John Barry Nuttall (11 January 1967 – 9 November 2023) was a British male long-distance runner who competed in track and cross country running. He competed for Great Britain at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He also represented his country twice at the World Championships in Athletics (1993, 1995) and five times at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. He was a silver medallist at the 1994 IAAF World Cup and a bronze medallist at the 1994 Commonwealth Games.

Career Born in Preston, Lancashire, on 11 January 1967,John Nuttall . Sports Reference. Retrieved 22 April 2016. Nuttall proved his ability for running as a teenager: he won the 3000 m at the English Schools' Athletics Championships in a championship record and placed third that same year at the 1985 European Athletics Junior Championships.European Junior Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2016.English Schools Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2016. Further international outings followed, with appearances at the 1986 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 1986 World Junior Championships in Athletics. He came close to a medal at the 1989 Summer Universiade, taking fourth place in the 5000 m.John Nuttall. Power of 10. Retrieved 22 April 2016.

Nuttall won a scholarship to study at Iowa State University and competed collegiately for the Iowa State Cyclones track and field and cross country teams. He suffered injuries in his first couple of years there but was successful later on. His greatest honour while there was a win at the 1989 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in which he and teammate Jonah Koech led a one-two for the Cyclones to win the NCAA team title. He won eight Big Eight Conference titles. He was also the 3000 m runner-up at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 1991. He was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2001.John Nuttall – Hall of Fame Class of 2001 . Iowa State Cyclones (12 September 2006). Retrieved 22 April 2016.NCAA Cross Country Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2016.

Nuttall's first senior international appearance came at the 1991 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where he helped the English team to sixth. After a 3000 m win at the UK Athletics Championships in 1993, his first senior national title, he competed at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics, though he was eliminated in the heats.John Nuttall. IAAF. Retrieved 22 April 2016. His most successful year came in 1994. He was Britain's top performer at the 1994 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 32nd place then claimed fifth place in the 5000 m at the 1994 European Athletics Championships. He took his first major medals over the 5000 m, being the silver medallist at the 1994 IAAF World Cup (behind Brahim Lahlafi) and a bronze medallist at the 1994 Commonwealth Games.IAAF World Cup. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2016.Commonwealth Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2016. His last high-profile international medal was at the 1995 European Cup, where was runner-up for Britain in the 5000 m behind Italy's Gennaro Di Napoli.European Cup. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2016.

Nuttal made his second and final outing at the World Championships in 1995, reaching the 5000 m final and coming 14th. He also ran at the Atlanta Olympics, but did not progress beyond the semi-finals. He had his highest career placing at the 1996 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 28th to help a British team including Jon Brown, Rob Denmark, Andrew Pearson and Keith Cullen to fifth.The World Cross Country Championships 1996, Cape Town, South Africa – Team Results – Senior – Men. IAAF (archived). Retrieved 22 April 2016. That year he had double national success with wins at the English Cross Country Championships and the AAA Championships.

Reaching his thirties, Nuttall made his last high-profile appearance for Great Britain at the 1998 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, but he was lower down the order in 75th place. He continued to run on an informal basis in his late thirties: turning to road running, he completed the 2007 London Marathon in a time of 2:57:26 and finished the Great North Run in 82:32 minutes.

Personal life Nuttall married fellow English distance runner Alison Wyeth. The couple later divorced and he married another British runner, Liz McColgan. He therefore became stepfather to her daughter, athlete Eilish McColgan.

From his first marriage he had two children, Hannah Nuttall and Luke Nuttall. Hannah and Luke also became runners.Hannah Nuttall Feature. English Cross Country Association. Retrieved 22 April 2016.

Nuttall was coached by George Gandy and after retirement became a successful running coach.

Nuttall died suddenly from a heart attack in Doha, Qatar, on 9 November 2023. He was 56.

Personal bests Mile run: 3:58.83 min (1991) 3000 metres: 7:36.40 min (1996) 5000 metres: 13:16.70 min (1995) 10,000 metres: 28:07.43 min (1995)

International competitions

1985European Junior ChampionshipsCottbus, East Germany3rd3000 m8:11.721986World Cross Country ChampionshipsColombier, Switzerland35thSenior race24:24.49thSenior team218 ptsWorld Junior ChampionshipsAthens, Greece10th5000 m14:08.681989UniversiadeDuisburg, Germany4th5000 m13:39.801991World Cross Country ChampionshipsAntwerp, Belgium49thSenior race35:176thSenior team281 pts1993World ChampionshipsStuttgart, Germany10th (q)5000 m14:11.301994World Cross Country ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary32ndSenior race36:008thSenior team444 ptsEuropean ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland5th5000 m13:38.65IAAF World CupLondon, United Kingdom2nd5000 m13:32.47Commonwealth GamesVictoria, Canada3rd5000 m13:23.541995European CupVilleneuve-d'Ascq, France2nd5000 m13:46.82World ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden14th5000 m13:49.251996World Cross Country ChampionshipsStellenbosch, South Africa28thSenior race35:385thSenior team252 ptsOlympic GamesAtlanta, United States9th (semis)5000 m14:08.391998World Cross Country ChampionshipsMarrakesh, Morocco75thSenior race37:0610thSenior team216 pts

National titles UK Athletics Championships 3000 m: 1992UK Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2016. AAA Championships 5000 m: 1996AAA Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2016. English Cross Country Championships Long course: 1996British Cross Country Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 22 April 2016. NCAA Men's Division I Cross Country Championship Long course: 1989

See also List of 5000 metres national champions (men) England at the 1994 Commonwealth Games Great Britain at the 1996 Summer Olympics

References