TRIBUTES have been paid to a ‘resilient’ and ‘inspirational’ athlete who died after a long battle with illness.

David Alun Williams died ‘peacefully’ on January 29 at the age of 71 and was known as one of the longest-serving officials in Welsh Athletics.

Daughter Llinos Williams told the Leader her father was always a ‘runner’.

She said: “If he was interested in something, he would boss it. He very much had the mindset if you do a job you do it properly and completely smash it.

“I remember he would run marathons. He ran London in 2.51.02 in 1985 and Wolverhampton in 2.50.15 in 1984.

“I remember trying to run his pace on the treadmill in the gym and it’s hard.”

Mr Williams, who was a Chelsea FC fan would make sure he ran 1,000 miles a year and would write his miles in a notebook which he took everywhere – even on holiday.

Llinos added: “We also bought him all kinds of technology, pedometers and stopwatches etc but he was a total technophobe and used to judge his own distances and time by looking at the oven clock in the kitchen before he left and then as soon as he got back. Lots of people at the athletic club thought that was funny.

“We were joined at the hip. He talked about sport all the time and he would ring me every week and go through the football scores. He would know the ins and out of every single football team.

“He always made sure he would run at least once every season in the North Wales Cross Country League and he did this for 49-years consecutively.

“But before his 50th year in 2016 he had a stroke and was in hospital. I remember visiting him hospital and he was looking out of the window saying he missed the race. It was awful, it was so sad. He was gutted he missed the race.

“When he got out hospital, he undertook sensible, accumulative training. He was ridiculously strong, resilient and inspirational. Everything he did he did a good job of.”

Mr Williams was diagnosed with Cerebral amyloid angiopathy in 2012 but his daughter said this not ‘define him’ or ‘prevent him’ from doing what he loved.

She said: “He carried on running despite this devastating condition.

"The fact he was still able to carry on achieving the things he was in inspirational. He was really kind as well and took a lot of time to help, if anyone wanted help, he would drop anything to be kind. He was friendly, welcoming and warm.”

After leaving school, the athlete became a headteacher at Glyndyfrdwy Primary School, where he remained until his retirement. However, running was his ‘passion’.

He was vice-chairman of Wrexham AAC for 11 years and chairman for 32 years and was a life member and honorary Life Vice-President of the club.

In 2005 David, who lived in Ruabon, became a Life Member of Welsh Athletics, from whom he received an Award of Honour in 2013 and Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016.

Bob Frost said: “David competed in over 100 North Wales XC League races as well as organising them, and the North Wales XC Champs, plus the North Wales 10mile Road Champs. His best road race times were: 5mile (28.12) in 1982, 10m (57.14) in 1977, Llyn Tegid (67.53) 1982, half marathon (81.08) 1985, and marathon (2.50.15) 1984.

“David was a Life Member of Welsh Athletics (2005), with a Meritorious Service Award (1994), Award of Honour (2013) and a Lifetime Achievement Award (2016).

“He will be sadly missed by all those who he came into contact within both athletics and also cricket where he enjoyed a such a distinguished career as an umpire.”

Mr Williams’ funeral will be held on February 24 at Pentre Bychan Crematorium at 2.30pm.

At the final fixture of this season’s North Wales Cross-Country League at Oswestry runners were also observed a minute’s silence before the races.