As we prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics, I wanted to look back 100 years to the last time The Games were held there, when Scottish sprinter Eric Liddell became world famous for both his world record beating 400 metre triumph and his steadfast refusal to compete on the sabbath. My researches took me to places associated with Liddell in his lifetime, including Carcant and Paxton in The Borders. Liddell lived in a different age of sport, the era of the gentleman amateur, but his talent, perseverance and achievements place him along with the likes of Jim Clark and Sir Andy Murray in the conversation as Scotland’s greatest ever sports person. Liddell’s story is well known through the excellent 1981 film “Chariots of Fire”, however aspects of that film were dramatised, as you may expect. My aim here is to show you more of the real story, with time for reflection and legacy at the end.

I will list sources at the end, however I am particularly indebted for the archive recording of Alastair Campbell interviewing Jenny Somerville (Eric Liddell’s sister) in 1990, as well as other contemporaries. This recording can be found in the Scottish Cultural Resource Archive Network (scran), a treasure trove of materials which can be accessed free of charge from most public libraries. Mr Campbell was my Primary School Head Teacher who has left a precious archive of recordings and writings for which I am extremely grateful.

Early Life and Family

Eric Liddell (1902 - 1945) was born in China of Scottish parents. Eric’s father was Reverend James Dunlop Liddell (1870 - 1933) and his mother was Mary Jane Reddin (1870 - 1944). Mary was born in a house next to the smithy (Blacksmiths) in Paxton, Berwickshire as one of eight children. Unfortunately the house and smithy are gone, however they are marked with a plaque in this increasingly expanding Estate village, just a short distance from Berwick. Mary’s family moved to London in 1876. Mary and James met in China, where both were acting as Christian missionaries with the London Mission Society. They were wed in 1899 in Shanghai Catherdral, with Eric being born three years later in the city of Tianjin. He had two siblings in these early years, older brother Rob (1900 - 1973) and younger sister Jenny (1903 - 1994).

Paxton Parish Church

The Smithy, birthplace of Mary Reddin, stood adjacent to this church.

Eric and Rob were educated in England at Eltham College which specialised in educating the children of missionaries. Jenny and his parents returned to their work in China. As a boy, it was clear that Eric was athletically gifted, captaining the Cricket and Rugby teams. His parents did occasionally return, eventually bringing another child, Ernest (1912 - 1975), with them. These return trips were usually spent in Edinburgh. The family also had a holiday home at Carcant in The Borders, a place Eric would come to love throughout his life, eventually bringing his own children to stay there. By 1920, at the age of 18, Eric was ready for University, joining Edinburgh along with brother Rob where he read for a degree in Pure Science. It was here that his athletic prowess would really take off.

Rugby Internationalist and Athletic Success

Eric became a Scottish internationalist sprinter whilst at University, competing in the 100 and 220 yards. Even at this early stage he attracted attention, not only for his blistering pace but for a truly ungainly running style with head back, and arms flailing. Observers noted that it appeared that he gave every ounce of what he could summon. If he were running today I suspect commentators would say of him “he’s left it all on the track”. It was clear, with the 8th Olympic Games approaching soon, that Liddell was a serious medal hope for Great Britain. But before he could think about that, he had a brief career as a Rugby Union player. He has already shone for his University and was picked to play for Edinburgh District (the forerunner of today’s Edinburgh Rugby professional team). His form in games against Glasgow led to his national call up. Not surprisingly he was a winger, and was awarded 7 International Caps in the Five Nations Championship between 1922 and 1923, scoring 4 tries.

Thoughts moved back to athletics and in 1923 he broke the British record for 100 yards (9.7 seconds) - a mark which would stand until after World War II. He was not however unbeatable, and another Borders connection was that Liddell used the Border Athletic circuit in 1924 to sharpen himself for Paris. At Hawick Common Riding Hector Innes (Kelso) and Bill Turnbull (Hawick) both beat Liddell in a handicap sprint. The record does not show what the handicap was, however I suspect both of those Borders gents enjoyed recalling that story for many years to come! He also ran at a Gala Harriers event in that summer, by this time knowing that regardless of his status as favourite for gold, he would not be able to compete in the 100 metres…

Liddell’s unusual sprinting style

Photo taken at National Museum of Scotland

Paris 1924

The Christian faith was not just important to Liddell and his family, it was the central rock around which their lives revolved. It was announced some months before Paris that the heats for the 100m would be held on a Sunday. To a truly devout Christian the sabbath is the Lords Day, a day where no work or play should take place. In an act of faith alien to our modern secular world (and alien to many in 1924 it should be said), Eric Liddell, the worlds fastest man at the peak of his powers, declined to take part in the 100 metres. In charge of the British Team at Paris was the highly decorated soldier Sir Philip Christison. In 1992, at the age of 99 and living in Melrose he recalled to Alistair Campbell “The King had said to me to get hold of him and bring him along to see if he couldn’t persuade him to run on the Sunday. And I took him along to His Majesty but... he was quite adamant.”

An astonishing moment in British sporting history.

Eric Liddell by Eileen Soper, 1925

Scottish National Portrait Gallery

So, Liddell turned his attention to the 200 and 400 metre race and in particular spent much of 1924 trying to hone his technique in the 400, the most gruelling of sprints. And he needed to - ahead of Paris his personal best in the 400 metres was 49.6 which was unlikely to be good enough for a medal.

On the 9th of July, 1924, Eric Liddell ran in the 200 metre final of the Olympic Games. He finished third, behind the American pair of Jackson Scholz and Charles Paddock. Also running in the 200 metre was British team mate Harold Abrahams, who came home in sixth. It was the second and final time Liddell and Abrahams would meet. Abrahams himself would go on to profit from Liddell’s absence in the 100 metres, winning Olympic Gold.

Two days after the 200 metres came the 400 final on 11 July 1924. Before he ran Liddell was handed a piece of paper by one of the teams masseurs.

“In the old book it says ‘he that honours me, I will honour’. Wishing you the best of success, always”

— Anonymous note handed to Eirc Liddell ahead of 400 metre final

In later years Liddell would talk of the profound effect this note would have on him, knowing that someone believed in him - the man who had defied his nations King for what he saw as the King of Kings. Before the race came another good omen. Philip Christison again: “I also had to provide the official music for the British team which was the pipes and drums of the Second Battalion, the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders and I had Corporal Thomson, the pipe corporal who was my sort of aide and went about with me all the time, carrying the pipes. So when the time came for Eric Liddell’s race I said to him, “Look here Thomson, as soon as he gets into the starting blocks you’ll blow out Scotland the Brave.” And of course he did and of course the French rushed out to try and stop him but it was too late!”

Today, top 400 metre sprinters such as Antonio Watson, Wayde Van Niekerk and Matthew Hudson Smith will talk about ‘floating’ down the back straight, being fast yet relaxed. Then comes the decelerating of the final 200 metres, where it is really who slows down the slowest who will win, despite the body screaming that they need to stop sprinting! In 1924, it was not really seen as a sprint, it was treated like a middle distance race with an initial dash then a coast round the back straight to conserve energy before kicking for home. In this race Liddell was drawn in the far outside lane, by virtue of his slower pedigree, so he had to do something really quite remarkable - combining these two techniques with his own hell for leather style. He took off, fast, around the first 200, opening a huge lead on the field. Liddell did not have the luxury of slowing down on the back straight, he treated the whole race as a sprint, literally leaving some of his competitors flailing in the cinder and needing attention himself after breaking the tape in 47.6 seconds, a mind blowing 2 seconds quicker than his personal best and a new Olympic and World Record. It’s easy to apply emotion (and be swayed by Hollywood) when thinking of this, but I believe Liddell was running for more than just gold that day. It was his deep Christian faith, the inspiring words from the Book of Samuel handed to him and the fact that he was a man with something to prove that fuelled this sensational triumph. After the Games Liddell’s two medals were posted to him and since 1991 they have been in the possession of Edinburgh University.

A wee aside, Liddell missed out on the 4x400 m final due to it also being held on the Sabbath. Great Britain finished third but he would again prove his mettle weeks after the Games, anchoring GB to victory in a 400 metre relay against the USA team who had triumphed in Paris.

Return to China and death

Liddell continued to run after Paris, and graduated from Edinburgh University. In 1925 he followed the path his parents had taken, moving to the city of his birth to serve as a missionary teacher with the same London Missionary Society that they had worked with. He occasionally ran, but his sporting career at the top level was over - he was now running a different race. He only returned twice to Scotland, and on one visit he was ordained as a Minister in the Congregational Union of Scotland, a now defunct Protestant Church. Liddell married Florence Mackenzie in Tianjin in 1934, and they went on to have three daughters, Patricia, Heather and Maureen. On Eric’s second visit back to Scotland there was time for a final holiday to Carcant, with all three children - what a treasured memory this must have been, and still will be for the now elderly daughters.

During World War II, China was becoming dangerous due to Japanese aggression and in 1941 the UK Government advised citizens to leave. Florence and the children left, however Eric stayed on, moving to a rural mission at Xiaozhang to help his brother Rob. Japanese troops eventually took over this mission and Eric was interred at the Weihsien Camp in 1943, where he continued to help others, leading bible studies, nursing the elderly and keeping both his own and the other prisoners spirits up.

“He was overflowing with good humour and love for life, and with enthusiasm and charm. It is rare indeed that a person has the good fortune to meet a saint, but he came as close to it as anyone I have ever known.”

— Langdon Gilkley, interred at Weihsien with Eric Liddell

Even Eric Liddell had his limits and after almost 2 years in captivity his health began to fail. A letter from Eric to his wife dated 21 February 1945 claimed he had suffered a nervous breakdown, and he was also suffering from an inoperable brain tumour. These, combined with the strain of the camp and malnourishment all contributed to his death on the same day that he wrote his final letter to Florence, 21 February 1945. He was buried behind the Japanese Officers Quarters, in a grave marked only with a simple wooden cross. His grave lay undiscovered until 1989, by now in the grounds of a school.

Carcant, Scottish Borders

For 60 years this was the Liddell family holiday home

Legacy

Almost 80 years after his death, Eric Liddell’s legacy lives on. In 1980 the Eric Liddell Community was set up in Edinburgh. Bringing together four churches with the aim of providing a service to the community, regardless of age, circumstance or denomination. The Community Hub at Holy Corner, Morningside (just across from the Church where Liddell preached) is a well used venue, with a great cafe, and the Community also provides services for dementia sufferers and their carers in Edinburgh.

Nearby, on Bruntsfield Links, a path has been named The Eric Liddell Way, as part of Eric Liddell 100, a campaign launched by the Eric Liddell Community to mark 100 years since Paris. The official ceremony took place on 26 April 2024, with Scotland’s star rugby winger of today Darcy Graham in attendance. I visited the new path in May, you can see my image below.

“Eric is one of Scotland’s sporting greats, and it is important that we do our best to share his story and recognise his legacy.”

— Darcy Graham, Scotland Ruby Winger, April 2024

Liddell has proved an inspirational figure to generations of sprinters as well as rugby players, particularly his fellow Scots. In 1980 at the Moscow Olympics Edinburgh born sprinter Allan Wells took home a wonderful gold medal, beating Cuban rival Silvio Leonard on the dip to become the first Brit to win 100m gold since Harold Abrahams at Paris 1924, 56 years earlier. Asked after the race if he wished to dedicate his win to Abrahams, Wells declined, responding in his typically frank fashion “No disrespect to anyone, but I prefer to dedicate this to Eric Liddell”. Wells has constantly championed Liddell’s legacy and both were inaugurated into the Scottish Athletics Hall of Fame together, in 2005, as the two titans of Scottish sprinting.

Bruntsfield Links, Edinburgh

The path heading to the right was named ‘Eric Liddell Way’ in April 2024

Talk of Abrahams must inevitably bring us to the 1981 film ‘Chariots of Fire’. The film was produced by David (now Lord) Puttnam for a fairly modest £3m budget, with Hugh Hudson directing his debut film and Colin Welland writing the script. Lord Puttnam is now a patron of the Eric Liddell Community. It was both a box office and critical hit, grossing ten times its budget and winning 4 Academy Awards, including Best Film. It is a fictionalised tale of the 1924 Olympics, with some changes made for dramatic effect, such as Liddell discovering the 100m heats would be held on a Sunday as he leaves for Paris when we know he was aware of this months in advance. Some changes were less welcome it must be said, with Liddell’s sister Jenny Somerville recalling to Alastair Campbell in 1990 that Cheryl Campbell’s portrayal of her was like “a different person”, however Jenny also noted in the same interview that she became used to that and understood that Campbell’s portrayal “put the focus on Eric”. Playing Eric Liddell was Ian Charleson, in a stunning performance from a truly great Scottish actor who, like Liddell, died far too young. Charleson and the producers were both desperate for him to play this part, his commanding stage performances and methodical preparation made him the perfect choice. Charleson studied the Bible intensely, writing his own speech as Liddell addresses rain soaked crowd after an athletics meet in Edinburgh. He also trained to run, along with Ben Cross as Abrahams and other well known British actors Nigel Havers and Nicholas Farrell. My dad was a professional sprinter during the 1970’s, running at the same Border Games as Liddell had 50 years earlier, and dad can pick out a few faces from the old days as extras during the iconic opening scene as the Olympic Squad run along St. Andrews beach (doubling as Kent). The film is enhanced beyond measure by the electronic music of Vangelis’, particularly the iconic theme tune. Charleson died of AIDS related illness in 1990, and leaves behind both a legacy of classical and musical stage performance (check out the sensational 1982 ‘Guys and Dolls’) and an inextricable link to Eric Liddell, the man he brought to life on screen. Liddell and Charleson represent Scottish talent at its very best.

The film and it’s music have become part of popular culture, and in 2012 memorably featured in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, with Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean! That same year, ‘Chariots’ was brought to the London stage with the great Borders born actor Jack Lowden taking on the role of Eric Liddell.

Now, in 2024, Eric Liddell 100 is being run by The Eric Liddell Community to mark a century since this remarkable man shocked the world with the the strength of his conviction, and his athletic excellence. Events are taking place across the year, including a very special event at The Borders Book Festival on 15 June at 2pm. This will feature Eric Liddell 100 ambassadors Sue Canton and Eilidh Doyle, along with Sally Magnusson who wrote a wonderful biography of Liddell around 40 years ago. Perhaps most touchingly of all, Allan Wells will be there, the man who achieved Olympic immortality and dedicated it to Liddell. Please follow Eric Liddell 100 on your socials to find out more.

*Credit: Eric Liddell 100 Facebook Page*

Afterword

I hope you have enjoyed this blog about the great man, his life and legacy. It has had a very Borders slant to it, naturally, but I aimed to make it a rounded picture of an incredible life. I have been researching the blog for a few months, travelling to places from his life and becoming more and more fascinated by this man. As Scots we should take a great sense of pride in Eric Liddell, regardless of whether we have faith or not. He was a man whose life taught us to do your very best when you have the chance to do it, maintain your own integrity and be compassionate to others.

For what its worth, the work I have done on this blog is dedicated to his memory.