World record Welsh race almost never happened

Record Breaker: Lynn Hughes crosses the line 50 years ago

Great sporting achievements often happen against the odds.

Think Denmark winning the European football championship in 1992, Japan beating South Africa at the last Rugby World Cup or Buster Douglas flooring Mike Tyson.

The same goes for an athletics world record set on Welsh soil 50 years ago this week, with at least four reasons making it one of sport's most unlikely accomplishments.

It was the day that the four-hour barrier was broken for the first time for running 40 miles (64km) on a track . The time - 3 hours 48 minutes and 53 seconds. On average that is running every mile in five minutes and 43 seconds - good luck if you have a go at that.

It was set by a runner from Bridgend - Lynn Hughes - who was racing alongside his twin brother Eric at Cardiff's Maindy Stadium.

So how did he do it? Or more accurately, what were the reasons stacked against him?

Reason one: The dreadful conditions. Freezing temperatures and monsoon-like rain made any decent time pretty unlikely, never mind a world record, but it was Lynn himself who almost ensured that the Welsh world record never happened.

Reason two: Eric takes up the tale: "Lynn was never on time in those days, he was always late, and the race organiser asked me whether he was going to turn up.

"They had to delay the race for ten minutes for him and when he got here it was straight on to the track with no warm-up."

Back on the track - Lynn in his Great Britain tracksuit top with brother Eric return to Maindy

Reason three: Lynn takes up the story: "The problem was I got a puncture driving over from Bridgend which is why I was late, but in all honesty it was probably a good thing because it meant all the other competitors had to stand around in the cold waiting."

Reason four: "Oh and I failed a medical when I got there," Lynn suddenly remembers.

"I saw the doctor and he said 'you can't race, you've got bronchitis'

"But, in the end he couldn't say no. I told him that I felt well and that it was a track race. If there was any distress then I could just stop and walk off."

• Record breaker determined to beat rare virus

• Matching Arnie's record

Yet despite unpromising beginnings the record was duly broken.

"I was really confident I would do it," said Lynn.

"I thought to myself on the morning of the race that if anyone wanted to beat me then they would have to break the world record and as I neared the end I knew that I was on track.

"When I crossed the line it was an amazing feeling, but in all honesty I wasn't that tired because of all the training I was doing.

"I went dancing in the night at the old Palais de Danse in Bridgend."

So as the brothers look around the scene of their triumph back in 1967, one question remains unanswered.

Who would win if they were to race today?

"Well, I am waiting for surgery on my aorta valve but once that is done he wouldn't see me, "says Lynn. "Well, he'd only see the back of me."

"The boy is an amateur, he wouldn't stand a chance," counters Eric. "Ask him when he last beat me in a race..."

Lynn looks down and then gazes out over the track where he broke the world record: "We won't go in to that," he chuckles.