Edinburgh Athletic Club

Edinburgh Athletic Club

Founded	1885/2007
Ground	Meadowbank Sports Centre
Location	London Road, Edinburgh EH7 6AE, Scotland
Coordinates	55°57′25″N3°09′31″W / 55.95694°N 3.15861°W / 55.95694; -3.15861
Website	official website

Edinburgh Athletic Club is a British athletics club based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The club is based primarily at the Meadowbank Sports Centre on London Road and train on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. ^[1] Although founded in 2007 the club has a rich history under multiple other names.

History

The track and pitch in 2023

Wyndham Halswelle wins Olympic gold in 1908

The origins of the club date back to 1885 and the formation of Edinburgh Harriers who were based in the Western part of the city. They were followed by the creation of three other clubs so that the whole city could be catered for. The Edinburgh Northern Harriers arrived in 1889 and the Edinburgh Southern Harriers in 1897. Finally in 1922 the Cannon Athletic Club (later Edinburgh Eastern Harriers) were formed. ^[2]

The club's first Olympic gold medalist was Wyndham Halswelle in the 400 metres event at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. ^[3]

In 1961 the Edinburgh Harriers (who by now had a ladies section), Northern Harriers and Eastern Harriers all merged to become the first named Edinburgh Athletic Club but the Southern Harriers continued independently. ^{[2] [4]}

In 1968, Southern Harriers became the first Scottish club to participate in the inaugural British Athletics League ^[5] and experienced some success, finishing third in 1975 and runner-up in 1976, while the women's Southern Harriers won the inaugural UK Women's Athletic League in 1975.

Later the Southern Harriers would race temporarily under the names Caledonian Park Harriers (men) and Edinburgh Woollen Mill (women) for sponsorship purposes. ^[2]

In 1996, the City of Edinburgh Athletic Club club was formed when Edinburgh Athletic Club and Edinburgh Southern Harriers (men) merged to finally unify all of the men's clubs in the city. ^[2] In 2006, the Southern Harriers (women) won the UK athletics league for the second time.

The final amalgamation came during 2007, when the men's club City of Edinburgh Athletics Club and Edinburgh Southern Harriers (women) became the club as it is today, a single city club for both men and women. ^[2]

The first major success under the new name came with the women's section of the club after they won the UK women's athletic league in both 2013 and 2014.

Honours

• British Athletics League, runner-up; 1976
• UK Women's Athletic League; champions 1975, 2006, 2013, 2014

Notable athletes

Olympians

Athlete	Club	Events	Games	Medals/Ref
James Cormack	Edinburgh Harriers	marathon	1906	[6]
Wyndham Halswelle	Edinburgh Harriers	200m, 400m, 800m	1906, 1908
Reginald MacPherson	Edinburgh Harriers	non starter	1906	[7]
Tom Jack	ESH	marathon	1908	[8]
George Wallach	ESH	10,000m	1912	[9]
Jimmy Duffy	ESH	marathon	1912	[10]
Fergus Murray	ESH	10,000m	1964	[11]
Dave Stevenson	ESH	pole vault	1964	[12]
Jim Alder	1st Edinburgh AC	Marathon	1968	[13]
Gareth Bryan-Jones	ESH	Steeplechase	1968	[14]
Don Macgregor	ESH	marathon	1972	[15]
Dave Wilson	1st Edinburgh AC	110m hurdles	1972	[16]
Chris Black	ESH	hammer throw	1976, 1980	[17]
Helen Golden	ESH	200m	1976	[18]
Moira Walls	ESH	high jump	1976	[19]
Drew McMaster	1st Edinburgh AC	100m, 4x100m	1980	[20]
Meg Ritchie	ESH	discus throw	1980, 1984	[21]
Allan Wells	ESH	100m, 200m, 4x100m	1980, 1984	[22]
Peter Hoffman	1st Edinburgh AC	non starter	1984	[23]
Elliot Bunney	ESH	4x100m	1988	[24]
Tom Hanlon	Caledonian Park	steeplechase	1992	[25]
Yvonne Murray	1st Edinburgh AC	3000m	1988, 1992	[26]
Allison Curbishley	Woollen Mills	400m, 4x400m	1996, 2000
Karen MacLeod	1st Edinburgh AC	marathon	1996	[27]
Sinead Dudgeon	Woollen Mills	400m hurdles	2000	[28]
Shirley Webb	City of Edinburgh AC	Hammer	2004
Freya Murray-Ross	Edinburgh AC	Marathon	2012
Lynsey Sharp	Edinburgh AC	800m	2012, 2016
Chris O'Hare	Edinburgh AC	1500m	2016
Beth Dobbin	Edinburgh AC	200m & 4x100m	2021
Josh Kerr	Edinburgh AC	1500m	2021, 2024
Jake Wightman	Edinburgh AC	1500m	2021

• Scottish unless stated

Commonwealth Games

Athlete	Club	Events	Games	Medals/Ref
Hayley Ovens	Woollen Mills	1500m	2002, 2006
Paul Walker	Edinburgh AC	pole vault	2010, 2014

Other

• Allister Hutton (1990 London Marathon winner)

References

1. "Track & Field". Edinburgh Athletic Club. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
2. "Our History". Edinburgh Athletic Club. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
3. "Athletics" . Morning Post. 27 July 1908. Retrieved 5 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
4. "Edinburgh AC formed" . The Scotsman. 16 May 1961. Retrieved 5 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
5. "E.S.H. first Scots club in league" . The Scotsman. 12 December 1968. Retrieved 5 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
6. "James Cormack". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
7. "Reginald MacPherson". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
8. "Tom Jack". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
9. "George Wallach". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
10. "Round the Running Track" . Scottish Referee. 4 May 1914. Retrieved 5 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
11. "Debut" . The Scotsman. 28 October 1967. Retrieved 5 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
12. "Sport in a Flash" . Daily Record. 23 May 1966. Retrieved 6 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
13. "Alder makes it look easy" . Sunday Mail (Glasgow). 22 February 1970. Retrieved 5 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
14. "Cross-Country" . The Scotsman. 19 January 1970. Retrieved 6 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
15. "Don Macgregor". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
16. "Dave Wilson". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
17. "Chris Black". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
18. "Helen Golden". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
19. "Moira Walls". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
20. "Drew McMaster". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
21. "Meg Ritchie". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
22. "Allan Wells". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
23. "Peter Hoffman" . The Scotsman. 31 May 1976. Retrieved 5 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
24. "Elliot Bunney". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
25. "Tirop signs up for Meadowbank race" . The Scotsman. 22 June 1990. Retrieved 5 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
26. "Yvonne Murray". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
27. "Karen Macleod". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
28. "Sinead Dudgeon". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.