Before my introduction to athletics, I had played RL, and as a small size person, I soon found out it was not my sport. It was in late 1951 that Dennis Wilson encouraged me to join St George to enjoy athletics. We competed every Tuesday night during the T & F season at club events at Hurstville oval, and there were many athletes competing. The circuit track was 5 1/3 laps per mile, so roughly 300 metres per lap and grass. Interclub meetings were very big meetings, unlike now, with many grades and heats in the one event. I competed bare footed in those days until Erskineville oval where just too many “prickles” on the grass track, so purchased a second hand pair of spikes.

Training shoes were Dunlop volley OC’s, which were heavy, but strengthened the legs. My first cross-country was 1952 at our Scarborough park base, which was rather different when comparing the change facilities, with an outside dunny. The course also a little different as the side of the creek was more restricted with basically a single track, and there was an actual creek crossing where the playground at Tonbridge Street is.

In 1953, when I travelled to Percy Cerutty’s training camp at Portsea, it was very basic facilities, with accommodation in a rather small shed with about 4 double bunks. Breakfast was the original muesli made from all natural ingredients, rolled oats, walnut pieces, raisins, banana, but rarely any milk. But did we enjoy the training over sand bush roads and the super big sand dunes, with a couple of sessions per day. So when I returned home, I started training on the Wanda dunes, which was a vast area in those days. I was told I was mad training on the dunes as it would ruin me, so just check the results, and those remaining dunes are used by many sports.

Then on Sunday mornings I started to run with the Randwick Botany distance runners as they had a strong team and many other athletes joined them on a Sunday morning. We changed at the lakeside in Centennial Park, left all of our gear on a seat, went training and it was all still there when we returned. Now it would be gone before you were out of site.

I did my National Service of 6 months in the RAAF, based at Uranquinty near Wagga Wagga. It was only a small base, which carried out pilot training. This was a great experience and taught you discipline, which you certainly need in athletics.

My first employment was with an industrial engraving company, then I joined a manufacturing company and progressed through many job functions. I joined Qantas Airways in 1966 and retired from the company in 1993, which included 2 years based in New York. During that time, I was given honorary membership with New York Athletic Club, which enabled me to use their change facilities for training runs in Central Park. As I got fitter, I started to compete in their cross-country races, including national cross-country, being in one winning team.

My smartest decision was asking Nola to marry me in 1958. We have 2 daughters Robyn and Patricia and 4 grandsons, Thomas, Mark, Liam and Mathew.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s our club had a very good nucleus of middle distance runners and excellent performers over every discipline. When possible some of us distance runners would meet for training runs and we all benefited from those runs. It has always been a very good club, which produced many outstanding members. We had 2 members in a 4 x 1mile relay team, which set a World Record, Dennis Wilson and myself.

There were many highlights in my career, but some stand out, with the first being selected and competing in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. My first overseas trip was with the 1958 Commonwealth Games to Cardiff in Wales. Some of us were invited to compete in Ireland before the Games. I had a major result, which was unexpected, when I set the world record over 3 miles on 9 July 1958 at Santry stadium in Dublin, Eire. A month later, after the Games, we were back to race in Dublin. On 6 August, I was the pacemaker in a 1 mile, when Herb Elliott set a new world record, when I ran my first sub-4 minute in 5th place in 3 – 58.6. In those days a sub-4 minute mile was a rarity. The next night I ran a 2mile race and set a world record with Elliott in the lead for 4 laps.

Back in those years, we competed under very strict amateur rules, with no advertisements on your uniforms or shoes, and no sponsorships. We were also restricted to any competition out of Australia for only 28 days per year, excluding those days with a national team. Also you could only set an Australian record in Australia, or a Commonwealth record in a Commonwealth country. So, neither my world records, nor Herb’s world records were not recognised as Australian or Commonwealth records as they were set in the Republic of Ireland. It was a bit different than now.

Over many years, I encouraged club middle distance runners to have training runs with me. It was a way of passing on my experience and to teach them better running technique. I still have some young club members getting advice and mentoring. This has been very rewarding to see young athletes improve and enjoy their running.

I have also been fortunate to have met some of the great runners from earlier days, such as Paavo Nurmi of Finland, Emile Zatopek of Czechoslovakia, Sir Roger Bannister of England, Alain Mimoun of France and Vladimir Kuts of Russia, just to name a few. Know the two “gentlemen” of miling, John Landy and Ronnie Delaney. Also raced against Ron Clarke who set an amazing 11 world records in 1965.

I have also been fortunate to have competed in teams with some fantastic athletes from other sports and to have seen them in action for Australia.
 

1955 - NSW 3 mile	At the Olympian Dinner: Eileen Wearne (1932)  - Albie -   Basil Dickinson (1936) - Nola Thomas

A.G. “Albie” Thomas

Born at Hurstville, Sydney, on 8 February 1935


HONOURS

Australian Sports Medal 2000, for service to the Australian community.

Centenary Medal 2000, for service to the community.

NSW Government Hall of Champions, 1979

Path of Champions at Betty Cuthbert Stadium, Homebush

Athletics NSW, Merit Award

St. George District Athletic Club, Merit Award 1975

St. George District Athletic Club, Life Member 1983

The Leader Tynan Sport Star, Hall of Fame, 1999

Hurstville City Council, Heritage Walk

Richard Coombes Memorial Medal, outstanding track & field athlete 1957/58, 1958/59, 1962/63 and 1963/64 seasons

Torchbearer in the Sydney 2000 Olympic torch relay, with my section run at Hurstville on 12 September 2000.

Runner on 25 January 2006 at Liverpool in the Queens Baton Relay for M2006 in Melbourne.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
 

At 800 during 1 mile world record - Santry 1958

COMMONWEALTH RECORD

4 December 1963, Chatswood Oval. 2 mile in 8 min 33sec


World record 3 mile - Dublin




AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

1 Mile 1st in 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
2nd in 1960 3rd in 1959 3 Mile 1st in 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960
2nd in 1961, 1962, 1963, 196510K cross-country 2nd in 1959,19611, 1963


At 1 mile during 2 mile world record - Santry 1958
 

NSW CHAMPIONSHIPS

1 Mile 1st place 1959 to 1965

3 Mile 1st place 1958, 1959,1960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965

6 Mile 1st place 1957, 1965

10K cross-country 1st place 1959, 1964

Marathon 1st place 1963

Christmas Mile 2002

Bits & Pieces (or useless information)

+ Ran the first sub-4 minute mile in NSW on the Sydney sports ground grass track 6 Jan 1960.

+ The First athlete to win the Australian 1 mile championship, 4 years in succession.+ In 1965 won the NSW championship for 1 mile, 3 mile and 6 mile at the same championships. A treble that had eluded NSW athletes.

+ In February 1963 I ran a sub-4 minute mile, then in June won the NSW marathon.

+ In the first world masters championships in 1975 in Toronto, Canada, I won the 1500 in 3-59.5 and the 3000 in 8-26.7

+ I was always proud to wear the “red & white” colours of the St George club.

+ At various times I have held many club, NSW and Australian records. They are only marks for someone else to beat and improve performances.

++ These details are to the best of my records and subject to correction or comment

                                                   
November 2005