It’s a well-worn saying these days that the word ‘legend’ is bandied around far too easily. While that’s true, there can be no argument that ‘Legend’ is a perfect epithet for a club stalwart who celebrates his 60th birthday today: Glenn Forster.

For those who aren’t already aware of his many achievements, Glenn’s competitive career is success story worth noting. When he first came to prominence, winning the Boy’s Club Championship in 1972 followed by the North-East cross-country title a year later, few would have predicted the heights he would go on to reach hit during a long and successful competitive career, the most notable being in 1984 when he placed 12th in the London Marathon clocking an incredible time of 2:15:08, which remains the club record for the distance.

Although never short of a turn of speed over 800 or 1500m in his earlier days, it was over the longer distances that Glenn really came into his own, initially on the country and then on the roads where it soon became the clear the marathon would be his calling. Consistently operating at a high level during the halcyon days of marathon running in Sunderland, Glenn won selection for Great Britain at the distance in 1980, 82. 83, 84, 85, and 88. In 1985 he proudly wore the GB vest at the World Cup in Hiroshima, Japan.

Glenn competed well into his forties and clocked a club record for Veterans over 10k on the road of 31:23, a time many athletes simply dream of achieving at any time in their career.

Since hanging up his racing shoes, Glenn has remained at the core of the club and is still to be seen, every Tuesday (or at least most Tuesday’s if it’s not raining) regaling the groups of athletes hammering out reps on the track with his quirky mix of encouragement, insults, disdain, praise and rank bad jokes.

Quite rightly, Glenn is held in high esteem by everyone in the club, and the respect every runner who pulls on the blue vest has for him is clearly evident. He played a pivotal role in putting Sunderland Harriers on the map in the 80’s alongside a quality band of teammates, and what youngsters can learn about the sport from talking to an athlete of Glenn's calibre should never be underestimated.

Happy Birthday Glenn, here’s to many more years of running, coaching and above all, more bad jokes!