Photographer Mark Shearman hangs up his camera

After a remarkable 62 years of capturing images of athletes, AW’s long-time snapper is moving into retirement

At first glance, Trevor Burton’s attempt at the British record for the men’s pole vault in May of 1962 might not seem like it should rank too highly in terms of athletics’ landmark moments. However, that day at Tooting Bec in London set in motion another career that has expertly captured and chronicled just about all of the most significant performances in the sport’s recent history. 

An image of Burton in action from that meeting graced the cover of the May 19 edition of Athletics Weekly. The man who took the picture? A certain Mark Shearman. It was the first time the keen runner would see one of his images grace the front of this magazine, but it would certainly not be the last.

Now, after 62 years behind the lens, having covered 14 Olympic Games, every single World Championships with the exception of Eugene 2022 and countless other events both international and domestic in between, the world-renowned photographer has decided to call it a day.  

There are few top athletes, certainly from British shores, who have not had every stage of their careers caught on Shearman’s camera and the 81-year-old whose work has appeared in publications throughout the globe steps into retirement possessing an encyclopaedic archive of athletics images.

Receiving an MBE from the Queen for his services to sports photography ten years ago is one of his most treasured accomplishments, while the 2012 Olympics in his home city of London is at the top of his list when it comes to the exhaustive list of events he has covered. 

Kelly Holmes (Mark Shearman)

Shearman’s final assignment, as it turned out, was the English Cross Country relays in Mansfield towards the end of last year. Going back to his first, as part of an interview he did with AW in 2021, he told me: “In 1962, my twin brother, who was quite a good runner and ran for Wimbledon Athletics Club, said to me: ‘There’s a guy trying to break the British record for the pole vault at Tooting Bec. Why don’t you come along and take some photographs?’

“The athlete’s name was Trevor Burton from Stoke AC. I went along and I took one or two pictures, one of which was an image of him going over the bar. My brother said: ‘There’s a magazine called Athletics Weekly. Why don’t you send it to them? They might be interested’. It was the very first picture I sent to the magazine and they published it on the cover. 

“I thought: ‘that was easy, let’s continue down this road!’. Of course I learned very quickly that it wasn’t always that easy but that’s how it started. I didn’t look back.”

Daley Thompson (Mark Shearman)

Shearman, a 2:48 marathon runner at his peak, set about honing his craft and became a fixture by the side of tracks and in the field of athletics stadia – not to mention his work at major road races. Having joined the Fox Photos agency after leaving school, he began working for himself in 1972. 

Tokyo 1964 was his first Olympics and, though he didn’t have any accreditation either there or at Mexico 1968, he still expertly photographed the action from various points in the stands. It was the Munich Games of 1972 when he first officially got behind the ropes. 

“It can be like a battle plan,” he said of how he approached the job at hand. “You work out where you’re going to be for one event and then how you’ll go into another. I always go through the timetable beforehand and pick out what events are the most important.”

Mary Rand (Mark Shearman)

As Shearman puts it, when it came to getting just the shot he wanted: “I didn’t get a second chance. In the eight years running up to London 2012, every time I drove past the stadium being built I used to get really a queasy stomach. I felt physically sick with worry, knowing that I was going to have to perform when the Games took place. That’s the only Games where I’ve had this feeling that ‘it’s the home games, I’ve got to come away with a good set of pictures’. It was nervous tension and I suppose that obviously helped.

“I’ve got to perform. In the 100m they run 10 seconds and that’s it. I’ve got to perform eight hours a day for seven, eight, ten consecutive days, so it is quite demanding and I don’t think a lot of people appreciate that.”

The appreciation for his work is widespread, however, and it’s the athletes and officials – many of whom he came to count as good friends – plus the camaraderie of his fellow photographers that Shearman will miss most.

“It is very satisfying when you get the right shot,” he added. “It’s even more satisfying when you get a shot that you plan to do.”

On that basis, he is retiring with a lifetime of job satisfaction to remember.

Tributes…

Sebastian Coe – Two-time Olympic 1500m champion and World Athletics president

For me and every other leading British athlete of the last 50 years, Mark Shearman has been a constant – the man behind the camera preserving many of the most important moments of our lives. Mark has been there in good times and bad, whether we were sweating in anonymity or dancing under the lights, to paraphrase Muhammad Ali.

The measure of a great sports photographer is not just the ability to capture the moment, but also the emotion, and Mark mastered that art. Our sport is extremely lucky that he has chosen to keep his lens firmly focussed on us.

Mark, I congratulate you on an outstanding career, I’m most grateful for your contribution to my own career and our sport.

Seb Coe wins in 1984 (Mark Shearman)

Paula Radcliffe – Former marathon world record-holder and broadcaster

Mark photographed my wedding. I am sure it was a different challenge for him than the usual action ones! It was nice, though, to have a friendly face we knew behind the camera. I am trying to remember when I first met Mark and I can’t because it seems like he was always there. It was always great to see his reassuring presence on the infield or press truck as I progress from English Schools to European and World Juniors and on to Senior World Championships and the Olympics. If I look back through my scrapbook his name comes up all the time in the photo credits! 

Of course I treasure the race photos but also those lovely shots Mark shared of post-race times with my coach Alex and his wife, my team-mates and of course my parents and family.

Paula Radcliffe (Mark Shearman)

Katharine Merry – Olympic medallist and broadcaster

It’s going to be a very different environment not to have Mark walking around with his camera, because I just don’t know an athletics stadium without him. He’ll be greatly missed.

Some of the most treasured images from my athletics career were taken by him and what he’s given to the sport, not to mention the way he’s told so many stories through his lens, has just been phenomenal.

Katharine Merry (Mark Shearman)

Geoff Wightman – Coach, broadcaster and former international marathon runner

There will never be another like ‘The Shearmanator’. His retirement from our sport leaves a void that can’t be filled. No-one will ever again cover 14 Olympics behind the lens. 

Mark is now on to his third generation of photographing some families in athletics and has been a familiar and well-liked figure trackside, roadside and especially at wet and windy cross-country finish lines for seven decades.

After a while, you get to recognise a Shearman photo. They are always well-framed, capturing the crucial split second of action clearly and always showing the spirit and energy of our sport. That is true from long before the advent of motor drives on cameras and digital imagery re-touches. Mark was always the one to get the shot.

His photo archive will serve the sport well for many years to come and we look forward to seeing him socially at athletics events and for a glass of something fruity to accompany lunch at Denbies vineyard. Cheers and thank you, old boy. It’s your round. 

Maricica Puica and Wendy Sly (Mark Shearman)

Wendy Sly – Olympic medallist and managing director of AW

Mark has been present in my life on and off for the 50-odd years that I’ve been involved in athletics. Firstly as a young athlete running cross country, an international and Olympic athlete on the track, then in my time with UK Athletics working as a team manager and now on the board. We have also worked together for a long time in the publishing world, first at Athletics Today and more recently in my role as MD of AW.

At AW we constantly look to Mark and his back catalogue for pictures, whether they be of current athletes when they were young, iconic images from days gone by or sadly pictures that capture a passing athlete’s greatest moments.

A familiar figure on the infield and at finish lines in the mud, rain, wind and sun, Mark will be sorely missed by so many in the sport past and present.

Have a wonderful retirement Mark, especially relish the extra time you’ll have to enjoy your favourite coffee and cake. It’s well deserved!

Jack Buckner (Mark Shearman)

Jack Buckner – Former European 5000m champion and UKA chief executive

Mark Shearman has been a wonderful ever-present figure in athletic stadiums my whole athletics life. Like generations of athletes, Mark Shearman photographs are on my wall and in my photo album. He has photographed almost every moment of athletics significance for more years than I can remember. More importantly he is a lovely man with a huge passion and affection for our sport. His photography library is a treasure trove of athletics and helps us promote the sport today. Enjoy your retirement Mark – we shall miss you dashing across the stadium but your many friends in the sport will keep in touch.

Said Aouita and Dave Moorcroft (Mark Shearman)

Dave Moorcroft – Former 5000m world record-holder and former UKA chief executive 

Mark is, and always will be, a star of our sport. For many, many years his passion for athletics at every level has shone through in his photography. His photos have helped capture the drama and emotions of athletes and athletics over the decades but it is not only his continuing presence at major championships that will be missed, he has also been equally committed to local and grassroot competitions at all levels.

Thank you, Mark. You have helped tell the story of thousands and thousands of athletes for many years and we will always treasure your work.

» The above feature was first published in the December issue of AW magazine, which is out now. Subscribe to AW magazine here, check out our new podcast here or sign up to our digital archive of back issues from 1945 to the present day here

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