Runner Chris Thompson has had a turbulent career. From his beginnings as an exceptional youngster to his long struggles with injury, he has had to fight more than most to secure his place at the top.
That’s one of the reasons why his win at the British marathon trials in March attracted so much attention. ‘One of the nice men of the sport,’ as the race’s commentator described him, had secured a ticket to Tokyo and with it the chance to show he had more to give.
Thompson is certainly one to watch in this year’s Olympic marathon. Here are five things you should know about the veteran marathoner.
He’s had more injuries than most
After winning silver in the 10,000m at the 2010 European Championships, Thompson was showing the best form in a long time. Going into 2012 and with the London Olympics in sight, he was ready to make his mark. But then he injured his back. As if that wasn’t enough, he was bitten by a dog.
Those injuries were enough to knock him off his stride in London, where he finished the 10,000m in 25th place. That race was followed by another back injury at the Great North Run. Then, in 2014, an Achilles injury required surgery that threatened to end his career – but Thompson wasn’t ready to quit.
This year, nine weeks before the British marathon trials, Thompson’s hand was crushed by a van as he was moving house.
‘I nearly lost my hand,’ he told Athletics Weekly. ‘It somehow missed the tendons, the nerve endings and the ligaments, but they didn’t know that until they did the operation, which lasted two-and-a-half hours.’
Mo Farah is an old friend – and a rival
As youngsters, Thompson and Farah were promising runners. Though Thompson was slightly older, they were also rivals. In fact, he beat Farah with a sprint finish to seize the European under-23 title. That’s right – he out-kicked Mo.
A few years later, that rivalry would come back to bite him. In Thompson’s disappointing 10,000m race at the London Olympics, he was lapped by Farah, who was on his way to a famous victory.
Regardless of their professional rivalry, Thompson and Farah have long been friends and often trained together. In an interview with Runner’s World UK in 2010, Thompson said, ‘We know when it needs to be a race and when it doesn't. Fortunately, we've got mutual respect and we both encourage each other to improve as athletes.
‘However, when we're on the track we're both extremely competitive – it's like boxers, we'll shake hands at the end, but once you're in the ring, it's gloves off.’
He wore unusual shoes for his marathon trials performance
Following his marathon trials performance, attention turned to Thompson’s unusual shoes. Eagle-eyed runners were quick to notice that Thompson was wearing blacked-out versions of what looked like Nike Vaporfly Next% shoes, the ‘super spikes’ favoured by elite runners such as Eliud Kipchoge.
But Thompson isn’t sponsored by Nike. He is sponsored by On, a Swiss running brand that appears to have sanctioned Thompson’s choice of gear.
‘We care first and foremost about our athletes,’ the brand wrote on Twitter. ‘An Olympic dream should never be compromised. This is why we’ve helped Chris in pursuing a temporary solution that puts him in pole position for Olympic qualification.’
Although On gave Thompson a free pass to wear Nike’s renowned shoes, the company has since released its own elite marathon shoe, the Cloudboom Echo.
He became a father just before he won the marathon trial
The week of the marathon trials was an emotional rollercoaster for Thompson – on Monday, his wife gave birth to a baby boy, Theo, with the race due to take place on Friday.
In a roadside interview following the race, Thompson appeared to be breaking up. ‘This week has just knocked me for six,’ he said. ‘I’ve been trying to hold it together and…I’ve never felt so much emotion in my life.’
Speaking to BBC Breakfast later, with the newborn in his arms, Thompson said, ‘He’s a little star. He’s showing his appreciation in his own little way.’
And if baby Theo wants to give running a go, he’s not short of talent to call upon. His mother, Jemma Simpson, is a former UK 800m champion, with a PB of 1:58.74, according to Athletics Weekly, and she competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
He’s older than you’d expect for an Olympic marathon runner
When Thompson recorded his qualifying time for the Tokyo Games, he was 39. He’s since turned 40. That’s by no means too old to run a quick marathon, but it’s older than you might expect an elite Olympic athlete to be.
In an interview after the race, Thompson admitted as much. He said: ‘I feel like someone’s going to tell me this didn’t happen…I’m 39! This doesn’t happen!
