Euro Legends Week: Alan Pascoe, Jon Ridgeon & Ian Stewart (GBR), still fast, on and off the track! – 2007 European Indoor Championships in Birmingham

FAST TRACK, the commercial arm of UK Athletics, played a huge role in the marketing of the 2007 European Athletics Indoor Championships. Three high-ranking members of the company – chairman Alan Pascoe, managing director Jon Ridgeon and meeting director Ian Stewart – all scooped medals in the championships and the trio share their memories with the European Athletic Association.

On a memorable occasion for British athletics Alan Pascoe took gold in the 50m hurdles followed ten minutes later by Ian Stewart matching the performance in the 3000m in the 1969 edition of the European Indoor Championships.

And a smile passes Pascoe’s lips when he recalls, „I definitely beat him (Stewart) to become European Indoor champion by ten minutes.“

Due to the virtually non-existent indoor facilities in Briton at the time, Pascoe recalls a rather unusual approach to training at the Borough Road College – now Brunel University.

„There was space for me to jump one hurdle on the boards and then as I was slowing down ran on to a corridor passed three offices,“ said Pascoe. „The inevitable happened one day when I bumped into a guy coming out and I had to carry him down the corridor as I was slowing.“

Pascoe had competed in the 110m hurdles at the 1968 Mexico Olympic but he massively exceeded expectations in Belgrade. He beat the pre-race favourite and highly-rated German Werner Trzmiel as both crossed the line in 6.6 with Romania Nicolae Pertea a tenth further back.

„I fancied myself to reach the final that was the target,“ he said. „But to win was fantastic. I ran a British record and although it was close I knew I’d got it on the line.“

Pascoe later won Commonwealth and European 400m hurdles gold in 1974 and has gone on to enjoy a high-profile business career. He was vice-chairman of the successful 2012 London Olympic bid and is currently chairman of events and marketing group Fast Track. The company have successfully carried out the marketing for the 2007 European Indoor Championships and raised a record-breaking figure of £400,000.

Ten minutes after Pascoe’s glory in Belgrade Scot Ian Stewart struck gold in the 3000m to land his first major championship title.

Aged just 20 Stewart toughed out an aggressive final and made his winning bid with 600m remaining to secure his first major championship success.

„I was taken (to the European Indoors) for the experience but I had come close to breaking the two miles indoor record in the countdown to the championships,“ said Stewart. „I was pushed on to the middle of the track at 600m and that is when I just took off. I opened up a four-yard gap and run flat out for the last lap. It was my first championship, so it was a big win for me.“ Stewart won in 7:55.4, eight-tenths of a second in front of Javier Alvarez Salgado of Spain.“ridgeon

His room-mate in Belgrade, Walter Wilkinson, had won the bronze medal in the 1500m and the pair were on such a high after their respective achievements they celebrated in an unusual fashion.

„We went for a run at 3am because we couldn’t sleep, although we regretted it the next day, we were knackered,“ added Stewart.

His next taste of European indoor action came six years later in Katowice when he regained the 3000m crown in a close run race.

Stewart describes his battle with the Finn Pekka Paivarinta as a „real head-banging race“ as the Brit edged a tight encounter.

„The last two or three laps were really quick,“ recalled Stewart. „I remember I was starting to pass him with five metres to go and he put his hand out to stop me. I knew I had got the race, although I had a few words with him after the race.“

Both athletes were given the same time of 7:58.6 but the Scot was given the verdict.

Stewart also won European and Commonwealth outdoor titles on track and the world cross country title and he is currently working alongside Pascoe as meeting director.

Fast Track managing director Jon Ridgeon, however, has mixed memories of his two European Indoor Championships experience.

The sprint hurdler went into the 1988 version of the championships in Budapest as favourite to add the European indoor crown to the world outdoor 110m hurdles silver medal he had won the previous year.

But as Ridgeon recalls the event did not go according to plan and he was beaten by one-hundredth of a second by the Czech athletes Ales Hoffer, who won in 7.56.

„I always preferred the outdoors to the indoors but I made a couple of mistakes in the final and there is no margin for error in the 60m hurdle,“ said Ridgeon. „To be honest, I was gutted to win the silver medal and must have looked the most disappointed winner of a silver medal ever. I remember kicking a locker after the final, although I promise no damage was done.“

Ridgeon’s second appearance came in Genoa four years later but he remembers the occasion as a sombre one after the shock death of Great Britain team manager Les Jones.

After missing the 1989, 1990 and 1991 season’s Ridgeon made his comeback at the 1992 European Indoors and although he was not in top shape he finished a respectable fifth behind gold medal winner Igor Kazanovs.

„I was just pleased to be back, although everyone was devastated by the death of Les,“ he recalls.

This year Ridgeon will back at the European Indoor Championships in the middle of the arena but he definitely not putting on his running shoes.

The 40-year-old will be speaking to the athletes as head of in-field presentation and admitted he is excited at the prospect.

„It is the best seat in the house, and I’m looking forward to what should be a fantastic championship,“ he added.

Source:
EAA – European Athletic Association
https://www.european-athletics.org
European Athletic Association