Peterborough sprinter will not rest until he’s achieved world domination!

The dashing 42 year old wants to become the fastest veteran 400m sprinter on the planet, and has the pedigree to suggest it’s a realistic ambition.

Brown already has several World and European bronze medals in his collection, along with a silver won in the 2018 European Championships, as well as a brace of relay golds. Frustratingly it’s just the individual gold medal that still eludes him.

Brown grew up in Clevedon, North Somerset and moved to Peterborough in 2004 after a spell performing at British League level with Bristol AC.

Brown recalled “I’d assumed I would join Peterborough AC, but research showed me they’d fallen from their British League heights and that a club called Nene Valley Harriers were now the dominant team in the city.

“I wanted talented training partners to push me and the names of Sean Reidy and Adam Fidgett kept appearing in local press reports in the 400m hurdles. Once I’d met them and their coach Tim Needham I knew Nene Valley was the only choice.

“Sadly a broken ankle meant my club debut was delayed by several years. It was the adversity I needed to realise how much I loved the sport and how I needed to dedicate myself to it to improve.

“The ankle healed after a lot of gym work, and a year playing baseball for the Leicester Blue Sox gave me the final confidence to make my athletics comeback.

“Switching to the 400m flat, I came back to an even stronger Nene Valley team challenging for a place in the British League which included two of the most talented youngsters I’ve ever trained with in Darrellon Holding and Ben Jones.

“We also had a young thrower Harry Wells who has become a great ambassador for Leicester Tigers Rugby on and off the pitch.

“Making the British League and defying the doubters to rise to the heights of Division Two, as well as two Southern League wins, is a testament to the character and talent of athletes in the club. It was a real honour when I became the only non-homegrown men’s track captain during that period.”

Turning 35 in 2013 Brown realised the opportunities which Masters athletics held, making his international debut at the European Indoor Championship in San Sebastian, where he narrowly missed the final.

He then won his first individual bronze medal in the 400m at the World Outdoors in Porto Alegre, Brazil, along with gold in the 4 x 400m relay. This was followed by bronze in a much stronger World Indoor championship in Budapest, and another relay gold.

“Two later World bronze medals represent the two best races of my life” said Brown.“I ran a personal best of 49.54 in the World Championship at Lyon in 2015 (with a fantastic bonus of a World 4x400 relay record 24 hours later). More recently I ran an Indoor PB of 50.36 in the World Championshio in Torun in 2019.

“The lack of an individual gold is a key reason why I keep going. I really want to take that final step up the podium.

“I know I’m in the perfect training group to do it. Tim Needham has been a coach, mentor and friend for over 15 years now and the sheer work ethic and diversity of the group demonstrates his abilities.

“Masters like Sean Reidy, Julian and Claire Smith, Andrea Jenkins and Russ Dowers rub shoulders with talented young athletes like Sean Garmory, Georgie Ivens, Joel Stern, Alastar Phelan and Rosie Jacobs.

“My training remains much the same year to year, but I think it’s important to always evolve and be open to new ideas. To that end I’ve added 800m racing to my repertoire, as well as yoga to my training plan courtesy of my partner, Gemma!

“The work ethic has kept us training through the current crisis, despite the challenges and barriers in our way, such as the lack of an open track.

“I can’t wait to get back to competing both internationally and domestically. The new combined Peterborough and Nene Valley club has a great deal of potential for success at all levels, but I hope that the culture that made Nene Valley great is not lost.

“The club managed to combine a friendly, family approach with an underdog fighting spirit. It will be interesting to see how the new club takes shape.

“It’s a great shame that this season has been lost and with it a great chance to gel.

“Nothing builds a team more than competing together.”