Brendan Foster, Olympic medallist and founder of the Great North Run, has been knighted for his services to sport and culture in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
The 72-year-old won 10,000m bronze at the Montreal 1976 Games but his influence in athletics far from ended on the Olympic podium.
Five years later, Foster founded a race which has become the biggest half-marathon in the world, with the Great North Run raising millions of pounds for good causes each year since its first edition in 1981.
His legacy has remained and his voice has been a mainstay of British athletics coverage, with the former long-distance runner commentating for the BBC between 1980 and his retirement in 2017.
“It is a real privilege to receive this honour,’ said Foster.
“I’ve been lucky enough to spend my whole life doing something that I’ve loved from childhood; participating, sharing my enthusiasm through broadcasting and encouraging thousands to run for pleasure.”
Eve Muirhead was also recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours with the Olympic medallist receiving an MBE for her services to curling.
The Scot is a veteran of three Games with Team GB and ended up on the podium at Sochi 2014, leading her rink to bronze to become the youngest skip to win an Olympic medal.
Now aged 30, Muirhead narrowly missed out on a second medal four years later in PyeongChang but the Olympic journey isn’t over yet for the former world champion.
“Being a skip comes with a lot of pressure and it’s been tough since I missed that shot for a medal in PyeongChang, so to get something like this at this point in my career feels like a nice cherry on the top,” Muirhead told the Press Association.
“I’ve been curling for the majority of my life and I’ve put a lot of time and effort into getting where I am today in the sport, so although I’m very modest about these things it is definitely very nice to be recognised.
“If I go to Beijing (in 2022) it will be my fourth Olympics and I do feel like there is a moment that is waiting to come. I’ve had a great few years with Team Muirhead winning world and European titles, and I believe that we’ve continued to get better.
“Curling has been a huge part of my life and when I do finish curling I want to give back to the sport. I think I would find it very hard not to be involved in the sport when I finish competing.
I'm extremely proud to have received an MBE 🎖and obviously thankful to all my team-mates, all my coaches and staff over the years and my family for all there support.
— Eve Muirhead (@evemuirhead) October 10, 2020
Without them I wouldn't be getting these accolades 😊#QueensBirthdayHonours #QueensHonours #MBE pic.twitter.com/xwffWwBRBr
“I just feel like I want to give back to a sport that has given me so much throughout my career, including now the MBE.
“It shows I have been appreciated and I want to help as many people as possible achieve their own dreams in the sport.”
Table Tennis England chief executive Sara Sutcliffe has been awarded an MBE for her services to the sport while Kieron Achara received the same honour for his services to community sport.
Achara captained his country at his home London 2012 Games – the first time Team GB has had a basketball team at an Olympics – and continued giving back to the sport following his retirement.
There were also honours for Mike Whittingham, director of high performance at the Scottish Institute of Sport, who received an OBE, and World Athletics’ executive director for communications Jackie Brock-Doyle, who has been honoured with a CBE for services to sport.
Queen’s Birthday Honours 2020 Knighted: Brendan Foster MBE: Eve Muirhead, Sara Sutcliffe, Kieron Achara OBE: Mike Whittingham CBE: Jackie Brock-Doyle