The journalist and author John Bryant, who played a pivotal role in the success of the London Marathon, has died at the age of 76.
He died peacefully at his home in Surrey on Thursday following a long illness.
Bryant was one of the UK’s most esteemed journalists, serving as editor-in-chief of the Daily Telegraph, managing editor of the Times and features editor at the Daily Mail at points during a career spanning more than four decades.
He also left an indelible mark on UK athletics, having played a key role in the evolution of the London Marathon.
Bryant fell in love with running as a child in Haselbury Plucknet, Somerset, when he was able to catch up with the school bus as it drove through the village.
While studying law at Oxford University, he was captain of the cross-country running club and represented British Universities on the track.
He continued to run and published his first book on the subject, Jogging, in 1979. He went on to write several more books on running, the most famous of which was 3:59.4, which detailed Roger Bannister’s quest to break the four-minute mile.
After developing a close friendship with Chris Brasher, the founder of the London Marathon, Bryant played a part in developing it into the global event that it is today.
He also participated in 29 London marathons, many of them after he was hit by a car during a training run and told he would not walk again.
Bryant began his journalism career at the Edinburgh Evening News, going on to hold senior positions at a number of UK national newspapers and becoming chair of the Press Association Trust in 2008.
He is survived by his wife, Carol, two sons, Matthew and William, and six grandchildren.
