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Athletics event - help required

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Malvern
Somerset
1 of 4  Sun 29th Jan 2017 9:08pm  

I found this page from a sports programme in my mum and dad's family records. Is anybody able to identify the date and also the specific event? The route is from The Plough Hotel to Kenilworth and back. The round distance therefore is about 10 miles but it is unclear whether it is a run or a walk race as the rules allow for disqualification for walking unfairly but also for pacemakers up until the pillar box by the Grammar School, presumably King Henry VIII School. My Dad was competitor No. 4 A. Carvell and according to the hand written note apparently came second! He was born in 1923 and was not in Coventry between 1939 and 1947, so I'm guessing it might be late 40's or early 50's. The advert and prices on the back may help in identification.
Malvern

Sport, Music and Leisure - Athletics event - help required
Harrier
Coventry
2 of 4  Mon 30th Jan 2017 11:43am  

Definitely a Walking Race. This is probably from 1903, possibly 1904. I will look through my notes to check some details. In 1903, the country suddenly went mad with a walking craze. Many local companies organised races for their employees, the more adventurous throwing the race open to all-comers. Most races were more than 7 miles with the very long races, say to Birmingham and back, or to Leicester becoming popular a couple of years later. The route itself is interesting because Godiva Harriers used this for some of their 'stay-outs', a race for athletes, friends and relations following the race in a 'brake', to be followed, as in this case by a boozey evening, entertainment usually by members, piano concert, singing, comedy poetry or bawdy poetry, the smoking concerts mainly a male only occasion!! There were no rules in the early days of the sport of Race Walking but a referee was appointed, and if in his eyes, someone was running or not walking in the spirit of the event, they were disqualified. Prizes on offer were usually substantial. Because Walking was not governed until a couple of years later by the Amateur Athletic Association rules which limited prize value to 7 guineas (money not allowed), race organisers, especially company races for their own employees, gave awards far in excess of 7 guineas. This of course helped to fuel the popularity of the sport. If a club athlete was caught taking part, they would be banned, possibly for life from athletics, and depending on the nature of the race, taken to court. This was usually for club athletes walking under an assumed name.
Sport, Music and Leisure - Athletics event - help required
Annewiggy
Tamworth
3 of 4  Mon 30th Jan 2017 3:19pm  

It must be before 1941 as the Plough Hotel Queen Victoria Road was destroyed in the bombing in April 1941.
Sport, Music and Leisure - Athletics event - help required
Malvern
Somerset
Thread starter
4 of 4  Mon 30th Jan 2017 3:44pm  

Thanks for that! If it is from c1903, then it will be my Grandfather was who was born in 1882, and so would have been in his early twenties at the time, rather than my Dad
Malvern

Sport, Music and Leisure - Athletics event - help required

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