Gary Devine: The punk-rock fell runner who became British Champion

As Gary Devine, 55, relaxes in the comfort of his chalet living room in the French Alps, he reflects on a career of being British Champion, having a book written about him and balancing a life of running, punk gigs and band rehearsals.

Early Life

Born in Leeds, Gary, began his unintentional career in running at a young age running with his father and attending St. Mary’s School in Menston, where he joined a cross-country League.

“In Leeds, there was a big cross-county league, and in the first league there were 400 kids in my race, and I came fourth.”

“The first time I thought I might be on to something was at the end of the year when they had a Northern School’s Championship, just outside Manchester. I came either fourth or sixth, out of 800 kids.

“I enjoyed it, but I just thought, obviously I’m not too bad.”

Recalling upon a career of training and racing, Gary had little to regret.

“At the time I used to enjoy running, enjoy racing, but I also used to enjoy what I would consider to be an alternative lifestyle.

“It’s not a regret, but what I would change, I’d possibly not race as much, because fell runners are renowned for running too much.”

Juggling Training and Band-Life

Throughout the 80s, Gary immersed himself in the Leeds punk scene even forming a punk rock band, Pagan Idols, with his cousin and two other friends and playing Bass guitar. One would think whilst trying to meet the demands to be a successful elite fell runner against leading an alternative and often chaotic lifestyle as a punk in a band would be both incompatible and impossible to juggle, but Gary somehow managed it.

“It helped that I didn’t really work at the time, so I had a lot of time to recover from late nights or training.

“From the running side it was nice to have a distraction, because at the time a lot of people that were the very good runners, all they did was run, and they didn’t have any other interests, so they were very focused.”

“We would always, especially if we were camping, go out and have two or three pints just to relax, but anymore you’d suffer a bit the next day.”

Being British Champion

Despite, his unusual lifestyle, he was a hugely successful runner with numerous high-profile victories. However, one of the most memorable races which stands out is when he became British Champion in 1990 at the age of 23 at Ben Nevis albeit not as a race winner.

“Doing the race, I had to finish in the top three and it was a championship race, so it was a very competitive race. I think I was joint second at the top, but as we were coming down there was someone catching me and catching me, I think it was David Rodgers (Lochaber AC).

“If I could beat this lad or if he beat me either of us would be British Champion.

“It’s hard to explain, because on the day when I crossed the line it was more relief.”

Alongside his British Championship, he won many individual races. Wins which stood out for Gary were Ben Nevis and the Three Peaks, both iconic, tough, mountainous races.

“For a fell runner the biggest win you can have, in my opinion is the Ben Nevis race.

“On an equal note, winning the (Yorkshire) Three Peaks, but more from a Yorkshire perspective. I can’t really choose I’ve got two.”

The Stagnant Landscape of British Fellrunning

Since the time of Gary competing in his prime to emigrating to the French Alps with his wife and daughter in mid-2000s to start an alpine chalet holiday business, he remarks on the lack of young running talent coming into the sport and competitiveness of championship races; both of which necessary for a sport to thrive and progress.

“You don’t get many people now-a-days in their 20s, who become British Champion or even win that many races.”

“I would think that currently the successful runners aren’t as good as the runners that were about when I was winning. I don’t know why but it’s been stagnant for a long time.

“I honestly think when I was British Champion if I was running now, I’d still be British Champion.”

The Book

After an eventful career whether it being on the running or punk rocker side of things, he had many stories to tell, which have recently been recorded in a book called Faster! Louder!, written by Boff Whalley, former lead guitarist of anarcho-punk group, Chumbawumba and an accomplished fell runner.

“It was Boff, it was his idea. I’m quite thrilled, I’m quite proud, its nothing I ever envisioned happening.

“We had a good time researching it, and talking about old times, and talking to people we haven’t seen for a long time from that era.

“At first I kind of thought why would anyone want to do that? Or would it be any good? I think it’s come out okay actually.”