Achilles Club

Last updated

Achilles Club
Achilles Club logo.jpg
Founded1920
GroundVarious
Iffley Road, Oxford
Adams Road, Cambridge
LocationOxford
Cambridge
Website official website

The Achilles Club is a track and field by and for the past and present representatives of the Oxford [1] and Cambridge Universities. As of 2025, members have won 19 Olympic gold medals and held 38 World Records. [2]

Contents

Membership

Athletes that have competed in the annual varsity match are invited to join the club, in addition to Blues, Half Blues, Cross Country, Marathon, Relay and Field Event Colours, members from Alverstone, Centipedes, Alligators and Millipedes representatives (the varsity second teams), and recommendations by the University Presidents. [2]

History

Oxford's Iffley Road track The Grandstand at the Sir Roger Bannister running track.jpg
Oxford's Iffley Road track
The Cambridge athletics track Wilberforce Road track - geograph.org.uk - 600928.jpg
The Cambridge athletics track

The club was formed in 1920. [3] One of its founding members was Evelyn Montague, who, along with Harold Abrahams, is portrayed in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire . [4]

Olympians

AthleteEventsGamesMedals/Ref
Charles Gmelin (O)4001896
George Robertson (O)discus throw, shot put1896
Flag of the United States.svg Wesley Coe (O)shot put1904, 1908 Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
Eric Hussey (O)110h1908
Edward Leader (C)110h, high jump1908
Norman Hallows (O)1500, 3 mile team1908 Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Christopher Chavasse (O)4001908
Edward Ryle (C)4001908
Theodore Just (C)800, medley relay1908
Harold Holding (O)8001908
Walter Henderson (O)discus, Greek, javelin, slj, shj1908, 1912
Ernest May (O)discus, Greek, javelin1908
Alfred Bellerby (C)high jump, long jump1908
Alan Fyffe (O)hammer1908
Flag of Scotland.svg Robert Lindsay-Watson (C)hammer1908
Charles Williams (C)long jump1908
Wilfred Bleaden (O)long jump, slj1908
Lionel Cornish (O)long jump, slj1908
Arthur Anderson (C)100, 2001912
Arnold Jackson (O)15001912 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
Philip Noel-Baker (C)800, 15001912 Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
Flag of the United States.svg Norman Taber (O)1500, 3000 team1912 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
William Moore (O)1500, 3000 team1912
Duncan Macmillan (C)2001912
Cyril Porter (O)3000 team, 50001912
Sidney Abrahams (C)long jump1912
Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg Bevil Rudd (O)400, 4x400, 8001920 Silver medal icon (S initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Harold Abrahams (C)100, 200, 4x100, long jump1920, 1924 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
William Seagrove (C)3000 team, 50001920, 1924 Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
John Ainsworth-Davis (C)400, 4x4001920 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
Guy Butler (C)4x400, 4001920, 1924, 1928 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wilfrid Kent Hughes (O)400h1920 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
Edgar Mountain (C)8001920, 1924
Flag of New Zealand.svg Arthur Porritt (O)100, 2001924 Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Lord Burghley (C)110h, 400h, 4x4001924, 1928, 1932 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
Leopold Partridge (C)110h1924
Hyla Stallard (C)800, 15001924 Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Douglas Lowe (C)4x400, 800, 15001924, 1928 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
Flag of the United States.svg Bayes Norton (O)2001924
Flag of the United States.svg William Stevenson (O)4x4001924 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
George Renwick (O)4x4001924 Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Canadian Red Ensign (1921-1957).svg David Johnson (O)400, 4x4001924
Wilfrid Tatham (C)400h, 8001924, 1928
Ralph Starr (C)800, 50001924, 1928
Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg Clifford Davis (C)8001924
Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg Lawrence Roberts (C)high jump1924
Robert Dickinson (O)high jump1924
Arthur Willis (C)high jump1924
Malcolm Nokes (O)hammer1924, 1928 Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Chris Mackintosh (O)long jump1924
James Campbell (C)pole vault1924
Rex Woods (C)shot put1924, 1928
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg George Weightman-Smith (C)110h1928
Flag of New Zealand.svg Wilfrid Kalaugher (O)110h, triple jump1928
Vernon Morgan (O)3000 steeplechase1928
Edward Smouha (C)4x1001928 Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
John Rinkel (C)400m, 4x4001928
Roger Leigh-Wood (O)400m, 4x4001928
Tom Livingstone-Learmonth (C)400h1928
Lance Percival (O)400h1928
Colin Gordon (O)high jump1928
Howard Ford (C)Decathlon1928
Carl van Geyzel (C)high jump1928
James Cohen (C)long jump1928
Reg Revans (C)long jump1928
Laurence Bond (C)pole vault1928
Robert Howland (C)shot put1928
Roland Harper (O)110h1932
Jerry Cornes (O)15001932, 1936 Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
Flag of the United States.svg Norwood Hallowell (O)15001932
Flag of New Zealand.svg Jack Lovelock (O)15001932, 1936 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
Tommy Hampson (C)800, 4x4001932 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
Flag of Ireland.svg Bob Tisdall (C)400h, decathlon1932 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
Alan Pennington (O)100, 200, 4x1001936
John Thornton (C)110h1936
Ashleigh Pilbrow (O)110h1936
Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Vane Ivanović (C)110h1936
Gordon Brown (C)400m, 4x4001936 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
Peter Ward (C)50001936, 1948
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Josef Klein (C)Decathlon1936
Flag of Norway.svg Helge Sivertsen (O)discus1936
Robert Kennedy (C)high jump1936
Richard Webster (C)pole vault1936, 1948
Flag of India.svg Eric Prabhakar (O)100, 2001948
Raymond Barkway (O)110h1948
John Fairgrieve (C)2001948
Geoffrey Tudor (O)3000 steeplechase1948
Peter Curry (O)3000 steeplechase1948
Morville Chote (C)javelin1948
Harry Askew (C)long jump1948
Peter Hildreth (C)110h1952, 1956, 1960
Roger Bannister (O)15001952
Nicolas Stacey (O)200, 4x4001952
Chris Brasher (C)3000 steeplechase1952, 1956 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
Alan Dick (O)4x4001952
Angus Scott (C)400h1952
Christopher Chataway (O)50001952, 1956
Tim Anderson (C)pole vault1952
Ian Boyd (O)15001956
Derek Johnson (O)4x400, 8001956 Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
Bob Shaw (O)400h1956
Tom Farrell (C)400h, 8001956, 1960
Barclay Palmer (O)shot put1956
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Herb Elliott (C)15001960 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
Michael Palmer (C)3000 steeplechase1960
John Metcalf (O)400h1960
Bruce Tulloh (C)50001960
Flag of India.svg Ranjit Bhatia (O)50001960
Flag of New Zealand.svg Donal Smith (O)8001960
Mike Parker (C)110h1964, 1968
Adrian Metcalfe (O)400, 4x4001964 Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Wendell Mottley (C)400, 4x4001964 Silver medal icon (S initial).svg Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Mike Hogan (O)400h1964
John Boulter (O)800, 15001964, 1968
Michael Ralph (O)triple jump1964
Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Euric Bobb (C)4x4001968
Martin Winbolt-Lewis (C)400, 4x4001968
David Hemery (O)400h, 4x4001968, 1972 Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Tim Johnston (C)Marathon1968
Jon Ridgeon (C)110h, 400h1988, 1996
Richard Nerurkar (O)10000, marathon1992, 1996
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tim Berrett (O)20k walk, 50k walk1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008
Andy Baddeley (C)15002008, 2012
Mara Yamauchi (O)marathon2008, 2012
Hatti Dean (O)3000M steeplechase injured2008
Julia Bleasdale (C)5000m, 10,000m2012
Claire Hallissey (C)marathon2012
Louise Shanahan (C)800m2020

(key: O=Oxford C=Cambridge slj=standing long jump, shj=standing high jump)

References

  1. "Achilles Club". OUAC. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Home". Achilles Club. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  3. "The Achilles Club" . Westminster Gazette. 2 June 1920. Retrieved 8 April 2025 via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. Evelyn Montague – Biography at Sports-Reference.com