We focus on the men's 6 miles/10,000m as part of our event-by-event look back the Commonwealth Games

British runners took five of the first six places in the inaugural 6 miles in 1930, but it was New Zealand’s John Savidan who took gold by 60 yards from England’s Ernie Harper as only the winner was timed officially.

England did even better in 1934 with four of the first five as Arthur Penny won by nine yards.

Five days after winning the three miles, Kiwi Cecil Matthews made it a distance double in 1938.

New Zealand completed three wins in four in 1950 as Harry Nelson won by a few seconds from Scotland’s Andrew Forbes.

The 1954 race was England-dominated as Pete Driver’s 58-second last lap gave him a narrow win and a Games record a few yards ahead of team-mate Frank Sando. Marathon record holder Jim Peters, made it a clean sweep.

The 1958 race in Cardiff saw a new country on top as Aussie Dave Power won narrowly from Wales’ John Merriman. Not only was 30 minutes broken for the first time but also 29 by all the top four.

The top two returned in 1962 and won medals but were well beaten by teenager Bruce Kidd, who improved the record by 20 seconds and gave Canada its first title.

In 1966 Olympic-champion-to-be Naftali Temu won Kenya’s first 25-lap gold. His time of 27:14.6 was 72 seconds faster than anyone had ever run in the Games. Scotland’s Jim Alder, who was to win marathon gold five days later, took bronze.

In the first 10,000m in 1970 an inspired Lachie Stewart impressed in front of an adoring Meadowbank crowd.

Dick Tayler – not to be confused with England’s Dick Taylor, who had been third in 1970 – provided a home race win in 1974. Tayler had his only world-class performance in his life as he clocked 27:46.40. The 21-year-old Dave Black followed close behind and took silver. World record-holder Dave Bedford had done much of the early leading at world-record pace but was affected by the Kenyans crowding him and he finished fourth.

England dominated the 1978 race in hot weather in Edmonton with Brendan Foster uniquely adding 10,000m gold to 5000m silver and 1500m bronze.

Britons took four of the first six places in 1982, but it was Tanzania who took the first two spots with 1978 marathon champion Gidamis Shahanga sprinting to victory ahead of Julian Goater in third.

The African boycott affected the 1986 race in Edinburgh as Britons dominated through Jon Solly leading home Steve Binns and Steve Jones.

A fourth British win in six Games fell to Eamonn Martin (pictured) after a 25-second last 200m in 1990.

A weak 1994 race produced the slowest 10,000m in these Games and was won by Lameck Aguta with Martin sixth. The 1998 race was also instantly forgettable as Simon Maina Munyi won by 51 seconds. Dermot Donnelly achieved Northern Ireland’s best ever result in fifth, just three seconds off a medal.

The 2002 race though was a superb one in which the first four were covered by less than half a second and all were just inside Tayler’s 28-year-old Games record. Kenya’s Wilberforce Talel won by just seven hundredths of a second. No Britons broke 29 minutes and it was Glen Stewart, son of 1970 winner Lachie, who was 11th who led home the UK contingent.

After four successive golds, Kenya had to settle for second as Boniface Kiprop narrowly won for Uganda in 2006 and in 2010, Moses Kipsiro kept the gold in Uganda as he fought off the challenge of three Kenyans.

Gold medal winners 6 miles

1930: John Savidan (NZL) 30:49.6
1934: Arthur Penny (ENG) 31:00.6
1938: Cecil Matthews (NZL) 30:14.5
1950: Harry Nelson (NZL) 30:29.6
1954: Peter Driver (ENG) 29:09.4
1958: Dave Power (AUS) 28:47.8/ 28:48.16
1962: Bruce Kidd (CAN) 28:26.6/ 28:26.13
1966: Naftali Temu (KEN) 27:14.6/ 27:14.21

Gold medal winners 10,000m

1970: Lachie Stewart (SCO) 28:11.8/ 28:11.72
1974: Dick Tayler (NZL) 27:46.40
1978: Brendan Foster (ENG) 28:13.65
1982: Gidamis Shahanga 28:10.15 (TAN)
1986: Jon Solly (ENG) 27:57.42
1990: Eamonn Martin (ENG) 28:08.57
1994: Lameck Aguta (KEN) 28:38.22
1998: Simon Maina Munyi 28:10.00 (KEN)
2002: Wilberforce Talel (KEN) 27:45.39
2006: Boniface Kiprop (UGA) 27:50.99
2010: Moses Kipsiro (UGA) 27:57.39

British medallists

Gold: Penny (Eng: 1934), Driver (Eng: 1954), Stewart (Sco: 1970), Foster (Eng: 1978), Solly (Eng: 1986), Martin (Eng: 1990)
Silver: Ernie Harper (Eng: 1930), Andrew Forbes (Sco: 1950), Frank Sando (Eng: 1954), John Merriman (Wal: 1958), Dave Black (Eng: 1974), Steve Binns (Eng: 1986)
Bronze: Tom Evensen (Eng: 1930), Arthur Furze (Eng: 1934), Jim Peters (Eng: 1954), Merriman (Wal: 1962), Jim Alder (Sco: 1966), Dick Taylor (Eng: 1970), Mike McLeod (Eng: 1978), Julian Goater (Eng: 1982), Steve Jones (Wal: 1986)
Most successful athlete: There are no double champions and Dave Power with a gold and silver is the only double medallist
Most successful Briton: John Merriman is the only Briton to win two medals

» Find other event-by-event histories here and an overall history of the Commonwealth Games here