SCOOP – Pete Watson Comes Clean

Pete has been an inspiration to me since I joined the club twenty years ago. As he is two years older, it was always Pete I felt I had to beat (and Roy) so let me repeat the conversation we had running back together on Thursday evening.
S F: You are 77 aren’t you Pete?
P W: Er , well Si, there is a bit of a story.
S F: What do you mean Pete?
P W: Well when I came to join the club twenty years or so ago, I could tell Tony wasn’t that impressed with the times I had just told him (1.47 Half) and I felt if I told him my real age when he asked then I thought he might tell me I was too old to join. So I knocked a few years off!!
S F: Well how old are you Pete?
P W: 80!!!!!

How does someone go from hero to super hero. When I got to 70 and was running well I did several 22 minute 5k’s. Pete was not that far behind and recorded two or three 22’s as well. I thought doing that at 72 was pretty darn impressive. Now I learn he was actually 75 when he did it. Amazing – and so modest with it too.
Hopefully too much time has elapsed for Tony to press charges. Pete says he didn’t wish to deceive but once he had said it he had to stick with it – though English Athletics had his real age. Fessed up, he has entered some summer series races as a V80.
V80. Unbelievable. What an inspiration.

Simon.