[2] In August 1973, the team came second in the 1973 European Athletics Junior Championships in Germany.

[4] Ruth trained from 1 and half hours each night at the Harvey Hadden Stadium, with her friend Janette Roscoe.

[5] She flew out to Athens on 19 August 1975,[6] where she picked up a bronze in the 1975 European Athletics Junior Championships.

Whilst that was good for team spirit, Donna Hartley was married, and her husband Bill was an athlete at the Games.

[12] She represented England and won a gold medal in the women's 4 × 400 metres relay with Jannette Roscoe, Sue Pettett and Verona Bernard, at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand.

[13][14] Four years later she represented England and won a gold medal again in the women's 4 × 100 metres relay, at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

[15] The other team members were Joslyn Hoyte-Smith, Verona Elder and Donna Hartley.