WITH the 2014 Commonwealth Games fast approaching, we look back at the achievements of a man our North-East athletes will be looking to emulate in Glasgow On August 6, 1978, all eyes were on the Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Canada.

Queen Elizabeth was looking on with bated breath, and so was the North-East as a 30-year-old Gateshead Harrier lined up at the start of the 10,000 metres.

Hebburn-born Brendan Foster already had a European Championship gold medal and an Olympic bronze, but a Commonwealth title had so far eluded him.

Four years earlier, he had picked up silver at the Commonwealths in Christchurch, New Zealand, but he was determined to go one better in North America.

Preparations for Edmonton went well for Foster. At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, the athlete claimed bronze in the 10,000m, despite going into the event weakened by illness.

What’s more, he was the only British track and field athlete to win a medal, the first time Britain had made the podium only once in athletics in the history of the modern Olympics.

And then just weeks before jetting off to Edmonton, Foster established his PB in the 10,000m with a time of 27:30.3 run at Crystal Palace.

It was the perfect preparation for the 30-year-old, who was coming to the end of his career, but determined to go out with a bang.

The future founder of the Great North Run won the gold medal in front of the Queen with a time of 28:13.65, six seconds ahead of Kenya’s Mike Musyoki and 21 ahead of fellow North-East athlete Mike McLeod in third.

Foster also picked up a bronze in the 5,000m with his double medal haul helping England to finish top of the medal table with 33, eight ahead of Australia.