AIMS ‘Distance Running Magazine’ Publisher Frank James Gentles Baillie 1947 – 2023 RIP

AIMS ‘Distance Running Magazine’ Publisher Frank Baillie passed in his sleep at home on Sunday the 19^th of November, one day before what would have been his 76^th birthday, born 20^th November 1947.

Frank was the second child (3 brothers John, Colin and Brian and 3 sisters Carol, Jennifer and Helen) to mum and dad, Mary and Frank Snr.

He is survived by his dear family, wife Patricia (nee McMenemy) and daughters Angela, Patricia, Gillian and Margaret and grandchildren Angela, Francesca, Louisa, Martha, Sebastian, Gabriel, Matilda and Theodora. Who extend their gratitude to all at Edinburgh Royal and Forth Valley Hospitals.

Frank became involved with AIMS in 1990 and served as publisher to AIMS under AIMS Presidents Bob Dalgleish, Hiroaki Chosa and Paco Borao.

Frank would combine two of his greatest loves, running and publishing when he became the Publisher of the world-famous ‘Distance Running Magazine’. The running bible of AIMS, The Association of International Marathons & Distance Races, covering over 400 of the world’s major city races, spanning over 150 countries and territories including over the years the likes of London, Berlin, New York, Boston, Chicago and the original, The Athens Marathon. Frank transformed the magazine from a small black and white print magazine to full colour and onto be the world’s most widely distributed sports magazine.

‚Distance Running Magazine’: The running bible of AIMS, The Association of International Marathons & Distance Races,  2023 Edition 4

Frank was a keen runner, running numerous marathons including Glasgow and London. He also published magazines for both events in the 1980s. Frank originated the AIMS Marathon Medal and T-shirt awards staged at each AIMS Congress.

Frank was one day watching the BBC Television programme ‘The Antiques Roadshow’ when he spotted a rare physical relic of the 1908 London Olympic Marathon, the race that defined the Marathon distance as 26 miles 385 yards (42195m). The 18-mile marker, a cast-iron fingerpost sign, surfaced from obscurity at a car boot sale in the north of England several years ago. The buyer, Graham Webster, knew what he had acquired and took it for valuation on the BBC programme where he expressed the feeling that the sign really belonged in a museum.

On behalf of AIMS Frank Baillie approached Webster who agreed to sell the sign. This was at a time when the covid pandemic made travel problematic. Even in 2022, with restrictions lifted, the sign needed especially carefully couriered transportation due to the brittleness of the cast iron. Frank drove halfway across Europe to ensure the safe delivery of the sign to Berlin Marathon founder Horst Milde. The historic item now resides in the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running, later renamed the ‘Marathoneum’, in the Berlin Sports Museum, Germany.

Frank with the 18-mile marker from London 1908 and Horst Milde (l) – Photo: Sabine Milde

All thanks to Frank’s ingenuity, persistence and generosity.

Frank was one of the biggest and most wonderful characters you could ever hope to meet. He lit up every room he entered with his interest and genuine empathy for others, combined with his kindness, wit and charm. Informed by his forever searching, enquiring mind to learn more about the world that he used to help everyone he encountered on his path.

A fuller life might not be possible. Frank travelled the world to over 100 countries. He was rightly proud of where he was from and where he reached in life. His dad Frank Senior was a van driver and his mum Mary a waitress. The family lived in Govan, the port area of their home Scottish city of Glasgow. Frank often talked about growing up in an old tenement building in Govan where he shared a bed sleeping head-to-toe with his three brothers and three sisters.

Frank (r.) and Gerd Steins – director of the Marathoeum in Berlin – Photo: Horst Milde 

Frank loved flying and joined the air training core in 1960 until 1965. In that period, winning a scholarship to become a pilot, he then served in the RAF (Royal Air Force) as a Commanding Officer. Later Frank was a commercial pilot, Captain Baillie was known and loved by everyone in Glasgow Airport, the waitresses, the cleaners, the crew and other pilots. When Frank retired as a pilot after working with Business Air, Logan Air of British Airways, it had been 50 years since he first walked into Glasgow Airport as a young cadet to the time he retired as a commercial pilot.

Frank as a Commanding Officer – Photo: private

From 1970 to 74, Frank joined Scottish & Universal Newspapers (SUITS) where he became the Personnel and Training Manager of Scotland’s most respected broadsheet newspaper The Herald 1974-80. He became a Director of Scottish & Universal Newspapers which included 1 daily paper, 26 weekly papers and a number of sports magazines. Frank oversaw 200 staff. He gave many famous journalists their first job in the media including Andrew Neil who would go on to be Editor of the Sunday Times, Lorraine Kelly who hosts the UK’s most watched morning television show to Sportswriter and Sports Editor Jim Traynor.

Frank with his daughters in Athen – Photo: Horst Milde

1982-87 Frank was Managing Editor of famous publishers the Holmes McDougall Group, which he would later buy in a management buyout (MBO), from parent company LONHRO PLC for 650,000 pounds, becoming owner and MD from 1987-93 where over 5 years he would successfully sell various parts of the company for 8.3 million pounds.

Frank loved to travel, loved skiing, and had an unquenchable thirst for history and learning. He was proud of studying for an MBA at the world-famous Harvard University. Frank served as a non-executive director on many of Scotland’s Hospital boards and was commended for his work in organising the celebration of the 50^th year of the National Health Service in Scotland.

Frank Senior was a wonderful character too. Frank Junior was very proud of him and would tell how in the tough port area of Govan when a ship came in and needed to unload its cargo, two to three hundred men would gather at the port looking for work and the Captain would stand at the bow of the ship and throw pieces of numbered cork in the air and the men would fight to ensure they could get work to feed their families. Frank said his dad ensured the family never went hungry, and his mum too.

One of the first things Frank did when he achieved the ‘MBO’ was to pay for a hospitality table at Ibrox, home of Rangers Football Club, the club his dad had grown up supporting and that the family home had been literally in the shadow of the stadium. Frank Senior would take his old pals from the docks to dine in style at each home match and was so proud of what his son had achieved.

Frank was a man of wonderful stories, but his favourite was when he was very proud to be invited to meet the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Phillip at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.

Frank was talking to Prince Phillip and told him a great story that the local Glasgow newspaper had decided to give the firstborn boy and girl on the day of the Royal Wedding between Phillip and Elizabeth, 20^th November 1947, 100 pounds each as a gift to mark the special occasion. The firstborn girl that day, the mother and father decided to call their daughter Elizabeth to mark the occasion. The newspaper was delighted. The firstborn boy was to Frank Snr and Mary Baillie. The newspaper asked the proud dad: ‘How would you like to make the story perfect and name your son Phillip? To which Frank Snr enquired: ‘Is this necessary to obtain the 100 pounds?’ The Journalist said no it was not. Frank Senior said: ‘Good. his name is Frank and thanks for the 100 pounds!’ Phillip laughed so much. Phillip asked Queen Elizabeth to come over and asked Frank to re-tell the story. The Queen cried with laughter as she loved the story greatly. This sums up Frank whether it was a man in rags in the street or a Queen, Frank had time for them, treated them the same, made them laugh and smile and everyone always felt it a great pleasure to be in his company.

There is a nice saying: ‘People will forget what you have done, forget what you have said. But they will never forget the way you made them feel.’ This is why Frank will live on in all the hearts of those who met him.

Rest in peace, our dear friend and a great servant to the running world and AIMS in particular.

Peter McLean