Jamaica’s Rich History in Middle Distance Running

Most of Jamaica’s success on the track has been as a result of the efforts of our sprinters. However, the contributions of our middle distance athletes cannot be ignored. Over the years, we have had several outstanding middle distance athletes. Herb McKinley, Arthur Wint, Bert Cameron, Inez Turner, Michael Blackwood and Kenia Sinclair are just a few who have positioned Jamaica on the track of international sports success.

Arthur ‘Gentle Giant’ Wint and Herb McKinley, the pioneers of Jamaican athletics, were the first to cop medals for Jamaica in track at a major international meet. At the 1948 Olympics in London, they mined gold and silver medals, respectively, in the 400m and, Wint went on to secure a silver medal in the 800m. Needless to say, they returned to Jamaica as heroes, and, they continued to hold their places of prominence even after retirement from active sports and death. Between the two, they won 3 gold and 5 silver medals; however, these represent just a small part of the legacy that these men left behind.

Bertland ‘Bert’ Cameron also enjoyed a prolific career in middle distance running. He was the 400m Commonwealth champion in 1982 which earned him the Jamaica Sportsman of the Year. He was the first 400m champion at the inaugural World Championships in 1983 and later earned the silver medal at the 1987 Pan American Games. As a member of the 4x400m relay team at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Bert added a silver medal to his collection.

In the 1990s, one young lady dominated the local scene in middle distance running. Inez Turner seemed to have won every race she participated in at the Jamaica National Stadium. When she entered the international scene, she did comparably well, earning a gold medal at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria and a bronze medal at the 1997 World Championships in Athens as part of the 4x400m relay team. Even after retiring from sports, at the age of 35 years, she made a cameo appearance at the 2007 Penn relays where she anchored her team to victory in the 4x400m relay, giving spectators a reminder of her glory days.

Michael Blackwood and Kenia Sinclair have both enjoyed success in their field. In fact, Blackwood was once ranked number one in the world in 400m. Despite never having won any major meets, he has won several medals at minor international competitions. Sinclair did not break out on the international scene until 2005. However, since then, she has been regarded as one of Jamaica’s greatest ever 800m runners, having broken the national record in 800m 5 times, including the 10 year record held by her predecessor, Inez Turner.

The Jamaican middle distance runners have done us proud over the years. They have broken many barriers in Jamaica middle distance running, and, their accomplishments have made a significant impact on our track and field history while setting the pace for future triumphs.