Celebrating the life of
John Nuttall
11th January, 1967 - 9th November, 2023A place to share everyone's special memories of John. ❤️
Family and friends
+ 121
Eilish McColgan Really wanted to set this memorial page up as so many people have special memories of John and it's nice to keep them all in the same place! First picture was John not being happy at us dragging him around the Qatar National Museum. 🤣 Second and third photos are when John is a little happier with some wine in him! 🍷😅
Eilish McColgan Last year's World Cup! John almost disowned me for wearing my Scotland top to the England V Wales game. 🤣
Cher Heckle Probably the happiest time of my life! Athletic Zones Camp in Portugal. Little twinkle toes me in the middle of 2 legends…John always totally treated me like a runner, even though I didn’t feel like one but wanted to be one so badly…he could see my total love for it and was so funny, I am surprised I got any running done because I spent the most of the time (like everyone else) laughing my head off! Magical times ❤️🏃♀️🏃🏻♂️
Cher Heckle John after our cliff run in Portugal. I remember Liz saying it was his turn now to do a bit since she had done about 3 spin classes in a row whilst John just set the music up!🤣 the cliff run is one of my absolute favourite John memories because it was were we all just ran together but felt so free running up and down different cliff sections with twists and turns and different gradients…all along the way we chatted and laughed and all of us truly became one happy running family unit…John was so enthusiastic, and encouraging and moving really well the whole way (maybe he just couldn’t wait to get back for a beer 🤣😀🏃♀️🏃🏻♂️❤️
Orla McColgan Last year in Spain. The first two are on a boat trip we went down the river between Spain and Portugal. The third is John and mum enjoying their homemade cocktails by the pool.
Since I first met John we got on. He’s was one of the very few people I’d met here in Doha who had walked the walk. As a professional he was without equal, as a man he was just the same. His unique ability to make me both scream in pain and laugh at his jokes simultaneously is how I’ll remember you John. Always fun, always funny, our chats rang...
Marco Cardinale Table Mountain South Africa 2014. Reaching the top - Team Photo.
Kerrie Francis The Doha ladies running group loved it when Liz travelled and John became the coach for the day! Although he had strict instructions about the intervals we had to do, we could always get him to stretch the rest intervals, he was such a softy! Such a kind, gentle man💕
Dani S I had the privilege to be part of a team relay in the 50km run with John, in Aspire 2014. Lots of encouraging words and positive vibes from John. A priceless memory to keep forever.
Luke Nuttall England battering Wales at the world cup, singing sweet caroline as every goal went in, never got old!
All of us converted runners inspired by true athletes John and Liz . Loved the humour and really appreciated his patience. Will be greatly missed . Will keep on running . Cheers to you John . Love from the Jagos .
Frances Turnbull
Warren Gregson We had a blast one Christmas, heart and soul of the party, for a Preston lad his banter was decent to be fair!
Mossa Aspire Table mountain, South Africa camp 2014
Steven Palmer Premier League night with the lads, many laughs and a few beers that night.
Sinead Ferguson Fantastic memories of John from our Portugal training camps. Just the loveliest guy - kind, funny, genuinely interested in you as a person, so talented, just a great guy to be around, whether it was on the track or in the pub in the evening. After a few drinks with us he'd say, I better get back, Liz'll kill me . But then stay for just one more 😊. A truly wonderful human being. Will be so missed.
Helly Lloyd Without John and Liz I wouldn’t of found these amazing friends who I love dearly ..thank you John for all your encouragement and re-building when I needed it ..one in a million
Abdulla Alkaabi Coach John was very supportive and encouraging. He will be always remembered. This video was when i did Triathlon all around Qatar 90km Run 325km bike 9km swim
Mustafa Mohamed We will miss you John , rest of peace 🙏
Barry Shillabeer From the early days working with Johns group in Loughborough, to being up a big hill in Iten, Kenya with him (picture), John was always a happy guy, genuine and had time to guide me and the runners that were with the team on this trip. Like many people, I'll miss knowing he is around, but we should be proud of his time and his positive influence on so many people
Fleur Stephens
Stuart Compton With John run training in Portugal 💙💙💙
Caroline Dingwall The best nights in The Curry House Doha with you both
Caroline Dingwall I would never have achieved what I have in my running without you both… Will never ever forget those massages Ouch 🤣
Caroline Dingwall Another great night
Clare McLoughney John’s coaching style and words of encouragement inspired Ewan’s love of athletics during his time at Doha Athletic Club, which continues now in Ireland. John will forever be a positive part of his experience in Qatar.
Libby Bridge Celebrating John’s 50th birthday 🎈🍻 a fun night on the water.
Libby Bridge Supporting a very important fund raiser which I’ll always be grateful for. Fun night at the Gregson/Fitts on The Pearl
Eewei Chen
Eewei Chen
Eewei Chen
Eewei Chen We remember teaching John to use chopsticks at Nobu. We miss his amazing sense of humour and willingness to try anything.
Alison Bedford Russell
Alison Bedford Russell
Alison Bedford Russell The first of my social evenings with the Doha Athletes and our amazing coaches John and Liz in my apartment. Such a special evening and very precious memory. The beginning of a wonderful friendship. Thank you so much 🙏🙏🙏💕❤️
Eewei Chen Thanks John for training Ethan. He made it to play for the Philippines National Rugby Team!
Eewei Chen Sums up Faith’s training in Doha. Both John and Liz were a Godsend.
Eewei Chen Faith’s last night training with DAC.
Eewei Chen
Eewei Chen
Eewei Chen
Eewei Chen
Eewei Chen
Eewei Chen
Christopher Thompson Team Nuttall: South Africa and Portugal. 2008 and 2006.
Christopher Thompson
Phil Bush Doha social gatherings ❤️
Christopher Thompson
Christopher Thompson
Christopher Thompson
Christopher Thompson
Christopher Thompson
Christopher Thompson
Christopher Thompson
Christopher Thompson
Christopher Thompson
Susan Utting-Simon Belated birthday celebration for me in Doha. Such a fun evening with the best Captain!
Susan Utting-Simon Master of the Waves!
Susan Utting-Simon
Susan Utting-Simon John joining us in cheering on Japhet in his Comrades Run in S Africa, June 2023
Susan Utting-Simon
Susan Utting-Simon Just another funny evening with the great guy xx
Susan Utting-Simon John was warm in that jumper :))
Susan Utting-Simon Royal Naval Association 2020.
Susan Utting-Simon Sometimes we let John go for a swim when he wasn't captaining the ship :))
Juliet Clark
Mubarak Thursday 2017 when I first joined the running team
I have so many wonderful memories with John and Liz. They both welcomed me to Doha and were always the best of friends to Japhet and I. John made great efforts to cheer me on like I was winning the Olympics when I was (always) finishing last at training runs! I can still hear him when I'm struggling to pick up my pace now, saying 'Come on Susan, th...
Scotia Boelee Massage sessions with you John were hilarious and fun - even with those famous fingers of steel making a pain rating of 100/10
Mubarak Thursday Coach John was an essential part the team that helped support me in 2020 to achieve the fastest known time around Qatar 484km. I couldn't have done it without him ❤️ in the picture, he came to my rescue somewhere south of Um-Bab at 7am near the highway.
Gordon Harold My best friend. Never to be forgotten and always remembered for everything John achieved and gave back to others. We laughed with each other and at each other in a way that only we understood. I will miss you beyond words.
Karen Beddows This is from summertime when we had a lovely barbecue , John was on form full of Witt and humour as usual it a great day just chilling . We will sadly miss this gentle funny caring man ❤️❤️
HELEN CLITHEROE
HELEN CLITHEROE John probably telling me to chill out about something Amazing coach and friend 💗
HELEN CLITHEROE
HELEN CLITHEROE Good times in Potch with Team Nuttall
HELEN CLITHEROE Celebrating us getting the British record for steeple in Beijing
HELEN CLITHEROE Beijing 2008
HELEN CLITHEROE John with George Gandy had such great laughs with these two 💗
Oksana and I ran a fun restaurant called The Curry House in Qatar. Liz and John were among our regular and favourite guests. The second John walked into the restaurant he always had a huge smile on his face and would love to start pulling my leg. John and Liz were the perfect double act. It was a pleasure to be in his company. There were plenty of...
Ethan Bennett Always an inspiration of mine, someone who would drive me forward in training and racing, a friendly face and an all round legend. From all the pain faces of me suffering from a massage or the impossible core sessions, to the smiles of the many camps and coffee catch-ups, I will forever cherish all the memories we made together. Thanks for everything John.
Michelle Pheiffer Just a couple of weeks ago. So glad to have this memory🫶🏻 We knew John from DAC where he coached our son Daniel and had such a huge and positive impact on his life❤️
Karen and I met John a few times in Doha and we greatly enjoyed his company. He was a gentleman and always made us feel welcome every time we met. I spoke with him just two weeks ago and it’s a shock that he’s passed. We have a lot of respect for John and send our heartfelt thoughts to Liz and family.
Helen Bali My enduring memory is how supportive John always was to all of the kids, including Connor, both on and off the track. Only a couple weeks ago he was giving time to help Connor with support for his university applications, and despite the fact that the system was refusing to accept the supporting letter, John didn’t give up until we found a way to make it work.
Andreas Goldau
Andreas Goldau
Andreas Goldau
Andreas Goldau
Andreas Goldau
Helen Bali
Liz Nuttall Shared from Facebook - Eilish
Liz Nuttall Shared from Facebook - Eilish
Liz Nuttall Shared from facebook by Eilish. John (middle) going on to win the Bells Junior 3,000m in 1985.
Paul Dunlop
Luke Nuttall Dad sending me and Ethan of off to our first English Schools in Gateshead
I only knew John over the course of the last five years, but what a privilege and honour. I get the feeling that my experience was the same as so many others. A man who gave so much to so many; - Helped so many achieve their best in sport and then in turn outside of sport - Cared passionately for all he coached, treated and advised - Taught and...
Ryan McLeod Catching up with John outside the 2012 Olympic stadium with me and Lewis.
Ryan McLeod Iten Kenya on the UKA training trip in 2010
Ryan McLeod Around 2007/2008, John out for a few social drinks with the Loughborough training group. John discovered the woo woo cocktail then spent half the night shouting “Woooooo Wooooooo!”
Tiffany Moorcroft
Tiffany Moorcroft
Tiffany Moorcroft
Tiffany Moorcroft
Tiffany Moorcroft Celebrating Helen’s European 3000m gold.
Susan Sagalovitsch Christmas Banter - Always a laugh when John was around! Friday nights with Liz, John and Heart FM! Greatful to have spent the last 10 years with my adopted Doha family. We definitely made some memories!
Jeremy Harries Where it all started! First English schools in Newcastle probably 1980.
I’ll always remember sitting in a friends kitchen, John with a glass of red, and him going though my Garmin runs to offer advice and training tips. Baring in mind I’m a recreational runner (on a good day!) and he’s trained some of the best around. Summed up what a top fella he was.
Matt De freitas John and I fighting it out over 1500m back in 1992
Lewis Moses One of the many training trips away. This one from Font Romeu
Lewis Moses Portugal 2006 ... An amazing trip!
Lewis Moses Outside the London Olympic Stadium!
I Knew John briefly at the start of his International career. Memories are clear on recognising leadership skills beyond those of his peers. Also saw he was quick to share experience with other athletes and hungry to learn. I believe these attributes followed into his coaching and were his rudder and compass in establishing highest standards not o...
Steve Atkinson Holiday in Blanes, Spain with John, Nigel Swinbank and Neil Sladen. Inbetweeners had nothing on this trip. We were kicked off our 1st campsite.
Craig Laprovitera
From the moment we met on the pre-interview plane journey to Qatar in December 2012, I knew that John was one of the gentlest, most fun loving and most committed people I had ever met. He always had time for you. He was always interested in you. He was dedicated to everything he did. I had no idea then how much he had achieved and the stories he ha...
Matt Wood Enjoying a meal and a catch up last month in Doha
Gina Shorten John stepping in to train the DAC ladies group
Gina Shorten ‘Preston Johnny’ vs ‘Norwich Connie’
Gina Shorten
Gina Shorten
Gina Shorten At the ‘Runners Arms’
Laura Hopkins Portugal warm weather training ❤️
Sarah Bolka Dear Liz and to all of John’s close loved ones. I know that no words of mine will be adequate to your loss. My only wish is to memorialize John’s greatest impact on me and to share with you the adoration and admiration of you that he had expressed to me in the short time I was blessed to know him. John helped me over the past 8 months through sports massage- and as such, was an incredible healer. In this space, though it could be painful, treacherous torture- he found a way to make me laugh and possessed an unmatched ability to cure. During one of my greatest challenges around my Achilles tendon, he offered treatment that was so acute that he called it “surgery” and the pain of said treatment I likened to childbirth. The treatment healed me and allowed me run my lifetime PR marathon within the next month, beating a time I’d run nearly 20 years ago. But it wasn’t just the treatment that made John special- it was his kindness, care, energy and the people around him that made John a true multiplier. John introduced me to the love of his life and the greatest coach of my life… to Liz… he encouraged me, cheered for me, congratulated me, encouraged me to celebrate after my races, and helped shape a vision of what could be possible. But it wasn’t just the treatment that impacted me, while gaining treatment, some of the greatest conversations we’d have were around his loved ones. To observe his admiration, adoration, and unmatched multifaceted partnership and companionship with Liz… to behold his pride and joy around the latest endeavors of Hannah and Luke, were truly instructive. One highlight was watching Hannah race on TV with John and Liz following one of my treatments. It was always so energizing, so lovely to hear him talk about his family- and served as inspiration around how I would continue to forge such positivity and support within my own. On a personal level, just a couple weeks prior to John’s passing, he encouraged me to celebrate my birthday. I hadn’t had a proper party in over 20 years, and so decided to throw myself one. Doing this had an incredible, empowering effect on me. John was a healer, a mentor, and an inspiration. In the end, he taught me about life. To Liz, Hannah, Luke, and to all those who were close to John. Thank you for sharing his time, his inspiration with others. My most sincere condolences for your loss, and my greatest wish that we embody and multiply his greatest lessons. You are all in my thoughts during this most difficult time.
Kathryn & Amelia Bennett John was such a kind and caring coach and friend. He always had so much time for his athletes and parents. A truly special man, who will be forever missed. Rest peacefully John 💔
Kathryn & Amelia Bennett
Kathryn & Amelia Bennett 2018- Our amazing Doha Athletics Club presentation events. ❤️ 🏃♂️ 🏃♀️ 🏃🏽
I spent a few days writing, editing, deleting, rethinking and rewriting what I wanted to say. It still doesn’t feel real to me that John is not on this earth with us anymore. And as I’ve only met John a couple of years ago, I wondered what I could say that would be truly meaningful. But last night I sat with a few friends of John’s, and as we all t...
Jon Brown Before I write my memory to John I’d like to first offer my condolences to all of John’s family. In recent years I’ve mostly connected with John through social media, but it was great to see John’s happiness and continued enjoyment of life with Liz from afar. Having never met John previously, our first encounter was sharing a house together in Ames, Iowa. Moving to a new country as an 18 year old, John became a big brother figure for me and greatly helped me figure out my new life in the US. He also showed me the meaning of perseverance by his overcoming numerous injuries to finally achieve success as an athlete. At the same time, his enjoyment of life and having a good time with friends gave him the balance he needed when committed to training. Although we were both quite different personalities we complimented each other positively and our athletic paths became closely linked in the coming years, sharing the same coach- George Gandy greatly facilitated this. One of our many trips together was to Vladimir in Russia in the early 90’s. I was staying with John in Preston before we traveled down to Heathrow together. He was stunned by the amount of food and drink I was taking with me to Russia and teased me about how ridiculous I was being. On arrival at Heathrow he soon learned many of the other England team members were also taking their own food provisions. Hastily he stocked up at the airport buying cans of coke and emergency snacks and added them to his luggage. On arrival at the hotel in Vladimir he opened his bag to discover the cans of coke had exploded and all his kit was covered in sticky liquid. We ended up sharing all my food and kit with John acknowledging he underestimated his travel planning! During our first night in Russia I went to the toilet during the night and discovered our bathroom was covered walls to floor in cockroaches. I immediately raised the alarm by turning on our bedroom lights to find cockroaches all over the walls next to our beds. We slept for the remainder of our time there with the lights on. To cap off our trip John as usual out-kicked me down the finishing straight in our 3km race and I got terribly drunk on vodka. I woke up the next morning having no memory of the previous night or how I got back to the hotel. John had somehow got me back, undressed me and put me into bed. Still taking on the big brother role and looking out for me. The pictures above are the first success we shared together at the 1989 NCAA cross country championships in Maryland.
Richard’s Higgins
Saqib Latif We will all miss John. A wonderful coach who always encouraged Talhah with plenty of good humour and banter. Talhah has lots of special memories which he will always remember him by.
Darrell Smith Pizza on the back step of the House on West Street,Ames Iowa May 87
Darrell Smith Barnaba, Roland, John and myself heading off to do a race somewhere for Iowa State
Laura McGill Fun memories of our trips to Portugal❤️
Martin McColgan From the best trip and break we had. Always good to have a drink and a break away but this one was the best of them all!
Orla McColgan
Orla McColgan Johns celebration after England beat Senegal in the world cup
Orla McColgan Boat trip in Spain 2019
Orla McColgan
Orla McColgan John after a brunch finding a bull statue
Orla McColgan
John was, single-handedly, the biggest inspiration in my sporting career. Right from the beginning when I joined DAC up until I was just a visitor, he always welcomed me with open arms and hearty smile. For the 4 years he taught and trained me to become the athlete I am today, I have him to thank. He was a man of patience, constantly providing myse...
Darrell Smith Pizza 1988 in Ames
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Family and friends