Golden trio of Ann Packer, Kelly Holmes and Keely Hodgkinson unite at the Great Manchester Run on Sunday

Three generations of British Olympic 800m champions met up for the first time at the Great Manchester Run on Sunday (May 18).

Ann Packer won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 alongside fellow British champions at those Games – long jumper Lynn Davies, race walker Ken Matthews and combined eventer Mary Rand.

Packer competed internationally in the sprints, hurdles and long jump and was Britain’s fourth-ranked pentathlete in 1963. Going into the Tokyo Games she was better known as a 400m runner.

As AW editor at the time, Mel Watman, wrote: "It was a journey into the unknown, yet Packer raced with impeccable judgement. Sixth at the bell in 59.1, she was third at 600m in 90.7 and second to Maryvonne Dupureur around the final turn. The Frenchwoman was still five metres ahead entering the final straight but as she began to flag so Packer’s stride lengthened and her spirits soared.

As the crowd of nearly 70,000 roared with excitement and the British supporters went almost berserk, Packer rushed past her defenceless rival some 60m out and, with a beatific smile on her face, broke the tape five metres clear in a world record of 2:01.1 ... becoming the first British woman to win an Olympic track title."

Britain had to wait 40 years for another women's 800m champion when Kelly Holmes struck gold at the Athens Games in 2004 and later completed a golden double with 1500m victory.

READ MORE: Ann Packer and the class of 1964

On her 800m win, we reported: "As they reached the home straight, Holmes took over. She was ahead, gold was hers and amazingly there was no response from Mutola, but there was from two sources that looked like they had been beaten.

"As the line drew closer, Hasna Benhassi, of Morocco and Slovenia’s Jolanda Ceplak were edging nearer. But not enough. Holmes won, not that she could even believe it, her eyes looking like they were going to pop out of their sockets as she waited for confirmation on the scoreboard.

"She triumphed in 1:56.38, a season’s best time ahead of Benhassi, who was second in 1:56.43, a national record, with Ceplak third in 1:56.43."

READ MORE: Holmes' golden double

Twenty years later, Keely Hodgkinson completed a hat-trick of British 800m victories at the Olympics as she struck gold in Paris. Controlling the race with ease, she clocked 1:56.72 to beat Tsigie Duguma of Ethiopia and Mary Moraa of Kenya.

"This is the first time we've ever been together!" said Holmes.

Hodgkinson added: "I'm just joined the club too."

Packer, who is now aged 83, said: "When I won it was the early days of 800m and sprinters hadn't at that point really gone into that event. I was quite comfortable on the first lap and then it was a case of hanging on in the third 200m and then coming home."

READ MORE: Keely Hodgkinson's route to Paris glory

Holmes added: "Like Ann, I wasn't meant to be doing the 800m either. And as everyone saw on my face, it was a shock too. It wasn't as big a margin as Ann won by in 1964, but a win's a win, right?"

Hodgkinson said: "Paris was everything I dreamed of ... and I was meant to be doing the 800m at the Olympics! I was definitely inspired by the great ladies who came before me, too."