1972 Leicester to Skegness

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65 men started the biennial Leicester to Skegness race.

John Lees went in to an early lead. He maintained it for most of the journey until his exploits earlier in the year took their toll and he was passed by his clubmate Dave Boxall who won the race in 17 hours 58 minutes and 49 seconds.

John Lees finished 2nd, just under 17 minutes later to become the first of 18 new Centurions.

A long way down the field, walking with his clubmate A. Norman C452, John Eddershaw C299 completed his 10th British 100. Of the 41 finishers perhaps the most notable came in last, with just 5½ minutes to spare. This was a very tired Hew Neilson C145 who clocked up his 20th and what would prove to be his last British 100.

In the 70 years since the first Brighton and Back time trial, Centurion numbers had risen to 503 with 12% (60) being from Holland.

1972 Leicester to Skegness – Programme

1972 Leicester to Skegness – Extra Entries

1972 Leicester to Skegness – Results

1972 Leicester to Skegness – 10 Mile Splits

1971 Ewhurst 100 miles

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This was a new promotion by Surrey Walking Club, a 10 x 10 mile lap course at Ewhurst, Surrey which incorporated a 100 km race. It attracted a field of 73, 40 of whom completed the 100 miles.

The winner and first of 26 new Centurions was John Moullin of Belgrave. He completed his 100 miles in 16 hours 55 minutes 44 seconds, the second man to beat 17 hours in Great Britain. This was only 1½ minutes behind the best recorded time of Frank O’Reilly C276 in 1960 and was John Moullin’s first and only 100 mile race.

The event also saw the addition of 3 new countries to the ever growing list.

The first was Emile Alomaine (Belgium) , who 2 weeks earlier had been classified 4th (35km short of the full distance) in the Strasbourg- Paris race,  John Argo (Canada)  and Jim McGown (Eire).

 

1971 Ewhurst 100 miles – Programme

1971 Ewhurst 100 miles – Results published in 1971 Christmas Newsletter

1969 Bristol 100 mile

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This race, promoted by Chas Shelly C356 of the Bristol Walking Club, was a second opportunity to qualify as a Centurion.  The course was 10 laps of 10 miles on virtually traffic free country roads.

First home was John Hedgethorne C413 of the Essex Police, and the 30th and last to finish was P. Cox also of the Essex Police.  15 became new Centurions, 8 of them from Holland.

 

1969 Bristol 100 miles – Programme

1969 Bristol 100 miles – Results

1969 Bristol 100 miles – Lap Splits

1969 Leicester 24 Hour Track Walk

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The 1969 race was won by Colin Young C317 with a distance only 1½ miles less than his epic performance in the 1960 Walton A.C. 100 mile track race.  In second place some 8½ miles behind was Ivo Domansky, the first of 5 new Centurions and the first from his country, Czechoslovakia.

1969 Leicester 24 Hour Track Walk – Programme

1969 Leicester 24 Hour Track Walk – Results

1968 Leicester to Skegness 100 miles (6th)

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Out of the 56 starters,  32 finished and 15 became new Centurions.  The race was won by Karl Abolins for the third time in succession. John Hedgethorne took second place in 19 hours 1 minute 40 seconds.

For the first time in its history the ‘Sunday Dispatch Cup’ was won by a Dutch team, all three were new qualifiers from the L.A.T. club of Amsterdam.

 

1968 Leicester to Skegness 100 miles – Programme

1968 Leicester to Skegness 100 miles – Results

1967 London to Brighton & Back

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This was the 19th edition of the Brighton and Back.  The number of starters, 44, was slightly down on recent editions but  everything else seemed to be perfect.  The race was held on the weekend of the longest day, with a full moon thrown in for good measure, but someone forgot to arrange the weather which had been fine for the previous two months.

At the start of the race, rain was coming down by the bucketful which eventually eased on the return from Westminster Bridge and had stopped by the time the walkers got back to Croydon.  By this time some of those who had started in a motley collection of protection against the elements, ranging from bicycle capes and sou’westers to plastic bags, had already retired.  The night passed without incident except for the retirement of John Lees, the early leader, leaving the way clear for Gerd Nickel of Germany who went on to win and become the first German member of the Centurions.  By the afternoon the rain had returned in the form of thunderstorms, but unlike the 1963 race it did not abate the constant flow of traffic on the Brighton Road.

In total only 13 finished the full distance with 3 others retiring at 100 miles.  5, including the winner became new Centurions.  Soon after this race, the Surrey Walking Club took the regrettable but inevitable decision to end this famous series of races.  The traffic conditions and their inherent danger which had been mentioned by Henry Colldén as far back as 1921, had now become intolerable.  This meant that Billy Baker’s record from 1926 would now last for all time, a fitting tribute to a superb athlete, but more importantly, if Surrey Walking Club were to fulfil their obligation to promote a race every four years, a new course would have to be found for 1971.

 

1967 London to Brighton & Back – Programme

1967 London to Brighton & Back – Results