Ness Marathon. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
  9. "Mike's Turkish delight". The New Zealand Herald. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
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