It is with deep regret that we have to report on the death of Gerald Mortimer, he passed away on Sunday 17th February. His son Ken has penned a short picture on Gerald.

Gerald was a member of Edinburgh Eastern Harriers and I used to wear the vest to training, there would always be someone who would see it and come and talk to me about it. Gerald then became one of the first members of the new EAC.        

As a member of EEH he was in the team which finished 6th in the Edinburgh to Glasgow Relay in 1956 and received the most meritorious team award , finishing 5th on leg 5.
He loved the E to G usually running leg 2 or 6 – in 1952 he was 6th against the big guns on leg 6, in 1953 6th on leg 1. Between us, we’ve run every leg – I think we’d have a combined time of around 3-45.

On his day he could compete with the best mixing it with the likes of Joe McGhee (Empire Games gold medallist 1954 Marathon, Andy Forbes Empire Games silver medallist 6 miles 1950 (and of SVH track 10k fame), the Binnies and the Bannons  –  at the Kingsway Relays he beat Andy Forbes  and was regularly placed at the East District 3 miles on the track – finishing runner up for three consecutive years in the 50s.

In his latter years he supported the club through the 200 club but also regularly came down to support me and he would watch his grandchildren Nick and Andy in all weathers – I’m thinking about some of the bitter weather The Great Winter Run attracted – whenever they ran.
Ken Mortimer