The British 400m hurdler created the Roger Armstrong Memorial Meet, which saw athletes battle the elements For all the teeming rain at the David Weir Leisure Centre on July 5, there was a sense it would take a lot more than bad weather to dampen expectations at the inaugural Roger Armstrong Memorial Meet. The competition, organised by British 400m hurdler Chris McAlister in memory of his coach’s late husband, was played out in conditions which often bordered on appalling – but there was more than enough quality on the track to dispel the notion that good weather is needed for good atmosphere. The soundtrack certainly helped.
The range of Electro classics kept spectators energised, even if the 4.0 m/s winds made the lyrics of The Chemical Brothers’ ‘Galvanise’ slightly less intelligible. The calibre of athletes helped too.
The 400m hurdles pitted UK finalists Efe Okoro and Tyri Donovan against one another in the men’s race, whilst Jessie Knight took to the start-line in the women’s event, only a few hours after being named in the Team GB squad for the Paris Olympics. Organising the competition was a new venture for McAlister, who turns 30 this year and took on arranging the event after Roger Armstrong – the late husband of McAlister’s coach Marina – sadly passed away in February. McAlister’s endeavour to create the meet has been remarkable, not least because he juggled the commitment alongside his Olympic ambitions.
The meet not only reflected Mr Armstron.
