Cardiff stalwart Luther Williams dies

Wednesday 25 May 2022

Luther featured in many cross country and road running teams for Roath Harriers and after the amalgamation with Birchgrove Harriers,  Cardiff AAC. 

He died after a short battle with cancer on May 22nd aged 84. He was quite fit until recently regularly going on long distance walks in places like the Brecon Beacons. 

Said former Welsh 5000 and 10000 record holder and club mate Bernie Plain:

“ I first met Luther at Maindy Stadium when I was an up and coming young runner.

I have never met anyone in training like him. He would never let you run alongside him as he always wanted to be in front. If you went alongside him he would run faster.

One memory was going out for a run with him the weekend after I ran for G B against Russia at Crystal Palace and he tore me apart over a ten mile training run.”

“When I got back from the run I said to him do you want to take my place next week against Russia! Luther was the hardest man I ever trained with. Another teammate Mac Beames told me that if he had Luther’s ability and Mac’s brain then he would have been an international athlete. Luther was a great man and a star in his own right.”

Norman John, now in his 94th year, and Cardiff’s first general secretary in 1968 said that Luther was a key member of Roath teams in the 1960s. They had kept in close contact for many years and it was only recently that he became unwell. Norman added “this has come as a great shock, I used to look forward to our weekly chats on the phone.” He continued: “I often went across to Ireland with him and his late wife Pam to assist in the refurbishment of his house there.  I’ll miss him terribly.”

Our thoughts are with his family at this time. 

Clive Williams