John Merriman
Inducted 2022
Track
Britain's top distance runner in the late 1950s. Won silver at the 1958 Cardiff Commonwealth Games — the only athletics medal Wales earned at those Games — and bronze at Perth 1962. Set two British 10,000m records.
Biography
John Merriman was among Britain’s premier distance runners during the 1950s and early 1960s. He set two British records at 10,000m, his 28:52.89 at the 1960 Rome Olympics placing him eighth in the final.
His most celebrated achievement was winning silver in the 6 miles at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff — the only athletics medal Wales earned at those Games — missing gold by just one second. He followed this with bronze at the 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games.
Merriman also finished sixth in the 1958 European 10,000m championships and seventh at the International Cross Country Championships that same year. He established 16 Welsh records across multiple distance events.