Reading Athletic Club

Not to be confused with Redding Athletic F.C..

Reading Athletic Club

Founded	1881
Ground	Palmer Park Stadium
Location	Wokingham Rd, Earley, Reading RG6 1LF
Coordinates	51°27′07″N0°56′13″W / 51.45194°N 0.93694°W / 51.45194; -0.93694
Website	official website

Reading Athletic Club, is an athletics club based in Reading, Berkshire, England. The club officially formed in November 1881; however records show that it was one of the inaugural clubs that formed the governing body of athletics at that time, the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) in 1880. ^[1] There are also references dating back to the late 1860s, making the club one of the oldest and longest established athletic clubs in the United Kingdom. ^[2]

History

Reading AC meeting in 2010 at the Palmer Park Stadium

Reading Athletic Club's earliest Olympian was Billy Leach who qualified for the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm for the long jump and standing long jump after finishing second in the Olympic trial at Stamford Bridge but did not start the event. ^[3]

In 1964 Ann Packer became Britain's first female Olympic gold medalist, winning the 800 metres event at the 1964 Summer Olympics. ^[4]

Notable athletes

Ann Packer (no.55) on her way to Olympic gold

Olympians

Athlete	Events	Games	Medals/Pos, Ref
Billy Leach	Long jump	1912	[3]
Henry Oliver	3000 m steeplechase	1928	[5]
Harry Whittle	400 m hurdles, long jump	1948, 1952	[6]
Ann Packer	400 m, 800 m	1964	[7]
Bev Goddard-Callender	200 m, 4×100 m, 4×400 m	1976, 1980, 1984	[8]
Kathy Smallwood-Cook	100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 4×100 m	1980, 1984	[9]
Simmone Jacobs	100 m, 200 m, 4×100 m	1984, 1988, 1992, 1996	[10]

Commonwealth Games

Athlete	Events	Games	Medals/Pos, Ref
Anthony Chivers	3 miles	1950
Nigel Spratley	Shot put	1994

References

1. "Home". Reading Athletic Club. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
2. "Athletic Sports" . Oxfordshire Weekly News. 29 July 1874. Retrieved 15 March 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
3. "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
4. "I just could not believe I had won" . Daily Mirror. 21 October 1964. Retrieved 15 March 2025– via British Newspaper Archive.
5. "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
6. "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
7. "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
8. "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
9. "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
10. "Biographical Information". Olympedia. Retrieved 15 March 2025.