Peter Driver

Peter Brian Driver (26 June 1932 – 12 November 1971)[1] was a British track and field athlete who competed in long-distance running events. He was the gold medallist in the six-mile run at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. His winning time of minutes was a games record and the first time anyone had run the distance in under half an hour at the tournament.[2] He also ran the 3-mile race at that games, placing fifth.[3]

Peter Driver
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  England
British Empire and Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place1954 Vancouver6 miles

Driver made one other major appearance internationally, taking sixth place in the 10,000 metres at the 1954 European Athletics Championships.[4] He won one British national title in his career, taking the six-mile title in 1954.[5] He also won the national junior title in cross country in 1953. A member of South London Harriers, he later became honorary club secretary of Fleet & Crookham AC. A year after his death the club founded the Peter Driver Memorial Road Races, including a six-mile race in recognition of his Commonwealth victory, which is now known as the Fleet 10K run.[6]

International competitions

YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
1954 European Championships Bern, Switzerland 6th 10,000 m 30:03.6
British Empire and Commonwealth Games Vancouver, Canada 5th 3 miles 13:47.0
1st 6 miles 29:09.4 GR

References

  1. Peter Driver. TOPS in Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
  2. Commonwealth Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
  3. Peter Driver Archived 2017-02-06 at the Wayback Machine. Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
  4. Peter Driver. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
  5. British Athletics Championships 1945-1959. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
  6. Our History. Fleet 10K. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
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