The double Olympian and 2010 European 10,000m silver medalist will officially hang up his shoes at the Great South Run
Chris Thompson has announced he is retiring from elite running after a professional career spanning more than two decades.
Thompson
The 43-year-old, who’s represented Great Britain in two Olympics and claimed a European 10,000m silver medal, will officially hang up his shoes at next month’s Great South Run (October 20).
Thompson announced his retirement live on the BBC at the Great North Run (September 8) and afterward, on his Instagram, thanked “both the Great Run team and BBC for letting me cry with joy on TV one last time!”.
The Brit said: “I don’t know where to start. And I’m sure it won’t come of a shock to all that know me, but my time has come to start a new chapter.
“There isn’t enough space or time to go through all the thanks I want to make. Just know I will thank you all personally if not already! As a young lad, I never imagined the joy and amazing people I’d meet along the way. It’s hard to explain what the last 30 years have meant and done for me. I’ll take time to digest and hopefully process it all.”Making his debut at a Games on home soil, Thompson clocked 29:06.12 for 25th in the 10,000 m.
Incredibly, nine years later, Thompson qualified for the Tokyo Olympics with a personal marathon best of 2:10:52 at the age of 39, just five days after he became a father to son Theo.
He also claimed a medal for Great Britain on the international stage in 2010, securing 10,000m silver behind compatriot Mo Farah at the European Championships.
Thompson made his international debut in 1998 and has represented his country over cross-country, track and the roads.
Chris Thompson, Mo Farah and Emile Cairess (London Marathon Events)
“I started as an immature, hard-to-take serious, silly Billy. I finish proud to have never changed,” Thompson added.
“I’m excited about starting a new chapter and can’t wait to finally rest and watch from the sidelines. I’ll always be a runner and will bounce around the odd run or two. But it’s time to give the body a rest and set goals around a new lifestyle and commitments.
“What’s next? I’m not going anywhere. In time, I’ll be able to form a new way of operating in the sport I love. I’ll do my best to ensure the sport keeps everyone’s dreams alive like it has for me. If the next chapter is half as good as the last one, I’m in for a treat.
“Time to start digging out the old embarrassing photos that aren’t digital! But I’ll try to enjoy these final six weeks and say thank you to everyone! You made it more special than I get my head around.”
Five facts about runner Chris Thompson that you should be aware of
Runner Chris Thompson’s career has been tumultuous. From his early days as a gifted child to his protracted battles with injuries, he has had to endure more than others to earn his position at the top.
That’s one of the reasons he garnered so much attention after winning the British marathon trials in March. The racing announcer called him “one of the nice men of the sport,” and now he had a ticket to Tokyo and the opportunity to prove he had more to offer.
Watching Thompson in the Olympic marathon this year is definitely recommended. These are five qualities about the seasoned marathoner that you should be aware of.
He has sustained more injuries than the majority
Following his 10,000-meter silver medal at the 2010 European Championships, Thompson was exhibiting his greatest form in a very long time. He was prepared to leave his imprint in 2012, especially with the London Olympics quickly approaching. But he later had a back injury. And if all of that wasn’t enough, a dog bit him.
His injuries caused him to lose his rhythm in the 10,000m in London, where he finished in 25th place. Another back injury occurred at the Great North Run after that race. Thompson’s career was in danger of ending in 2014 due to an Achilles injury that required surgery, but he wasn’t prepared to give up.
Thompson was relocating this year when a van crushed his hand, nine weeks before the British marathon trials.
He said, “I almost lost my hand,” to Athletics Weekly. “It missed the ligaments, nerve endings, and tendons in some way, but they were unaware of this until they underwent the two and a half hour operation.”More than the majority
Following his 10,000-meter silver medal at the 2010 European Championships, Thompson was exhibiting his greatest form in a very long time. He was prepared to leave his imprint in 2012, especially with the London Olympics quickly approaching. But he later had a back injury. And if all of that wasn’t enough, a dog bit him.His injuries caused him to lose his rhythm in the 10,000m in London, where he finished in 25th place. Another back injury occurred at the Great North Run after that race. Thompson’s career was in danger of ending in 2014 due to an Achilles injury that required surgery, but he wasn’t prepared to give up.
Thompson was relocating this year when a van crushed his hand, nine weeks before the British marathon trials.
He said, “I almost lost my hand,” to Athletics Weekly. “It missed the ligaments, nerve endings, and tendons in some way, but they were unaware of this until they underwent the two and a half hour operation.”
Mo Farah is both an opponent and an old buddy
Thompson and Farah were gifted runners in their youth. They were rivals even though Thompson was the eldest of the two. In actuality, he won the European under-23 championship by defeating Farah in a sprint finish. Yes, he successfully outkicked Mo.
That rivalry would bite him again a few years later. In the 10,000-meter race at the London Olympics, Thompson was overtaken by Farah, who was headed for a historic triumph.
Despite their rivalry in the sports world, Thompson and Farah have been friends for a long time and have trained together. We know when it needs to be a race and when it doesn’t, Thompson remarked in a 2010 interview with Runner’s World UK. Thankfully, we appreciate one another and support one another’s efforts to become better athletes.
But when it comes to the track, we’re both fierce competitors. It’s like boxing; we shake hands at the finish line, but as soon as you step into the ring, it’s gloves off.
When he performed in the marathon trials, he donned unusual footwear
After Thompson’s achievement in the marathon trials, people started noticing his unique shoes. Sharp-eyed runners soon saw that Thompson was sporting blacked-out replicas of what seemed to be Nike Vaporfly Next% sneakers—the “super spikes” that top athletes like Eliud Kipchoge prefer.
However, Nike does not sponsor Thompson. Thompson is sponsored by On, a Swiss running brand that seems to have approved of his equipment selection.
The brand stated on Twitter, “Our athletes are our first and foremost concern.” “Never should an Olympic dream be compromised.” For this reason, we have supported Chris in his pursuit of a stopgap measure that puts him in the lead for Olympic qualification.
While On allowed Thompson to wear their famous shoes at no cost, the brand has now launched the Cloudboom Echo, an elite marathon shoe of its own.
When he performed in the marathon trials, he donned peculiar footwear.
After Thompson’s achievement in the marathon trials, people started noticing his unique shoes. Sharp-eyed runners soon saw that Thompson was sporting blacked-out replicas of what seemed to be Nike Vaporfly Next% sneakers—the “super spikes” that top athletes like Eliud Kipchoge prefer.
However, Nike does not sponsor Thompson. Thompson is sponsored by On, a Swiss running brand that seems to have approved of his equipment selection.
The brand stated on Twitter, “Our athletes are our first and foremost concern.” “Never should an Olympic dream be compromised.” For this reason, we have supported Chris in his pursuit of a stopgap measure that puts him in the lead for Olympic qualification.
While On allowed Thompson to wear their famous shoes at no cost, the brand has now launched the Cloudboom Echo, an elite marathon shoe of its own.
Not long before he won the marathon trial, he became a father
With the race scheduled for Friday, Thompson had an emotional rollercoaster the week before the marathon trials. On Monday, his wife gave birth to a newborn boy, Theo.
After the race, Thompson seemed to be breaking up in a roadside interview. “I’ve been knocked for six this week,” he remarked. “I’ve been attempting to maintain composure, and… never in my life have I felt so many emotions.
Later, while holding the baby in his arms, Thompson told BBC Breakfast, “He’s a little star.” He’s expressing his gratitude in a modest way.
Furthermore, baby Theo has enough potential to draw from if he wants to try his hand at running. His mother, Jemma Simpson, raced in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was a former UK 800m champion with a personal best time of 1:58.74, per Athletics Weekly.
He is older than one might anticipate from an Olympian in the marathon
Thompson was 39 years old when he set his qualifying time for the Tokyo Games. Since then, he turned 40. That’s older than you might think a top Olympic athlete would be, but it’s by no means too old to run a fast marathon.
After the race, Thompson acknowledged it as much in an interview. “I feel like someone is going to tell me this didn’t happen,” he uttered. I am 39 years old. This is not the case!
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