Born in Chelsea, Christopher Chataway spent his childhood in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, where his father served in the Sudan Political Service.
He was educated at Sherborne School, excelling at rugby, boxing and gymnastics, though he did not win a race until the age of 16.
At Magdalen College, Oxford, he gained a degree in philosophy, politics and economics, but his academic pursuits were eclipsed by his achievements on the athletics track as a long-distance runner.
Upon leaving university, he took an executive position with Guinness (1953 – 1955).
When Sir Hugh Beaver of Guinness conceived the idea for the Guinness Book of Records, it was Chataway who recommended his former university friends Norris and Ross McWhirter as editors, recognising their appreciation for facts.
Christopher represented Great Britain in the 5,000m at the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games.
When Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile on 6th May 1954 at Oxford University’s Iffley Road Track, Chataway and Chris Brasher served as his pacemakers.
He secured second place in the 5,000m at the 1954 European Athletics Championship, finishing 12.2 seconds behind victor Vladimir Kuts.
Two weeks later, however, he reversed that result at a London v Moscow athletics competition at White City, setting a world record time of 13 minutes 51.6 seconds. The contest was broadcast via the Eurovision network and transformed Christopher into a sporting celebrity.
In December 1954, Chataway won the inaugural BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Following the 1956 Olympics, he retired from international athletics, though he continued racing for Thames Hare and Hounds.
At ITN’s launch, Christopher was selected as its first newscaster, making his on-air debut on 22nd September 1955 at 10pm, broadcasting from its studio in Kingsway, London.
In May 1956, he departed to join the reporting team on BBC Television’s Panorama. He remained with the programme until 1959.
He served as a narrator on Horizon (BBC Two, c. 1966 – c. 1968).
In September 1980, he joined newscaster Trevor McDonald at ITN’s studio to mark its 25th anniversary.
Chataway left broadcasting for politics and served as a Conservative MP from 1959 to 1966 and 1969 to 1974.
He held Government posts as Minister for Posts and Telecommunications (1970 – 1972) and Minister for Industrial Development in Edward Heath’s government (1972 – 1974).
His principal outside interest was ActionAid, a small overseas development charity, of which he became Honorary Treasurer in 1974 and later its chairman.
Christopher served as chairman of LBC (1981 – 1993) and the Civil Aviation Authority (1991 – 1996) – he relished this role as his father had been one of the early aviators.
He supported his friend Chris Brasher when he established the London Marathon in 1981.
He served as President of the Commonwealth Games Council for England (1990 – 2009).
He was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1970 and received a knighthood in 1995 for services to aviation.
He married twice – first to Anna Lett (former BBC TV and Southern TV producer) from 1959 to 1975 and secondly to Carola Walker from 1976 until his death.
Chataway lived with cancer for the final two-and-a-half years of his life. He died aged 82 at St John’s Hospice in northwest London.
Personal information
Clips of Christopher on The TV Room
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Online presence
Acknowledgements
PICTURED: Christopher Chataway. SUPPLIED BY: Paul R. Jackson. COPYRIGHT: ITN.
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