IN 2008, the Lancashire Telegraph's Athletics Page will be 50 years old, and to celebrate, the page will be headed by a special anniversary logo for the next 12 months.

Throughout the last half century, there have been just two athletics correspondents, with George Kirby starting a 40- year stint in 1958 before retiring in 1998, then Andy McAllister since.

According to George, the athletics coverage actually goes back even further, having been started by the first chairman of Blackburn Harriers, Percy Fish, in 1950.

Fish, who had been an Olympic trialist in 1932, submitted reports from 1950-1958, although in those days it was rarely a full page.

When George was recruited, at first he used the nom de plume of The Pilgrim', and his tenure corresponded with something of a golden age.

His own club, Blackburn Harriers, benefited hugely from the opening of a new track at Witton Park in the same year, and it soon became apparent that it was one of the fastest in the country.

Everyone wanted to race there, and a series of invitation meetings sponsored by Blackburn Borough Council attracted huge crowds to watch the likes of Derek Ibbotson, who had set the mile world record in 1957.

The spin-off was an upturn of interest in local athletics and in 1966 the Harriers' Chris Fay became their first England International.

Fay likens the Lancashire distance squad of the era, which also included Ron Hill and Mike Freary, to the latter day Kenyans.

Although George has his roots in track and field and was a distinguished throws coach, he lists the Three Peaks Race as one of his favourite events, and he recalls his enjoyment at visiting farms along the route to meet the farmers as a goodwill ambassador for the organisers.

He watched the 50th Peaks in 2005 and although in his eighties, he is looking forward to the 2008 event when the race will also incorporate the World Long Distance Mountain Challenge.

By far the biggest event I have covered for the paper was the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, but it was the trial at the same venue which produced one of the most moving stories when Kerry Gillibrand, from Hyndburn, qualified for the women's 1500 metres only three months after her mother had died.

In the Games, Kerry reached the final, and was even briefly in the lead.

I was also fortunate enough to be at Keswick in 2005 when Clayton-le-Moors Harriers Maureen Laney and Vanessa Peacock were first and second in the over 50s race at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships.

That day, Paralympian Mark Brown was representing Gibraltar, and over the years the Burnley born arm amputee has produced more than his fair share of highlights, including a European Championship gold medal in the 5,000 metres, and a trip to the Everest Marathon, when a group of Clayton-le-Moors Harriers raised a staggering £50,000 for disabled sport.

Mark was also a worthy winner in this newspaper's Pride of East Lancashire Awards when he was named the Grassroots Champion four years ago.