Born in 1957, Chris came from a sporting family. His uncle Eric Downer ran for the England Cross-Country team, and the brother of his Grandmother, Reg Gosney won the Inter-Counties Cross Country title on three occasions. Whilst Chris never reached this exalted standard, there must be something in the genes.
Chris first showed promise when winning the Westmorland Under 13 Cross Country Championships, and then taking 3rd place a few weeks later in the Westmorland v. Cumberland Under 15 fixture.
Chris never lost a Schools County Championship race at any distance, whether on the country or the track. On two occasions Chris made the National podium, taking 5th place in the English Schools 5,000m finals on each occasion.
By 16 years of age, Chris began to be coached by Gordon Surtees, as was Dave Cannon already. Gordon went on to be a Great Britain Athletics Coach, and the training squad included Dennis Coates who went on to take a 5th place in the 3,000m Steeplechase Olympic Final. Chris spent many hard training weekends in the Guisborough forest (located in the North East of England).
Chris always preferred running on the country rather than the track, partly no doubt because of the athletics backwater in which he lived and there being no local athletics track. He gained 7th place in the Senior English Schools Cross-Country Championships. As well as winning Schools County Championships, Chris took the West Lancashire title, and the National Association of Boys Clubs title.
As he entered the under 20 age group, Chris featured prominently in Cross-Country Championships, at County and National level. By this time he was studying in Manchester and had joined Sale Harriers. It was whilst competing for Sale Harriers that his team of four took the English Championships team cup, Chris being the second counter.
Competing for Sale Harriers, Chris gained the Silver medal in the Northern Under 20 years 5,000m. He was also selected to represent Sale in the British Gold Cup Final in the 3,000m Steeplechase, whilst still a Junior. Although he was shadowing the leader and feeling confident, he clipped the water barrier half way through the race, and by coincidence was photographed by the Daily Telegraph sports photographer. The photograph showing Chris horizontal to the bar and ready to hit the water, was featured in Athletics Weekly, and appeared as a caption contest in a Great Britain v. USA athletics programme.
Chris made the UK Under 20 rankings for 3,000m Steeplechase, the 5,000m, and was ranked second in the 10,000m.
Chris competed at a time when the standard of British distance running was sky high, and had the honour of competing against the future Olympic Champions Seb Coe and Steve Ovett. Realising that no amount of training was going to take him to the very top, Chris bowed out of the sport for many years. Chris continued to help others in the Cumbrian athletics scene. For example he helped obtain support for Derwent AC to promote an International Athletics Festival at Cockermouth. Chris encouraged the runners at some of the races and gave the prizes out on the final day.
He reappeared when 42 years of age. Having been closely involved in training his son Andrew in conjunction with respected Cumbrian coach Ronnie Bell, and watching the small squad of athletes local to Kendal achieve so much, he decided to train and compete in Veterans athletics events. Chris went onto break the Cumbrian record for 1,500m, smash the Scottish 1,500m record, and despite feeling badly ill on the day he took 4th place in the British Championships. At which time he went into permanent retirement!
Was the small group of athletes local to Kendal and coached by Ronnie Bell, and with whom Chris was closely involved, the strongest group of Cumbrian athletes ever? It consisted of:
- Chris Mulvaney who won the AAA 1,500m Olympic trials in 2004;
- Gemma Phillips who has run for England on several occasions;
- Andrew Tidmarsh who made the English Schoolboys 1,500m Final, won a bronze medal in the North of England Youths 1,500m; took a 13th place in the Inter-Counties Cross-Country Championships; and a 14th in the English Schools Cross-Country Championships;
- Lee Symaszko who finished high up in the Senior English Schools Cross-Country Championships, and whilst still a Junior won a Mid-Lancs Cross-Country league match.
