Former Olympian Mike Farrell is looking back on his running days when it was enough to race for Queen, country and glory.

Almost 70 years ago Mike, from Yelverton, was racing for the finish of the 800m final in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

He came an amazing fifth, while a GB teammate was a silver medalist in a close sprint finish. Mike described running in the huge stadium in front of a vast crowd as ‘awe-inspiring’.

But, despite his Olympic appearance and overall athletic abilities, with numerous GB and England titles, Mike did not reap the fame and fortune that so-called sporting celebrities do today, with TV appearances and National Lottery funding often replacing the need to work, long after their running, throwing and swimming careers are over.

He came from another era when sportsmen and women had little income during and after their short career at the top. He took numerous jobs, in common with contemporaries, to fund training and other expenses.

Mike, 92, of Moorland Garden Nursing Home, is modest about his achievements and confesses that lack of self-belief might have contributed to him missing out on a medal. He also says his coach did not take him seriously.

He said: “It was different times when I was running for my country– we were amateurs. We didn’t get national sports funding through the government or sporting bodies. We did it for the sheer pride of being the best we could be and for running for our country. Now there’s advertising sponsorship from companies which lasts beyond sporting careers.”

Mike, a member of the famed Birchfield Harriers and Farnham Athletics clubs, said he was surprised to be selected for the Olympics because the head coach did not have much faith in his ability.

In fact the first thing he knew about being selected for the Melbourne Olympics was when he was called by the team tailor to measure him for his Olympic team suit. And he came into the team almost by default when Brian Hewson chose to run the 1,500m instead of the 800m.

Then followed a two-and-a half-day country-hopping trip via London, Athens, Basra, Karachi, Calcutta, Singapore, Darwin and then the Olympic village. He raced two weeks after arriving.

Despite his doubts about his Olympics race, Mike is proud to have represented his country, as testified by the gallery of running photos and framed GB Melbourne vest, and other Olympics paraphernalia. And the running community defintely respect him – he is life vice-president of Birchfield Harriers and was a guest of the Melbourne Olympics fiftieth anniversary reunion and was England’s Amateur Athletics Association secretary.

He was a nippy nipper when running round the recreation ground behind his parents’ home in Hessle, near Hull. His running talent led to representing the Army during National Service and winning a combined services title. Though a light-hearted low point in his competitive running was dropping the egg in an egg and spoon race.

One of Mike’s two daughters Sarah remembers meeting many athletic associates staying over at their family home when she was young, including Geoff Capes, Roger Bannister, Derek Ibbotson, David Hemery, Dave Bedford, Chris Brasher and Chris Chattaway.