{{short description|British long-distance runner}} {{For|the American poet|Tracie Morris}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}} {{Use British English|date=July 2018}} '''Tracey Morris''' (born 9 September 1967) is a British long-distance runner.
==Early career==
Morris grew up in Anglesey, Wales and ran as a Welsh schoolgirl,<ref name=telegraph>{{cite web|author1=Anthony France and Ben Fenton|title=From fun run to Olympics in a giant stride by Tracey|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1459652/From-fun-run-to-Olympics-in-a-giant-stride-by-Tracey.html|website=The Telegraph|access-date=7 May 2016|date=19 April 2004}}</ref> but stopped running soon after. She moved to Leeds and in 1998, aged 30, she resumed running to keep fit ,<ref name=yorkshire-post>{{cite web|author1=Sarah Freeman|title=The fun runner who took on the Olympics|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/analysis/the-fun-runner-who-took-on-the-olympics-1-6829377|work=Yorkshire Post|access-date=7 May 2016|date=9 September 2014}}</ref> and took part in the London Marathon running for charity.
In December 2003 she took part in a local event the 'Leeds Abbey Dash' and finished as the first woman just ahead of Bev Jenkins .<ref>{{cite web|title=Leeds Abbey Dash - Sunday 30th November 2003|url=http://www.race-results.co.uk/results/2003/abbeydash.htm|website=race-results.co.uk|access-date=7 May 2016}}</ref> The race was watched by UK Athletics' Bud Baldero<ref name=yorkshire-post/><ref>{{cite web|author1=Tom Fordyce|title=From the opticians to the Olympics|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/3638965.stm|website=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC|access-date=7 May 2016|date=19 April 2004}}</ref> who invited her to join the Great Britain Marathon squad. Baldero also ensured she had a place in the 2004 London Marathon for which her application had not been successful.<ref name=guardian>{{cite web|author1=Duncan Mackay|title=Athens calls as Morris gets serious|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/apr/19/athletics.duncanmackay|work=The Guardian|access-date=7 May 2016|date=19 April 2004}}</ref> She was the only non-professional runner to be invited to take part.<ref name=telegraph/> In January 2004 she won two domestic half marathon races, the Brass Monkey Half Marathon and Four Villages Half Marathon.
On 18 April 2004, she stood on the Blackheath, London starting line not knowing what was to come.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Gareth A Davies|title=My Sport: Tracey Morris|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/athletics/2377355/My-Sport-Tracey-Morris.html|website=The Telegraph|access-date=7 May 2016|date=20 April 2004}}</ref> But as a relatively unknown runner she burst into the public conscience by becoming the first British woman in the London Marathon. She was so unknown that one of the then British fastest runners, Birhan Dagne, did not try to finish in front of her as "I did not know who she was".<ref name=guardian/>
After retiring, Morris continued working as an optician in Leeds.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-09 |title=The fun runner who took on the Olympics |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/the-fun-runner-who-took-on-the-olympics-1835217 |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Yorkshire Post |language=en}}</ref>
==International Competition== {| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |- !colspan="6"|Representing {{GBR2}} and {{WAL}} |- |2004 |Olympic Games |Athens, Greece |29th |Marathon |2:41:00 |- |2006 |Commonwealth Games |Melbourne, Australia |4th |Marathon |2:33:13 |- |2006 |European Championships |Gothenburg, Sweden |16th |Marathon |2:37:34 |- |2007 |World Championships |Osaka, Japan |19th |Marathon |2:36:40 |}
==Road races==
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}} |- |2003 |Wilmslow Half Marathon |Wilmslow |9th |Half Marathon |1:18:42 |- |2004 |Four Villages Half Marathon |Helsby |bgcolor="gold"|1st |Half Marathon |1:14:22 |- |2004 |Brass Monkey Half Marathon |York |bgcolor="gold"|1st |Half Marathon |1:13:44 |- |2004 |London Marathon |London |10th |Marathon |2:33:52 |- |2005 |Brass Monkey Half Marathon |York |2nd |Half Marathon |1:14:47 |- |2005 |Liverpool Half Marathon |Liverpool |2nd |Half Marathon |1:13:18 |- |2006 |Brass Monkey Half Marathon |York |bgcolor="gold"|1st |Half Marathon |1:16:55 |- |2006 |Great North Run |Newcastle upon tyne |12th |Half Marathon |1:13:10 |- |2007 |Silverstone Half Marathon |Silverstone |3rd |Half Marathon |1:17:26 |- |2007 |Great North Run |Newcastle upon tyne |7th |Half Marathon |1:13:22 |- |2008 |Reading Half Marathon |Reading, Berkshire |7th |Half Marathon |1:15:45 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Power of 10 name | 10548}} *{{World Athletics}} *{{ARRS name | 21457}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Tracey}} Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Anglesey Category:Welsh women long-distance runners Category:British women long-distance runners Category:Welsh women marathon runners Category:British women marathon runners Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Great Britain Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for Wales