Obituaries
|
Michael Harran (1938-2024)
Mick (“Micky”) Harran passed away
on the 9th of September 2024 aged 86. He joined Veterans AC
and Surrey Walking Club as a race walker nearly twenty years ago following on from a running
career with Herne Hill Harriers. He was well known on the Southern race-walking circuit and
a regular performer in VAC’s Battersea Park walks and the Enfield Race Walking
League.
In the 1950s Mick was
posted to Cyprus with the army for his National Service. He was a boxer and a footballer at
that time. In his working life, he became a teacher, starting as a football instructor and
going on to teach all sports, including cricket, gym and athletics. He achieved success as
an inspirational coach of school running and football teams. He continued to teach until he
was 75, long past pension age.
Mick competed on the
road and track at all race-walk distances. One of his best performances was in 2010 in the
M70 age group in a 3000m race at Oxford’s Iffley Road track in which he achieved 15:58.9. He
frequently recorded ten-minute miling or better. He relished racing the long road walks such
as the RWA and BMAF 20k and 30k championships and he travelled twice to Guernsey for the
tough Church to Church 19.4 miles race staged by the Sarnia Walking Club.
Away from walking and
running, Mick had a wide range of interests which included an extensive coin and stamp
collection and hundreds of books. He was an avid follower of horse racing, even to the
extent of missing one of his favourite races to go to the Derby.
Mick is survived by his son, Tony, who is a highly regarded runner for
Herne Hill Harriers and VAC. 15-10-24
Tom Richards (1939-2024)
 VAC is sad to report that Tom Richards passed away on 24 July 2024, aged 85.
Tom was a first claim member of VAC and will be remembered by many as a dependable,
diligent and careful recorder at VAC’s road and cross country events in Battersea Park and
on Wimbledon Common. Tom was also a valued officer of Southern Counties Veterans AC,
serving as Vice-Chairman and Treasurer. He was appreciated as a highly qualified field
judge at many track and field meetings and was also the referee of the Sri Chinmoy 24 hour
track race in 2021.
Tom was an Honorary Member and Vice President of South London
Harriers, a club which he joined in 1956. Tom was known there as Tom Richards Junior, as he
followed his famous father into the club. Tom Richards Senior, a Welshman, had a magnificent
record of athletics’ achievements, with the pinnacle of representing Great Britain and
winning the Silver medal for the Marathon at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. Tom inherited
his father’s medal and was immensely proud of him.
Tom was an unassuming man, instantly likeable, always helpful,
and he will be missed. 2-08-24
Kevin Burnett (1939-2024)
 Kevin Burnett, a long-standing member and former VAC President, passed away
in May 2024 at the age of 84. He had been active in sport from the age of 11, mostly
playing football and cricket. In the 1980s, he turned to running and joined Striders of
Croydon (then known as Philips City Striders) in 1987 and VAC in 1988. He loved to compete
and at first focussed on road races and fun runs in his local area of East Surrey, as well
as being a regular at VAC’s Battersea Park races. He tried all distances, content to
compete without seeking glory. He was proud of his 10-mile PB of 81:50, but times were not
his prime motivation. He was always on the lookout for competitive opportunities and
challenges. In 1988, he entered the Surrey Cross Country championships at a time when the
race was dominated by classy club teams. He was not deterred and went on to compete at
many cross countries, including VAC’s races on Wimbledon Common.
In the 1990s, he expanded his range of interests to embrace track and field events. He
discovered he was suited to sprinting and throwing. Before long he was proficient at the shot
put, discus, hammer, javelin and weight throws, sometimes doing them all at a single meeting.
In 1996 he won six medals (two gold and four silver) in the Surrey Masters T&F
Championships and continued to be a medallist in these championships for the next 25 years. He
joined other clubs so that he could compete in new leagues. Holland Sports AC gave him access
to the Southern Athletics League (SAL). Hercules Wimbledon allowed competition in the Rosenheim
League. He also taught himself to race-walk and turned successfully to this discipline on the
track and in VAC’s Battersea Park road series. He added the Surrey Walking Club to his array of
clubs, genuinely supporting them all.
As a prolific competitor he notched up over 1100 performances on his Power of 10 profile. This
included 602 parkruns beginning in the early days of the parkrun movement at Banstead Woods in
2007 and recording his 600th at Swanley in 2023.
Those who knew Kevin will remember him as a kind and modest person, always willing to chat,
gently drawing on an encyclopaedic memory of his own exploits as well as being genuinely
interested in those of others. After his funeral, his athletics record book, going back forty
years, was on display. Kevin had meticulously recorded every event, focussing on the occasion,
rather than his own statistics. As an example, after competing for Holland Sports in an SAL
fixture in Exeter in July 1993, he wrote that it was a hot day, the small team of four did well
but came last and that “I did eight events”. 6-07-24
Ken Livermore (1932-2024)
Ken Livermore, a dedicated race walker, died in January 2024, aged 91. He had been a continuous
member of VAC for 36 years, joining in 1987. As a young man, Ken established himself as a
runner on the North London athletics scene. He joined Woodford Green AC, then moved on to
the club now known as Enfield and Haringey AC. He became a race walker but also enjoyed
orienteering and long-distance walking. One of his great achievements was becoming Centurion
#386 in the 1966 Leicester-to-Skegness 100 miles' walk, clocking a very impressive
21:07.41.
In competition, he took part in club, county, national and
international events on the track and road at all walks’ distances from 2K to 20K. He was a
regular at VAC’s and BMAF’s events as well as travelling abroad to European and World Masters
championships. He was also a great supporter of the Enfield Walking League. He put back into
sport by acting as a recorder on 24-hour races over 100 miles and being a long serving Walking
Secretary for the Hertfordshire County Athletic
Association. 5-07-24
Jeremy Hemming 1932 – 2022
 VAC was very sad to learn that Jeremy Hemming died on 28 July 2022, aged 89.
He joined Vets AC in 1981 and had been one of its outstanding officers during a period of
three decades. For over twenty years, he wrote and produced VAC’s newsletters, packed with
news, interviews, reports, results and statistics. Four were issued each year and over
eighty paper editions exist. They form a priceless archive of VAC’s history and culture.
They also show-case Jeremy’s flair with words and his understanding of the athletics’
disciplines and extensive knowledge of the Masters athletes on the scene at the
time.
Jeremy will also be remembered as a talented sports’ photographer and for his presence at every
VAC event to capture the moments. His photos grace the results’ pages of VAC’s website going
back to 2005, bringing to life the prowess of Masters’ athletes and capturing the performances
of many VAC members. As a dedicated Committee member, Jeremy also took on many other roles such
as record keeping, event administration, fixture planning and publicity.
Born in India, Jeremy was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, where a talent for running
would secure him a place in one of the school’s rugby teams. He served in the army, becoming a
captain in the Royal Horse Artillery. He aspired to become a jockey and once raced at Sandown
Park but accepted that he was too heavy and could not make the weight without health risks.
Instead, he took up point to point racing and flourished as a polo player in the army’s teams.
After the army, he worked in the insurance and publishing sectors and as a proof-reader for the
National Audit Office at a time when vast volumes of paper reports were produced and there were
no electronic spell-checkers.
Jeremy enjoyed running to keep fit during and after his army career but did not compete until
the 1980s when he was caught up in the running boom and introduced to Veterans AC by Sylvester
Stein, the pioneering editor of “Running” magazine. He tried cross country and did some road
running but his sprint speed was wasted until he settled on the 400m as his natural event. By
training hard and taking advice from fellow veterans, he achieved a PB of a respectable 65.9
seconds.
VAC will always be grateful to Jeremy for giving so much to veterans’ athletics over the years.
He will live on through his splendid newsletters and iconic photos.
Keith
Spacie (1935 – 2022)
.jpg) 1st M70, VAC Cross Country championship January
2008
Past VAC member, Keith Spacie died on 16 October at the age of 87. He will be remembered
as a regular at VAC’s cross country races on Wimbledon Common where he was always at the
forefront of his age-group.
As a Thames Hare &
Hounds veteran member, with a prowess for cross country, he accumulated 17 Surrey CC titles,
nine Southern titles and three British titles, as well as three victories and one second place
in home international cross country championships.
Keith was a keen participant
at the Wimbledon Common parkrun, starting with run number 10 in March 2007, completing 62 up to
September 2014. In that time, he set the record for the 70-74 age group, with 20:27 in
2009 (age grade: 89.73%) and for the 75-79 age group in 2011 (22:25, 86.02%). Keith ran 117
parkruns in total, including 32 at Guildford, an event he helped to establish with his
partner Clare.
Keith’s professional life
was spent in the armed forces in which he rose to the rank of Major- General. A highlight of
his distinguished military career was his appointment as Commander of British Forces in
the Falkland Islands in the 1980s.
In 2012, he was a torch
bearer for the Olympic relay as it passed through Guildford. He said the honour was the
"ultimate" highlight of his athletic career. "I am delighted to be carrying the torch," he
said, explaining that he had been a lifelong athlete and ran every day.
"I am 77 now, but I am still running and competing and I will be trying to set an example, as
one of my main aims is to encourage people to keep fit."
 Maurice Doogan (1939-2021)
It is with deep regret that we report the death of this committed and dedicated BMAF Officer on
14 April 2021 at the age of 81. Maurice passed away peacefully
in a Nursing Home in Brighton
from an illness that he had patiently borne.
He chose to move there to be close to his sailing friends; fortunately one of them was able to
visit him hours before he slipped away.
Maurice joined the BMAF Executive in 2002, making it clear that it would be for a maximum five
year stint before retiring and pursuing other interests. He was not a
man to leave any job unfinished; he was always the last out of the stadium. He became so
engrossed in his work, running from organising one Championships to another, Outdoor would no
sooner be finished before he would be on the motorway to Birmingham for the next year’s
Fixtures Meeting, the booking of venues for the Indoor and the enormously time-consuming task
of finding up to 90 Officials to run our 2-day Track & Field and Indoor Championships as
well as the Multi Events.
He continued in his
professional work up to a few years ago, he was a Chartered Structural Engineer before setting
up his own Consultancy business in Chelsea and frequently used his Office facilities for our
work. His workload was enormous, yet he never missed any of our then Delegates or Executive
Meetings; he would carry out a recce at his own expense of the next European or World
Championships, checking on transport, hotels etc. Many of us found that feedback invaluable in
our trip planning, and with his knowledge and experience he also advised the Organising
Committee on the timescale and how the programme might be improved.
He competed in a few of
these earlier Championships until other commitments made it impossible time-wise for him to
train etc. He headed up the Team Managers and with Archie Jenkins, Lynn Marr, Arthur Kimber and
Ian Richards, we were internationally acknowledged as one of the best managed teams, you would
find Maurice at the trackside from early morning till close of the last event.
When he first joined the
Executive he wrote passionately about having a dream; that was to see all of you appropriately
attired in the official GBR Masters clothing and woe and betide those who did not conform, you
would have quickly received one of his dreaded emails! He can now rest in peace in the
knowledge that not only did his dream come true, but he was to witness all of you who competed
at the last World Championships in Malaga take us to top of the Medal Table, that was a dream
that he no doubt though he could only dream of in view of the size of some other
teams.
He tried passionately to
bring a European or World Championships to Britain, the Olympic stadium would be ideal, he
spent hours and huge personal expense seeking meetings with key people in Parks Department,
stadium owners, eventually getting UKA approval, only to be thwarted. It is now so sad to think
that should we in the near future host one of these events, he will not be there to ensure, in
his own words “It would be one of the best organised ever”.
Born in Northampton in
September 1939, eventually moving South, he joined Woking AC and then VAC, and as a competitor
he did the steeplechase and cross-country. As news of his death spread, tributes have been
pouring in from all over the place – he never knew just how much his work and eye for detail
was valued. The BMAF Executive and all members offer our sincere condolence to his sister
Sandie and thank Archie Jenkins and Arthur who kept in constant touch with him by
phone.
Bridget Cushen -
April 2021
|
|
 Dave Stevens 1936 - 2021
It is with deep regret that we announce the death of Dave Stevens from Steyning on 31
January 2021 at the age of 84, in more recent years he marked out the course at all of VAC’s
own Jack Fitzgerald Memorial Races in Tilgate Park, and acted as Starter on VAC’s Cecil Gittins
Memorial Races.
Dave, who worked for the Stock Exchange moved from Twickenham to Steyning in the 1970s. He
was an established race walker, with his wife Rose Curtis who was herself an international
standard jumper with Spartan Ladies.
He quickly integrated himself with race walking in Sussex and particularly Steyning where he
took over the role of secretary of Steyning Athletic Club and proved their anchor for forty
plus years.
A versatile walker Dave took part in every distance from the 3,000m right through to the
London to Brighton race, both the Open and the Stock Exchange version which he won.
Throughout this time he was also one of the best walkers in Sussex winning a host of Sussex
track and road titles and many times donning the Sussex vest in Inter-county competitions and
also organising many Steyning races.
He was no mean performer nationally clocking 13:0.5s for 3,000m in 1975 and 45:19.5s for the
10,000m track walk in1981. His best in the 20km Road walk also came in 1981 with 1:34:19s while
1978 saw him record 4:49:25s in 1978.
He featured in the NUTS annual Ranking lists throughout the seventies and eighties and when
he reached the Masters age groups he made many world trips to race in European and World
Master’s Championships, frequently getting amongst the medals and winning titles.
Training and racing was just part of his involvement with race walking - if he was not
racing he would be officiating at all club promotions, not only race walking.
He would frequently be one of the last ones to leave the club house after a function
having helped out with the clearing up.
He will be seriously missed in Steyning and Sussex Race walking and affectionately
remembered.
All of our thoughts are with Rose and their children Paul, Michael and Alison and
grandchildren. Acknowledgements to Reg Hook of Sussex County AA
|
 Mary Worth (1928 – 2021)
RIP Mary Worth, a member of Steyning AC,
who died on 20th January aged 92. She was 78th on the British All-Time list for 20km and a
Veteran record holder and European medallist at 3km, 5km and 10km in several age groups.
Mary was the widow of former RWA President Peter Worth (Centurion 491), Centurion Vice
President and former Captain, RWA Treasurer & RWA Southern Area Treasurer.
Acknowledgements to Tony Taylor, Lancashire Walking Club
|
 Peter Ryan (1954 – 2020)
Peter Ryan, past VAC member and race
walker died last week. The following obituary is from Ilford AC, his first claim club:
Ilford AC are mourning the death of one of their leading lights – Pete Ryan – who died
peacefully in his sleep during the night and failed to rise this morning (Friday 13
November). He was a pancreatic cancer sufferer in his final years. He was a
lifelong Sheffield Wednesday supporter and enjoyed watching football – having viewed Thursday
evening’s match on television before retiring.
Peter, aged 66, a retired Police Constable, was a proud Yorkshireman who moved south to this
area in the 70s – and stayed!
He was a tall man with a long stride and a formidable athlete in both running and race
walking events, at a variety of distances, and one who also represented the British Police in
representative matches.
His best moment came at Newmarket in 2003 when he won the British 100 Miles’ Walking
Championship in 19 hours 57 minutes and 35 seconds.
Peter was a keen participant of VAC walking races in Battersea Park. He also helped
recording walkers at the track 10,000m championships. In later years he was a prolific park
runner, travelling all over the United Kingdom to participate.
Ros Tabor
|
 Alistair Jackson (Jacko) 1943 - 2020
Alistair Jackson, known to most as Jacko,
passed away on 7 August 2020, aged 77. He joined VAC in 1988 and was a regular at VAC
events especially cross country, often
representing the club in the Surrey League team. He was a prolific racer, preferring the small,
friendly events such as parkrun and the various lunchtime midweek races including the Woking
and Hammersmith Handicaps, Crystal Palace Canter and the Serpentine Last Friday of the Month
5kms, in which he competed nearly 200 times. He was also a regular at the Algarve and Guernsey
challenge races where his friendliness and Lancastrian sense of humour were much
appreciated.
In the last ten years, he had devoted his energy to
parkruns, firstly at Hove Park and then at Preston Park, which he
supported from its first week. He completed 377 parkruns, 271 of them at Preston Park. As well
as running, he regularly volunteered as a marshal, many times at the Preston Park junior
parkrun. He will be missed by many.
Photo: Cliff Hide
 PETE MULHOLLAND BEM (1939 – 2020)
Former VAC member Pete Mulholland died on 25 March 2020, aged 80.
He was a lifelong member of Hercules Wimbledon and was a member of their Southern 12-stage
relay winning team.
After retiring from competitive running Pete was active in Surrey County Athletics
Association and was President in 2016.
He was a founder of Wimbledon Common parkrun in 2007 and was always there on a Saturday
morning giving out finish tokens.
In recognition of his dedication as an athletics volunteer he was awarded the British Empire
Medal in 2015.
He was long-time contributor to Athletics Weekly and a past masters’ editor.
He was very supportive of VAC events and frequently helped officiate at our races on
Wimbledon Common including club cross country championships.
 Michael May 1960-2019
Michael passed away peacefully on 7
September 2019, aged 59. As a dedicated sportsman, he supported athletics as a competitor,
official, team manager and committee member. His many friends in the athletics community
recently awarded him the inaugural Michael May Masters trophy in recognition of his
fortitude in the face of adversity and his fine example of giving support and encouragement
to others, despite his cancer diagnosis. The trophy will be awarded in his memory to people
who have similarly contributed above and beyond and shown dedication, commitment and
resilience.
Michael started his athletics career running cross country for Durham University. On his
return to London in 1983 he joined the newly formed Wimbledon Windmilers club, continuing as an
endurance runner and racing all distances up to the marathon, his best being 3:48 in the 1989
London Marathon. He also tried out various distances on the track, from the 100m to the 800m,
and found that he particularly enjoyed the sprints. In 1991, he joined a coaching group run by
Chuck Isetts and refined his fast kick to become a successful sprinter and long jumper. His
lifetime PBs were set in 1994: 100m 12.7, 200m 26.3, 400m 58.2 and long jump 4.55m. He joined
his final club, Kingston and Polytechnic Harriers in 1993 in order to focus on track racing and
benefit from the training facilities at the Kingsmeadow stadium. He fully embraced Masters
athletics and was proud to wear the GB kit in championships all over Europe and the world on
around 25 occasions, including in Brazil, Australia, USA, Canada and South Korea. His last
competition was in March 2019 at the World Masters Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun,
Poland, where he achieved respectable times in the 60m and 200m races.
Michael had a strong desire to put something back into his sport. He was much appreciated as
a Level 2 Track and Field judge and a long-serving Team Manager for his club. He was delighted
to be a London Olympics gamesmaker in 2012. For VAC, he was a loyal member for nearly 20 years
and dedicated much time and effort to the roles of President and Treasurer. Latterly he brought
his considerable experience and expertise to the role of Track & Field Secretary. He will
be greatly missed. Rest in peace, Michael.
Ron Franklin 1928 - 2017/18
We have been informed of the passing of Ron Franklin some time ago. Ron finished 6th when
representing his beloved Wales at the 1958 Commonwealth & Empire Games that were held in
Cardiff. A prolific and high mileage trainer, still clocking up to 80-100 miles per week when
aged over 60 and who lived for his sport. He will be remembered for his encyclopaedic memory
for statistics and names; he became an iconic figure and voice at domestic and international
Championships. A life long vegan and extremely well read on nutrition, legionary stories abound
of his dialogue with Customs Officers when he landed at airports loaded with bagfuls of his
chosen food and collection of running shoes.
Ron joined VAC in 1968 and had been the club's longest serving member. He competed in many
VAC races and made good contributions on the Committee for many years. Latterly, he was living
with dementia and the “voice of athletics” slipped quietly away in a Care Home in Lincs. He
will be fondly remembered. From the BMAF website.
Jack Rutherford 1953 - 2019
VAC was sad to hear that Jack Rutherford passed away peacefully on 29 May 2019.
Jack was a member of VAC and his first claim club was Walton AC where he had been an athlete,
official, team manager, coach, committee member and ultimately chairman.
He recently competed in the 60 years age group in the throws in the Southern Counties
Veterans League. He ran in the cross country race at the European Masters Indoor track and
field championships in Madrid. He also coached several runners who have represented VAC
at interarea events.
He was always positive and enthusiastic as shown by his trademark pre-competition
instructions “just go out there and enjoy it”- epitomising his own attitude to athletics and
life.
(photo: Sophie Duckworth)
RIP Doug Fotheringham 1930 – 2018
VAC are sorry to hear of the passing of Doug
Fotheringham at the age of 88. He was a life member of Belgrave Harriers, life member of
Veterans AC, life member of Metropolitan Police Athletics Association, past secretary of
Metropolitan Police Walking Club, past president Middlesex County AA, and on retirement from
race walking continued to support events as a spectator despite living in Lincolnshire. He was
also a Centurion qualifying in the 1965 Chigwell 100 miles.He is survived by sons Neal and Mark and three
grandchildren.
Full tribute appears in the November edition of Enfield Walker
including his innumerable achievements in world masters athletics, also shortly available on
the Enfield League site:
https://enfieldleague.weebly.com/
RIP Russell Vroobel 1958 – 2018
VAC are sorry to hear of the passing of Russell Vroobel. He was an active member of both
Hillingdon AC and VAC.
Welsh International Ken Bobbett, also from Hillingdon AC has kindly given permission for the
following tribute:
“It was with great sadness that I learned of Russell’s death. He was a well-known and liked
man who communicated easily with all in the race walking fraternity.
His race walking career, like many of us, began at school. To those walkers active in the
1970’s and 1980’s Russell would have been well known. His Club in those days was Highgate
Harriers. He was a reliable club member and was an accomplished racer achieving the 7 mile in
the hour standard on a number of occasions. His ambition was to become a Centurion and indeed
on a number of occasions Russell did attempt the 100 mile distance. Sadly, due to lack of time
for appropriate conditioning he was not successful. This, however, remained a goal that Russell
hoped to achieve when retired.
His race walking career took a backseat when he graduated in Law and started to build a
business specialising in Conveyancing.
I first met Russell in2012 when he joined Hillingdon AC, his local club, to restart his race
walking career. He joined the club at a time when Hillingdon AC race walking section was
beginning to enjoy team success. His contribution to the team ensured success for Hillingdon in
the Enfield League when finishing in the frame in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
A lasting memory for me will be his competitiveness and gritty determination to finish. This
determination can be best exemplified by his performance in the BMAF 30k at Coventry in 2014.
On an extremely hot and sultry day, conditions not best suited to Russell, he soldiered on to
the finish to earn himself a Bronze medal.
His death is a sad loss for our sport in general but for Hillingdon AC in particular.
Russell is survived by Jackie his wife, Anna his daughter and Jonny his son.”
Noel Noble 1923 - 2017
VAC was very sad to learn of the death of International Opera Singer and longtime Polytechnic
Harriers and Veterans AC middle distance competitor, Noel Noble, at the end of June after a
fine innings of over 94 years.
As an athlete in the UK, in the 1970s/1980s, he was very supportive of both Poly and VAC and,
although his running career in the UK never reached great heights, he would invariably be
present to complete his club teams, not least at cross country events. He contributed to VAC on
and off the arena, and was their TM/Organiser when they set a World Best for the then-popular
100 x 1 Mile Relay at Crystal Palace, causing other overseas veterans clubs to challenge their
achievement.
VAC has the Noel Noble trophy, for MV50 1500m/1 mile.
BRIAN HARLICK 1942-2016
Brian Harlick sadly died shortly before Christmas
2016. He was an active member of both Epsom and Ewell Harriers and VAC. He competed regularly
in the pole vault, and all the throwing events, most recently as a V70. He competed in the Pole
Vault in the Main Surrey Championships from 1994 - 2010 having previously competed in the
Surrey Cross-Country Championships from 1983 - 1986. He was also a very active official, and
when not competing, helped at VAC track and field championships. At the Surrey County Athletics
Association AGM on Friday a posthumous award was given. The Officials Cup was collected by his
children (Marianne and Michael).
Photo: Jeremy Hemming
|
|
 Charles Eugster (1919 – 2017)
Charles Eugster joined VAC as a sprinter a few years ago so that he could compete in British
Masters events. He had previously rowed competitively, but took up sprinting at the age of 95.
He set age group records in both the 100m and 200m and competed at several World and European
masters’ championships. He has written a book called Age is Just a Number which was published
in January 2017.
Ros Tabor
 .jpg) Alasdair Ross, 1952-2016 In Memoriam
Alasdair died on 4th July 2016 aged 64. He was originally from Edinburgh and, as a
senior athlete competed against David Jenkins in the 400m and Allan Wells in the 200m and was
selected to compete for Scotland on a couple of occasions.
However it was in Masters competition that Alasdair excelled winning gold medals and setting
records at numerous World, European and British championships since starting to compete at age
40. He is currently European M60 indoor record holder over 200m (25.24s) and British M60 indoor
record holder over 400m (58.13s). He holds Scottish Masters outdoor bests for 100m, 200m and
400m in the M50, M55 and M60 age categories and the 400m in the M45 category. Indoors he holds
bests for 60m, 200m and 400m in the M50, M55 and M60 age categories.
A well known, popular and top class athlete, Alasdair will be sadly
missed. VAC and all its members offer their sincere condolences
to his wife Lorraine and his family. 7-11-16
Taken in August
1991 at VAC T&F Champs West London
Stadium
The trophies in his hands are
probably 100m, 200m and best sprint trophy.
Possibly his first veteran comp;
certainly first with VAC.
|
RON HOPCROFT 27 FEBRUARY 1918 – 17 MARCH 2016
There is a photograph of Ron in 2009 with Cecil Gittins in Cecil's obituary below.
Thames Valley Harriers club legend Ron Hopcroft has died at the age of 98.
Ron was born in Chiswick in 1918 and was active in many sports at school before joining Ashcombe AC at the
age of 17, winning his first race in Regents Park and competing in cross country and track races before being
called up to the forces in 1939. He returned to London in 1941 dealing with bomb damage from air
raids and finding that Ashcombe AC had disbanded, he joined Thames Valley Harriers. Ron briefly returned
to track running after the war but in 1949 at the age of 31 he decided to try long-distance road running to get
fit for the cross country season, joining the road running team and a large training group based at
Boston Manor in West London.
He won the “Brighton” race (approx 55 miles from Big Ben to the Brighton Aquarium) in 1956.
Ron then turned his attention to the 100 mile record, targeting the world best time of 12:20:28, deciding to
do it the hard way by running from Hyde Park Corner to Box in Wiltshire, a very hilly course in the final 30
miles. At 5am on 25th October 1958, Ron set off from Hyde Park Corner; through 30 miles at
Reading in under 3½ hours before the hills started, Newbury at 56 miles before it became crowded with
racegoers, cup of tomato soup and piece of bread on the move at 60 miles, on to Marlborough at 75 miles, in
trouble at 80 miles walking for a few yards, more soup and back to sub 7 minute miling, through Chippenham at
90 miles, struggled through worst of the hills, eventually Box came in to sight in the dusk, finishing in a new
record of 12:18:16.
Ron but was forced to retire from running in 1961 after an ankle injury and the pressure of business and
family commitments. He continued working as a track judge and cross country official until 2007 and acted as
timekeeper at VAC events.
KEN CROOKE 1928 - 2015 - It is with regret that we have to report that Ken died on 8th
December 2015. He was elected president of the County Association in 2010 having previously been Treasurer.
Ken's passion was Cross-Country and he held senior positions in the English Cross-Country Association, South of
Thames Cross-Country Association and the East Surrey League. He was also the key person for many years in the
cross-country activities of his club, Croydon Harriers. His funeral was held at Lyndhurst, Hampshire on 7th
January 2016. Profile
Cecil Gittins and Ron Hopcroft (see obituary) on Wimbledon Common in
2009
Photo by Jeremy Hemming
CECIL GITTINS 30 DECEMBER 1928 - 12 NOVEMBER 2014
Funeral of Cecil Gittins held at Kingston Crematorium 15 December 2014, followed by reception at nearby
Antoinette Hotel.
Sad news has been received that Cecil Gittins, race walker, timekeeper, judge, and active VAC committee
member until 2013 has passed away.
He had been a member of Queens Park Harriers since 1946 and attended committee meetings until again
2013.
He was recognised for his numerous years' service to athletics in Queens Park Harriers and Middlesex County in
2014 in a Brent Community Champions Awards ceremony but was not well enough to attend personally.
He had been in a nursing home in Raynes Park since 2013 and was nearly 86.
The funeral was well attended by his many friends including those in race walking, VAC and Queens Park
Harriers.
The eulogies were delivered by VAC members Bill O'Connor and Peter Cassidy, and his lawyer, and
covered his active and successful life as a scientist, athlete, official, and prominent member of the Liberal
Party, later Liberal Democrats.
The following is reproduced by kind permission of Peter Cassidy:
CECIL GITTINS
Cecil Gittins, who has died six weeks short of his eighty-sixth birthday, was for many years a well-known
figure in the race walking world in this country.
A club competitor in his younger days, he will be known principally because of his contribution to
administration and officiating, both locally and at a higher level.
He served as Chairman of the Race Walking Association from 1977 to 1980, 1983 to 1988 and again from 1989 to
1998; the period from 1983 to 1998 would have been a remarkable unbroken spell of fifteen years had he not
vacated the chair in 1988 to become the Association's President. Although he was asked to continue to guide the
General Committee and Annual General Meetings from the Chair, he firmly declined to stand after his seventieth
birthday, modestly declaring himself to be too old.
He continued for some time, however, as Chairman of the Rules, Records and Standards Sub-Committee, dealing
with some of the nuts and bolts of organisation. He had the attractive policy of not ending a Sub-Committee
meeting by fixing the date of the next, arguing that if a meeting took place without having some pre-arranged
matters to deal with, it would last just as long and achieve nothing; many of the members were grateful for
this attitude.
As an official - principally as a timekeeper but also as a judge and a recorder - he spent many hours beside
the track and the road serving his sport and was one of the timekeepers when the Lugano Trophy meeting was held
in the Isle of Man in 1985.
He was always interested in the younger walkers and, until age and health problems prevented it, frequently
accompanied the juniors in their trips to Dublin to contest the Nihill Trophy match; the young team members
came to regard him as a sort of mascot to be looked after.
Cecil had worked as a chemist and remained interested in scientific matters to the end of his life. It was,
perhaps, his scientific approach that led him to reject any religious belief, while his good nature allowed him
to look with a sort of benign sympathy upon those who did not share his views.
Cecil appeared to have no family, but with his passing, we in race walking have lost a loyal and devoted
servant of our sport and a mildly eccentric friend.
Peter Cassidy
 I regret to inform you that Jaroslav Hanus, multiple British masters
record holder in the throws, passed away on March 8th 2014, following a stroke. The
funeral will be at Breakspear crematorium, Ruislip, on Thursday 20th March at 1pm.
Jaroslav was born in Czechoslovakia in 1930, After the war he
participated in many sports - athletics, including throws and decathlon, basketball, ice
hockey, and volleyball. He eventually concentrated on the throws, becoming Czech hammer
champion in 1950 or 1951. During his national service he made the elite army team, and among
his team mates was one Emil Zatopek. He gave up his athletics when he qualified as an
architect, and emigrated to Britain in 1968 to continue his work as an architect. When he
retired in 1995 he took up athletics again, and set 33 British Masters records in the throws.
He competed all over the world in masters athletics, winning many medals in the process. He was
a character, and will be sadly missed. 17-03-14
Sir Chris Chataway 1931 - 2014
Chris died on 19 January 2014
,
aged 82, after suffering from cancer.
He held membership of VAC since 2006, as well as Thames Hare and Hounds, and
competed cross country with the club.
Chataway was one of Britain's finest middle-distance runners in the 1950s and a member of the
Olympic team in 1952 and 1956.
In May 1954, he helped Roger Bannister break the four-minute mile before achieving his own
world record in the 5,000 metres four months later.
By the end of the year he had become the first person to be awarded the BBC's Sports
Personality of the Year.
In 1959 he entered Parliament as a Conservative MP. He was made minister of Posts and
Telecommunications (1970-1972) and Minister for Industrial Development (1972-1974). He then
left politics for a career in the City.
From 1991 to 1996 he was chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority and was knighted in 1995.
He kept his passion for running alive and ran the Great North Run some three years ago.
20-01-14
 BOB BELMORE 13 October 1927 – 9 September 2013
Bob died aged 85 after a short illness. He
was well known as a tireless organiser and dedicated team manager who willingly devoted huge
amounts of time and energy to club affairs in every capacity. He was a former VAC President and
as a Committee Member for over twenty years filled the roles of Cross Country Secretary,
T&F Secretary and Road Secretary, as well as supporting and coaching many Masters athletes
to compete and fulfil their potential. In the 1950s and 1960s, he was instrumental in building
up his local club, Guildford & Godalming AC, to become a junior and senior force on the
Surrey scene. A legacy from that era is the Hogs Back road race which Bob helped to instigate
and make famous.
In the 1980s he used his organisational
skills and immense enthusiasm to found Waverley Harriers, a running club for athletes of all
ages and abilities. Bob also became a specialist at developing cross country courses, such as
those on his local commons at Milford and Tilford. This prepared him well for embracing
Wimbledon Common as Vets AC’s home ground. He organised countless club and Surrey League cross
country races there. His hands-on style saw him out early setting up the courses, constructing
the finish funnel, sorting out the officials, starting the race with well-chosen words, working
out the results and finally presenting the awards. In 1991, he took VAC’s men into the Surrey
League, followed a few years later by a women’s team. Under his upbeat and positive leadership,
the teams demonstrated that Masters athletes can hold their own admirably in senior
competitions. Other credits due to Bob include the foundation of the 5km Veterans’ championship
races at Dunsfold Aerodrome in the 1990s and VAC’s successful hosting of two BVAF Championships
at Reading (T&F) and Tunbridge Wells (cross country).
Bob was a great athlete himself in a long
career stretching from success in 440 and 880 yard races in his early twenties, through to
honours at County and Southern level at cross country, competing well with the greats of the
time such as Gordon Pirie and Chris Chataway. He fully embraced the Veterans’ scene after his
50th birthday and made good marks. In 1983, aged 55, he won Gold in the BVAF National Cross
Country at Wolverhampton. However, it was in the M60 age group that he achieved success at
national and international level. He was justifiably proud of his British 5,000m M60 record of
17:27.8 achieved at Reading in 1988. The record stood for four years until it was bettered by
the late, great, Laurie O’Hara. At international level, Bob’s highpoint was his trip to the
World Vets in Melbourne in 1989 in which he won a Bronze medal in the 5,000m. He also placed
highly in middle distance events at European championships in Verona and Brugge.
In his later years, Bob devoted nearly all
his time to organising VAC activities in every running discipline. He is remembered for his
dedication and persistence, and also for his generous spirit, warmth and
friendship. 26-09-13
Jack
Fitzgerald
You may have been expecting this sad news. It is with much sorrow
that I have to inform you that Jack died this morning (13 May 2013) in the temporary
Residential Home in Putney where he had been moved to from hospital whilst waiting a place
nearer his home. He had been very much up and down recently. He reached his 90th birthday in
January and had always said that would do him, that is long enough.
The
funeral was on Thursday 6 June at Lambeth Cemetery, Tooting
13-05-13
Ron Eaton, 'Ron the Runner'
A great servant of Athletics has been lost to us. Those who in the past have worked on
Administration at the London Marathon, will remember Ron as the kindly and friendly man who
managed the Registration process. Sadly he died recently and his funeral was at the City of
London Crematorium on 20 September. He was 86 and was survived by a son and a daughter and two
grandchildren. He was shortly to become a Great Grandfather. He was himself a prodigious runner
who completed many marathons including London and New York. He also race-walked, was a
Centurion and had completed the London to Brighton. He was greatly affected by the loss of his
wife Joyce 7 years ago and it was appropriate to hear the BBC's London Marathon theme being
played at the service which ended with the pop song 'Keep on Running'. He greatly enjoyed
running and considered himself a serious runner. Thus the award by Running Magazine of the
title 'Fun Runner of the Year' didn't go down at all well... 26-09-11
LAURENCE DORDOY
The funeral took place on Tuesday 9th June 2009
at The Forest Park Crematorium, Forest Road, Hainault. Essex. IG6 3HP.
Laurence was involved in a fatal accident in Wood Lane, Dagenham at the junction of Gosfield
Road opposite the Dagenham Civic Centre. 4-06-09
|
|
Chas Walker
(on right) was a former VAC President (1999) and an active distance runner up until 1998,
and quite a character. He is shown awarding VAC's Gibson Cup to Mike Martineau.
The Belgrave site citation says
Charlie Walker 1929-2008
It is with deep regret that we must announce that the President of Belgrave
Harriers, Charlie Walker, died yesterday afternoon, Wednesday 13th
February.
Charlie’s career was a prodigious one to say the least. He ran with success
at the top level of competition when this country’s middle and long distance runners were
household names and second to none!
In any other period he would no doubt have gained himself full international
honours.
Gordon Pirie, Frank Sando, Alec Olney, John Parlett, Chris Chataway… these
are just some of the stars of the ’50s & ’60s with whom Charlie tangled with over track,
road and cross country. He trained with them, raced against them, was beaten by them and on
occasions beat them in return. 14-02-08
|
 Jim Day died suddenly on Sunday morning (1 July 2007). Jim would have
been 74 in August and the following year would have achieved 50 years membership of
Blackheath & Bromley HAC. 4-07-07
|
|
Jim McQuillin died around the 26 December 2006 after a short illness.
An Epsom & Ewell Harrier, distance runner and official; he was also a former Membership
Secretary of VAC. The funeral was private. It is understood that there was a plan to scatter his
ashes on Banstead Downs on Sunday 14 January 2007. 6-01-07 |
|