UK Athletics is saddened by the news of the passing of John Lister on Saturday (6) May at the age of 81. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

He was hugely respected in the sport having been involved on and off the track for more than 60 years. His services to athletics were recognised in 2010 when he received an MBE (Member of the British Empire).

John first gained recognition for his achievements as an athlete in the 1960s, winning 12 Welsh titles in the sprint hurdles, high jump and decathlon. His first Welsh title was in the 1960 high jump, and he also set a then Welsh high jump record at the age of 19 in 1961.

John, one of the architects of the structure of modern-day athletics in the UK, helped broker the amalgamation of two local clubs to form Cardiff AAC in 1968, and he would go on to hold many administrative positions in British domestic athletics for the next 30 years. He was the treasurer of the national governing body of British athletics for several years and he played a key role in the creation of the British Athletics Federation in 1991.

He was elected to the then EAA Council in 1995 and re-elected on two further occasions – being closely involved in the delivery of the 2002 and 2006 European Athletics Championships – before standing down in 2007 and being awarded the status of European Athletics Honorary Council Member.