Chris Smith – 5th November 2020
Chris Smith tragically lost his life training on the Scottish fells last week.
Representing Middlesex in the British Inter-Counties Hill and Fell Championships, from 2012 to 2016 he won individual silver medals twice (2012 and 2015) and bronze in 2014 and 2016.
In 2014 he lent his spare fell shoes to race winning team mate Shaun Dixon to help the Middlesex team win the championship. He was back last year, finishing 10th and first v40. This year’s championships were of course cancelled due to Covid, but were due to be held in May in Snowdonia, where Chris had previously won the International Ras Yr Wyddfa Snowdon Race in 2016. There is a nice article on their website here: https://www.snowdonrace.co.uk/chris-smith-a-precious-smile-and-a-pure-gent-of-a-man/
Beyond Middlesex, Chris represented team GB in mountain racing. “His highest placing at a World Championships came on home soil at the 2015 edition in Betsw-y-Coed, Wales, where he finished 10th overall, and third Briton, which led to the senior men’s team grabbing the world bronze medal. He was also part of British senior men’s teams which won two silvers and a bronze medal at the European Mountain Running Championships in 2013, 2015 and 2016”.https://runabc.co.uk/death-of-gb-international-mountain-runner-chris-smith
Chris was an outstanding member of the Middlesex cross country team over many years who made an enormous contribution to the team’s success in the Inter Counties Cross Country Championships.
He helped Middlesex to win many Inter Counties team medals in recent years including team bronze at Birmingham in 2012 where he finished in 29th place, team bronze in 2015 finishing in 25th place, team bronze in 2016 and first man home for the team in 10th place, team bronze in 2017 finishing in 37th place, and for the first time in 26 years a brilliant team gold at Loughborough in 2018 where he finished in 17th place.
He also achieved great medal success in the Middlesex Cross Country Championships, winning individual silver at Trent Park in 2011, individual gold and team bronze in 2013, 4th place and team gold in 2014, individual bronze in 2016, individual silver in 2017, individual silver in 2018, and a 9th place and team gold at Greenford in 2019.
It’s an incredible medal roll of honour reflecting the high calibre of athlete and person of Chris, who will be sadly missed by all his teammates and friends at Middlesex.
There is a tribute to Chris on the TVH web-site at https://www.thamesvalleyharriers.com/a-tribute-to-chris-smith/.
(Many thanks to Andrew Owen and Phil Wetton for this tribute)