Frank Horwill 1927 - 2012

runbritain was very saddened to hear the news that Frank Horwill passed away on 1 January 2012 at the age of 84.

Horwill was a coach, coach educator and founder of the British Milers' Club (BMC).

He began coaching in 1961 and coached dozens of runners to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland in distances from 800m to the Marathon and Cross Country. One of his most noted protégés was Tim Hutchings, now race organiser of the Brighton Marathon and twice World Cross Country silver medallist, 3:54:53 miler and fourth placed in the 5000m in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Hutchings’ range of ability perhaps indicate Horwill’s application of his own Five Pace Training Theory which is widely used for coaching middle and long distance runners throughout the world. The theory recommends that athletes train at race pace, and at the paces for the two distances above and below the one they are targeting for competition. It was used by Peter Coe in his coaching of Sebastian Coe and other athletes.

Horwill wrote numerous articles for the BMC newsletters, Athletics Weekly, Running fitness and numerous other sporting publications. He co-authored The Complete Middle Distance Runner (1972), along with Denis Watts and Harry Wilson. In 1991, Horwill published Obsession for Running. The title could describe his life and the enthusiasm he could stirred in those others he would cheerily and unmistakeably greet as 'Comrade'. Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.