Thomas Mayo’s closest flirtation with glory, as an athlete at least, came in 2002. He was a 1,500-meter runner for team Great Britain in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The final started well, Mayo positioned well in the race. But he faded late, and settled for eighth place - the highest position he would reach in a major competition.
But back then, that didn’t really matter. It was about the knock on effect.
“The week after, every gym, every running track, every swimming pool was packed with people that wanted to play, participate, umpire, help, support, volunteer,” he recalled.
He may not have won that race, but the impact was worth it. Great Britain would go on to host the 2012 Olympics - using the 2002 Commonwealth Games as proof of concept. Mayo was well off the pace when it counted, but still felt integral in a larger movement.
That was his first exposure to being a part of something big. And now, 20-plus years on, he is in a similar position. Mayo isn’t running. Instead, he will be working rooms, sitting on panels, or crunching numbers behind his desk. Still, his impact might just be similarly broad.
The former team GB runner has been tasked with helping fix the oft-maligned Leagues Cup - the yearly tournament that pits MLS and Liga MX. Last year, the competition underwhelmed. This iteration, he claims, will bring more jeopardy, deeper storylines and must-watch soccer. And he, along with others, insist that this splintered competition can be fixed - and become pivotal in the world soccer calendar.
“The decisions that you make today, in the back of your mind, all the time you think… ‘Will this still be relevant in 10 years and is this going to make it a great tournament?’ So that's the sort of thinking that you put in,” he said.