Liverpool Harriers and Athletic Club

Liverpool Harriers and Athletic Club

Founded	1882
Ground	Wavertree Athletics Centre
Location	Wavertree Sports Park, Wellington Road, Liverpool L15 4LE, England
Coordinates	53°23′45″N2°55′26″W / 53.39583°N 2.92389°W / 53.39583; -2.92389
Website	official website

Liverpool Harriers and Athletic Club is a British athletics club based in Liverpool, England. The club is based primarily at the Wavertree Athletics Centre on Wellington Road and train on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. ^[1]

History

The track in 2005

Double world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson

The club was founded as a cross-country club on 27 September 1882, ^[2] following a meeting at the Farnworth Hotel on Prescot Road. ^[3] In 1885, the club won the English National Cross Country Championships, with the runners consisting of Paddy Shay, Edward McCabe, Tommy Duckett, George Henry Bannister, P. Giblin and McAffee. ^[2]

It is believed that towards the end of the century that the club were also referred to as Liverpool Sefton Park and All Saints but on Monday 19 November 1894, the club was renamed the Liverpool Harriers & Athletic Club. ^[2]

The club's first Olympian was Benjamin Howard Baker who competed in the high jump event at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. ^[4]

From 1943 to 1970 the club were based at Woolton Woods, followed by Woolton Boys Club from 1970 to 1980 and Woolton Priory from 1980 until 1990. ^[2] The club moved to its present site at the Wavertree Athletics Centre in 1990. ^[2]

The club continue to produce international class athletes, with the latest star being double world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

Honours

• English National Cross Country Championships winners: 1885

Notable athletes

Olympians

Athlete	Events	Games	Medals/Ref
Benjamin Howard Baker	high jump, triple jump	1912, 1920	[5]
Ken Box	100m, 4x100m	1956	[6]
Tom Farrell	400m hurdles, 800m	1956, 1960	[7]
Joe Speake	4x100m	1968	[8]
Keith Oliver	XC Sking, biathlon	1972, 1976, 1980
Barry Williams	hammer throw	1972	[9]
John Woods	marathon	1988	[10]
Geoff Smith	10,000m	1980	[11]
Curtis Robb	800m	1992, 1996	[12]
Steve Smith	high jump	1992, 1996	[13]
Paul Brizzel	100m, 200m, 4x100m	2000	[14]
Paul McKee	4 x 400m	2000	[15]
John McAdorey	4 x 100m	2000
Allyn Condon	bobsleigh	2010	+
Anyika Onuora	100m, 200m 4x400m	2012, 2016	[16]
Katarina Johnson-Thompson	heptathlon	2012, 2016, 2020	[17]

• English unless stated

+Trained with the club during bobsleigh career

References

1. "Training Nights". Liverpool Harriers and Athletic Club. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
2. "Our History". Liverpool Harriers and Athletic Club. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
3. "A Meeting" . Athletic News. 27 September 1882. Retrieved 6 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
4. "The Olympic Games" . Western Mail. 27 July 1908. Retrieved 6 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
5. "Howard Baker Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
6. "Ken Box] Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
7. "Tom Farrell Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
8. "Joe Speake Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
9. "Barry Williams Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
10. "John Woods Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
11. "Geoff Smith Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
12. "Curtis Robb Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
13. "Steve Smith Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
14. "Wirral hosts home clash" . Liverpool Echo. 2 July 1998. Retrieved 6 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
15. "High-flying Whitlock clears season opener" . Liverpool Echo. 11 June 1998. Retrieved 6 April 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
16. "Anyika Onuora Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
17. "Katarina Johnson-Thompson Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 6 April 2025.