THERE is not much Terry Nortley doesn't know about running.

For the past 50 years he has been passing it on to others as a coach.

Runners from many clubs gathered for a specially organised race to mark his lifetime of service to athletics, and turning out in full were members of Radcliffe Athletic Club, where Terry is the senior coach.

The Terry Nortley 5K Road Race, at Littleborough, was organised by Andems Runners and Rochdale Harriers and covered a tough three-miler near to Hollingworth Lake.

Terry not only started off the event, he also presented the prizes and received two awards himself.

He was presented with a plaque from a woman runner he had trained in the past to international level and received a trophy from the organisers marking his athletic service.

And Radcliffe women runners took first and second places in the event, making it a proud moment for their coach. Anna Lupton was 20th overall in the field and first woman, with Donna Allen-Cartwright taking second place and coming 26th overall.

Terry, who lives in Radcliffe, is a familiar face at the local club, and as well as training runners is usually at the races himself to see how they perform.

But in the early 1950s Terry was a force to be reckoned with on the running scene.

He was a cross-country champion and also a ten-mile champ. He had joined the old Radcliffe Harriers in 1946 and was made a life-member in 1956. That same year the club amalgamated with Bury and he was secretary for three years.

During that time Terry qualified as a club coach. He later coached at Bolton United Harriers AC for many years, where he was president for two years, and then carried on the good work at the reformed Radcliffe Athletic Club. In the 1970s he started fell running and put two Snowdon races and two Ben Nevis classics under his belt.

In the coaching world Terry has passed on his expertise to many runners and even though he is now in his seventies he has no intention of stopping just yet.

Money raised for the event will go towards charities, including St Ann's Hospice.

Among the Radcliffe runners the results were: Mick Howard (V45), 15th overall in a time of 18.58: Anna Lupton 20.08: Mark Emmett (V45) 20.42: Donna Allen-Cartwright 20.57: Brian Booth (V50) 21.06: Steve Hamer (V45) 22.02: Derek Dewhurst (V55) 23.03: Gerry Dewhurst (V35) 23.24: Jim Sutcliffe 23.25: Holly Craggs 23.37: Vince Ashton 23.45: Kathryn Davies (V40) 24.07: Tanya Stewart 26.02: Sheila McNulty (V55) 26.23: Pamela Jean Moore (V40) 26.50: Sarah Hopkins(V35) 26.57: Denise Sutcliffe (V45) 32.49.