Jack Buckner

Buckner was educated at St. Petroc's preparatory school in Bude, Cornwall, where he won the Victor Ludorum trophy in 1975, as well as a scholarship to Worksop College in Nottinghamshire.{{Cite book |last=Casson |first=Pamela |title=St. Petroc's: Seventy Years of a Cornish Preparatory School |publisher=Edyvean Printers, St. Columb |year=1990 |pages=67}} He clocked 4:16.90 for 5th place at The English Schools Championships at 1500m as a 15-year-old. Three years later he won the National Junior 1500m title in 3:50.94, after an administrative blunder prevented him from competing in the English Schools' Championships of the same year.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

After leaving Worksop College, Buckner attended Loughborough University, where he read geography. He later completed an MBA degree. During his first year at university Buckner won the University Athletic Union (UAU) 800m title in 1:51.30.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}} This title would prove to be his only real success during his university years, apart from setting a UK under 23 2000m record of 5:01.90 in 1983. It was when Buckner left university that he was able to concentrate fully on his running and by 1986 his 1500 m personal best had been reduced to 3:35.38.{{citation needed|date=June 2025}}

Deciding that the 1500m was a difficult event to crack and due to his relative lack of 800m pace, Buckner decided to try his luck at the longer 5000m event. Representing England, the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland,{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edinburgh-1986/athletes |title=Edinburgh 1986 Team |website=Team England |access-date=14 June 2025 }} was his first major race and he performed brilliantly finishing with a silver medal in 13:25.87 behind fellow countryman Steve Ovett.{{cite web|url=https://teamengland.org/commonwealth-games-history/edinburgh-1986/athletes|title=1986 Athletes|website=Team England}}{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/games/3041/19/all|title=England team in 1986|website=Commonwealth Games Federation|access-date=3 October 2019|archive-date=19 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190419153600/https://thecgf.com/results/games/3041/19/all|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://thecgf.com/results/athletes/38043|title=Athletes and results|website=Commonwealth Games Federation}} Hot on the heels of the Commonwealth Games in 1986 were the European Athletics Championships, which would prove to be a far tougher test. Following a 56-second last lap, Buckner went on to win the gold medal in a championship best time of 13:10.15, a record which still stands.

Buckner claimed a bronze medal at the 1987 World Championships in Athletics (13:27.74) and in 1988 he finished 6th in the 5.000 metres in Seoul (13:23.85) after an injury-ravaged season. This was how it would end for Buckner and despite making an appearance at the 1992 Summer Olympics after he came to within half a second of his best time from 1986, he progressed no further than the heats after a fall.

Buckner was twice the British 5000 metres champion after winning the British AAA Championships titles at the 1987 AAA Championships{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=20 June 2025}} and 1992 AAA Championships.{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=20 June 2025}}

Shortly after his running career ended, Buckner worked for Adidas before he and his family moved to New Zealand to concentrate on apple farming.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} This was unsuccessful and they returned to the United Kingdom; Buckner was appointed project director of the athletics board.{{clarify|which board? Wikilink?|date=July 2023}}

Jack's younger brother Tom Buckner was also an international distance runner and gained recognition when he finished 5th at the 1994 Commonwealth Games 3000m steeplechase (8:29.84). Both Tom and Jack have run sub 4-minute miles (Tom 3:58.90 at Portsmouth, UK in 1993) and Jack (3:51.57 at Koblenz, Germany in 1984). Tom and Jack Buckner were the first brothers since the 1950s to compete at the Olympics (in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic games).

{{BLP unreferenced section|date=July 2023}}

• 800 metres – 1:49.80 (1981)
• 1000 metres – 2:18.88 (1982) UKAT 30th
• 1500 metres – 3:35.28 (1984) UKAT 19th
• One mile – 3:51.57 (1984) UKAT 10th
• 2000 metres – 4:53.06 (1987) UKAT 3rd
• Two miles – 8:17.12 (1986) UKAT 7th
• 3000 metres – 7:40.43 (1986) UKAT 6th
• 5000 metres – 13:10.15 (1986) UKAT 4th

NB UKAT denotes position on the United Kingdom all-time athletics lists.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.gbrathletics.com]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050828054243/http://www.sportengland.org/news/press_releases/press_releases-project_director.htm]

{{Footer European Champions 5000 m Men}}

{{Footer UK NC 5000 Metres Men}}

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Category:1961 births

Category:Living people

Category:English male middle-distance runners

Category:British male middle-distance runners

Category:English male steeplechase runners

Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Olympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Commonwealth Games

Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Great Britain

Category:World Athletics Championships medalists

Category:European Athletics Championships medalists

Category:People from Wells, Somerset

Category:Alumni of Loughborough University

Category:People educated at Worksop College

Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England

Category:Medallists at the 1986 Commonwealth Games

Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics