Hillingdon Athletic Club

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Hillingdon Athletic Club
Hillingdon Athletic Club logo.png
Founded1877
Ground Hillingdon Athletics Stadium
Location1 Gatting Way, Uxbridge London, UB8 1ES, England
Coordinates 51°33′12″N0°27′59″W / 51.55333°N 0.46639°W / 51.55333; -0.46639
Website official website

Hillingdon Athletic Club is a British athletics club based in Uxbridge, west London and Ruislip, northwest London, England. The club's headquarters and clubhouse are based at 206 Bury Street in Ruislip but training and racing takes place at the Hillingdon Athletics Stadium in Uxbridge. The club train five days per week and is affiliated with UK Athletics, the South of England AA and Middlesex County AA. [1]

Contents

History

The stadium in 2011 Hillingdon Athletics Track.JPG
The stadium in 2011
David Hemery David Hemery 1968.jpg
David Hemery

The club's origins date back to 1877 when a group called the Gentlemen of Hampstead founded the Finchley Harriers following a meeting at the North Star Tavern. [1] The first run took place 8 November 1879. [2]

In 1899 and 1900 Charles Bennett won the individual title at the English National Cross Country Championships, while the Harriers won the team title in 1900 in Rotherham. [3] Bennett went on to win the club's first Olympic medals at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. [4]

In 1933, the Finchley Harriers introduced the Finchley Road Race, which became a prestigious event [5] and was later renamed the Hillingdon 20. [1]

Shortly after World War II in 1946, Roger Bannister joined the club before moving to University and in 1949 the original clubhouse on Bury Street was built by the Finchley Harriers. [1]

In 1951, Ruislip and Northwood Athletics Club was founded [1] but later merged with Finchley Harriers to form the Hillingdon Athletic Club on 1 October 1966. [6] Further clubs merged with Hilllingdon AC afterwards (Hillingdon and Harlington AC in 1970, Uxbridge & District Ladies in 1990 and Brunel Juniors in 2006). [1]

In 1976 the current clubhouse on Bury Street was built and the Don Hirst Trust Fund was set up in 1985. [1]

In 2006 the Athletics Stadium was opened by Queen Elizabeth II. [7]

Honours

Notable athletes

Olympians

AthleteClubGamesEventsMedals/Ref
Charles Bennett Finchley Harriers1900marathon, steeplechase, team race Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg [8]
Frederick Randall Finchley Harriers1900marathon [9]
Frederick Ashford Finchley Harriers1908800m [10]
Meyrick Chapman Finchley Harriers1908100m [11]
Eric Shirley Finchley Harriers1956, 1960steeplechase [12]
Frank Salvat Finchley Harriers19605000m [13]
Frances Slaap Ruislip & Northwood AC1960, 1964high jump [14]
Pat Pryce-Nutting Ruislip & Northwood AC/Hillingdon AC1960, 1964, 196880m hurdles [15]
Gwenda Matthews Ruislip & Northwood AC1964high jump [16]
David Hemery Hillingdon AC1968, 1972400mH, 4x400m relay Gold medal icon (G initial).svg Silver medal icon (S initial).svg Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg [17]
Barry King Hillingdon AC1972decathlon [18]
Paul Dickenson Hillingdon AC1976, 1980hammer
Mark Naylor Hillingdon AC1980, 1984high jump [19]
Alec Leonce Hillingdon AC1988bobsleigh [20]
Julia Bleasdale Hillingdon AC20125,000/10,000m [21]

Commonwealth Games

AthleteClubGamesEventsMedals/Ref
Len Carter Ruislip & Northwood AC19624x100m relay Gold medal icon (G initial).svg
John Adey Finchley Harriers19664x400 relay Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg
Peter Gabbett Hillingdon AC1970decathlon Silver medal icon (S initial).svg
Mike Campbell Hillingdon AC1970high jump
John Hillier Hillingdon AC1974, 1978discus
Graham Gower Hillingdon AC1974110m hurdles

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "About Us". Hillingdon Athletic Club. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  2. ↑ "Finchley Harriers" . Bell's Life in London and Sporting Chronicle. 15 November 1879. Retrieved 9 May 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ↑ Matthews/Morrison, Peter/Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records and results, pages 73. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN   0-85112-492-5.
  4. ↑ Wallechinsky, David (2000). The complete book of the Summer Olympics – Sydney 2000 edition. Overlook Press. ISBN   1-58567-033-2.
  5. ↑ "Finchley Road Race" . Reynolds's Newspaper. 5 April 1936. Retrieved 9 May 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "Athletics wedding" . Harrow Observer. 27 October 1966. Retrieved 9 May 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "£31m West London leisure complex opens". Heritage Fund. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  8. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  9. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  10. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  11. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  12. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  13. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  14. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  16. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  17. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  18. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  20. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  21. ↑ "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
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