He was also a South of England Champion and in 1979/1980 he won the European junior and AAA's Indoor 200 metre titles.

He was also a member of the sprint relay team that reached the final and finished fourth in a new British record.

In 1986, he competed at his third Commonwealth games where he won bronze in the 100 metres, and silver in the sprint relay.

McFarlane competed for Great Britain in the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea in the 4 x 100 metres relay where he won the silver medal with his teammates Elliot Bunney, John Regis, and Linford Christie.

In the 2001 Birthday Honours, McFarlane was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "for services to Athletics and to The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.