His 5:29:14 finishing time made him the first runner to break the magical 5:30 barrier. That year second place finisher ‘Dancing’ Dave Wright was 20 minutes behind Alan. And in 14th place I was just discardedAs we look back nearly half a century later it is the sheer uncomplicated simplicity of Alan’s win that stands out.
On race morning he drank a cup of coffee, pulled on his now worn and battered Tiger Bostons and his Gemiston Callies running gear and lined up at the start.On the way he drank flat coke and water. After the race he had a few more beers.It is interesting to contrast Alan Robb’s simplistic, minimalist approach to his racing in the 1970s with the modern highly complicated science racing has become.
Modern runners also rely on a variety of gadgets. They own smart devices and watches, and they race with pacing charts and heart monitors to gauge their pace. The old Tiger Bostons have been replaced by state-of-the-art shoes with air, gels and carbon fibre plates.