The club are sad to announce the passing of Brain Kilby
For anyone wishing to attend the funeral it will be at Alford Crematorium, Miles Cross Hill, Alford, Lincs LN13 9LH on the 29th of July at 2pm
Brain was a club hero and the below piece is from Bill Adcocks
Brian Kilby
26/02/38 to 30/6/24
Brian took up running whilst at secondary school in Coventry and was reasonably successful right from the start. It was at cross country running in the first instance and became Coventry Schools champion in the Under 15 age groups. His interest was further developed after leaving school and starting work at the GEC as a draughtsman.
At the age of 18 he faced the medical for joining the “forces”. The story goes that he had run in the Midland 6 mile track championship the evening before the medical without much success but finished with his feet in a poor state. He failed the medical. He reconciled this “failure” by deciding to use the time he would have spent in the army by remaining in his post at the GEC but taking his running more seriously. After discussing possible taking up the marathon with Club member and coaching co-ordinator, Dufrig Rees, himself a marathon runner for Wales at the Cardiff Empire Games of 1958, he upped his mileage and was training twice a day, not common at that time. In 1960.
At the 1960 Rome Olympics. Brian finished 29th, Abebe Bikila won in a new world best of 2:12:12
He went on to win the European and Commonwealth marathons in 1962 (the same year!) and five AAA titles, 1960 to 64 with an 4th place in 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Racing was his athletic “food” with a race virtually every week.
List of notable races:
Marathon:
2nd 2:22:55 Windsor-Chiswick 11th June 1960
1st Welwyn Garden City, AAA Champs 9th July 1960
29th 2:28:55 Rome Olympics 1960.
1st and European Champion 2:23:18.2 Belgrade, European champs 16th September 1962
1st and Commonwealth Champion 2:21.17 Perth, Commonwealth Games 29th November 1962
1st 2:14:43* Port Talbot 6th July 1963
1st 2:16:45 Coventry Marathon AAA Champs 17th August 1963
1st 2:23:01 Coventry Marathon AAA Champs 22nd August 1964
4th 2:17:02.4 Tokyo Olympic Games 21st October 1964
Brain’s PB of 2:14:43 in 1963 to this day (5th July 2024) has him ranked 132nd on the UK all time list!!
Picture of Brain can be seen on our wall of fame in the clubhouse