Sjef Koolen C874

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We are sad to report the loss of Sjef Koolen.

Sjef was a painter from Nederweert-Eind in the Netherlands and an active member and volunteer in the OLAT club. He qualified first as a Continental Centurion in Sint Oedenrode in 1985, as Continental Centurion 152. In 1990, he completed the Hungarton-to-Leicester 100 miles in 23:02:28 to qualify as Centurion 874. His other successful walking challenges included the 110km Plombieres-Houffalize walk in Belgium, the 200km Aubel race and the famous Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.

Frank Dolan C656

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We regret to report the death of Frank “Frankie” Dolan in December 2025 at the age of 80..

Frankie lived in Carlisle but was a member of Lancashire Walking Club. He qualified as Centurion 656 in the 1979 Ewhurst 100 miles, completing the distance in 21:33:14. He went on to complete the 100 miles three more times, including a 2nd place finish in Colchester in 1985. He was also an active participant of the Roubaix 28 hours races.

Frankie is survived by his wife, Shirley, and their children and grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at Carlisle Crematorium on 2nd January 2026 at 11AM. Donations in his memory are requested to Dementia UK, following Frankie’s battle with vascular dementia.

Geoff Tranter C507

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We are sad to report that that Geoff Tranter has passed away.

Geoff qualified as Centurion 507 in the 1973 Bristol race in 19:15:00 and completed a total of 12 100-mile walks in under 24 hours, competing for Royal Sutton Coldfield, Royal Sutton Birmingham and Birchfield Harriers. His best was the 1981 “Endeavour Motor Company” 24-hour race at Brighton’s Withdene Stadium track, which saw continuous rain throughout, when Geoff won in the admirable time of 18:05:36. As well as 100-mile races, he was a regular at 24-hour and 200km races, and the Roubaix 28 Hours.

A firefighter by profession, Geoff was known to be calm and determined, and a great friend and gentleman.

The funeral will take place on Friday, 12th December at 10AM at Rowley Regis Crematorium, Powke Lane, Rowley Regis, West Midlands B65 0AD.

 

Annie Meyers-Frenken C637

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Eric Horwill C390

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Paul Briggs C431

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We are sad to report that Paul Briggs passed away at the age of 80.

Representing Yorkshire Race Walking Club, Paul embraced distance races like the London-to-Brighton walk, where he achieved a notable sub-10-hour finish. He qualified as a Centurion in the 1969 Leicester 24-hour track race, passing 100 miles in 22:24:50 and continuing on to 101 miles and 888 yards. He was in fact the 430th qualifier, but was passed in the 24-hour race by Paul Sargent and a minor mix up resulted in P. Sargent being awarded No. 430 and P. Briggs No. 431. The error was not noticed until 1997.

His second 100 mile completion was in the 1974 Leicester-to-Skegness 1oo miles. Competing without an attendant, Paul faced challenging conditions, battling the cold in the Lincolnshire countryside during the night. However, his Centurion perseverence, and the kind gift of tracksuit bottoms by Dave Ainsworth C540, saw him recover from the cold and finish in 23:14:03.

He is remembered for his unmistakable “foreign legion” headwear and, above all, his kindly and gentle soul.