A REMARKABLE runner who is still clocking up the miles as he approaches the age of 80 has been honoured by his club.

Richard 'Dick' Hodelet is Glenpark Harriers' longest serving member and he has been looking back on his 61 years with the club after being recognised with a special award at their 125th anniversary dinner.

Dick was presented with a lifetime achievement prize from the club by Ian Beattie, chair of UK Athletics, at the special dinner in Greenock Town Hall.

Although the club turned 125 years old in 2020, many of its anniversary celebrations had to be held this year due to the pandemic preventing members from properly marking the occasion.

At the Town Hall dinner, Dick was given a framed anniversary club vest, as well as an engraved cheeseboard made by fellow club member Liz Ness.

The former accountant joined the club in 1960 with his two best friends Tommy Knight and Jim Sheridan,

The trio became dedicated members of the club and served in several committee roles over the years.

When Dick, 79, won the Scottish 880 Yard Championship in 1964, he was made a life member of the club.

Dick told the Tele that the club had progressed significantly since he began running with them.

He said: "When I started running here we only had one key for the clubhouse and if you wanted to run you had to go fetch it from committee member Tommy Mearns' house - if Tommy wasn't in, you weren't running.

"The membership now is also far greater than it was when I started, thanks in part to the wonderful decision to start admitting female members in the 1980s.

"The club is much more of a family one now, parents come along and coach their kids and we have great turnouts from family members at a lot of our races.

"When my generation of committee members started standing down, I wasn't sure how the club was going to function, but I was so wrong - the club now is better than ever."

Dick's illustrious career with the club is littered with titles, record and accolades.

He set the Scottish all-comers record for 600 yards in 1968 with a time of one minute and 11.5 seconds, a record which still stands to this day.

The runner has won countless club competitions and national championships, and represented Scotland at the international level for years.

While this success may have lured other runners to leave for bigger clubs, Dick never felt the need.

He said: "I love Glenpark, I've never had any thoughts about leaving.

"There were plenty of guys who felt they had to move on to bigger Glasgow clubs to make it, but not me.

"Once I got into the international team I was training with guys who were going to these big clubs, but I was matching them - sometimes I was more than matching them.

"I've had a life out of this, I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with the club.

"The club is a part of me almost as much as I am a part of it."