had been held for an individual athletic body as distinct from a National or International team. There was to be yet another first for 1947. The Centurions decided to create a ‘Companionship Award’, the first being granted to Sir Bracewell Smith.
A design for a
badge was produced but it seems that they were never struck, and there is no evidence of any further awards. Early in 1948 sufficient funds had been collected to go ahead with the purchase of the ‘Hammond Cup’ which was retrospectively awarded to both Percy Reading C121 and Stan Horton C128 for their wins in the 1946 and 1947 races. Later in that year, Earnest Neville who had effectively retired from his work as a solicitor in the City of London, moved to Surbiton in Surrey. One of the first tasks he set himself was to make contact with the local athletics club, where he arranged a 24 hour track race which was held in August. 14 started, 8 of them completing 100 miles while 2 retired. The remaining 6 continued for the full 24 hours. One of the 6 was H. Barraclough C109 of the Yorkshire Walking Club who had cycled 200 miles from his home in Bradford to take part. He walked 102 miles in the 24 hours and then proceeded to cycle back to Bradford, more than 500 miles in total! The first to reach 100 miles and then retire was Stan Horton C128, thus winning the Hammond Cup for a second year. The winner of the race was A.J. Stirling-Wakeley, the first of 3 new Centurions. The other 2 were L.W. (Timber) Woodcock, a brother in law of Stan & Maurice Horton, and H.D. Neilson. At the end of the year, the treasurer, E.C. Haynes C46, retired due to ill health after more than 12 years service. The newly elected treasurer was G.S. Doubleday C142, who would hold the position for more than 50 years, something he could not have expected at the time. In May 1949, the Centurions held their first meeting outside of London. The meeting was held in Manchester following the National 20 mile championships.
In September, the
Yorkshire Walking Club held another 24 hour track race at Horsfall Playing Fields, Bradford, the scene of the famous 1936 race where Tom Richardson set his record for 100 miles. 23 started, 11 of them completing 100 miles or more, 6 were still on their feet at the end of the 24 hours, however 2 of them failed to reach the magic 100, H. Barraclough C109, failing by just under 2 miles. The winner of the race was Tom Richardson C100, he was first to reach 100 miles and thus was awarded the Hammond Cup, but he made no impression on his own record time set 13 years earlier. He continued to achieve a distance of 116 miles in just over 23 hours; knowing that his lead in this race was unassailable and that he could not approach Tom Hammond’s 1908 record distance, he decided to retire. Tom had now become a member of the hat-trick club, only 4 Centurions had done this before him.
Another
Centurion to join this elite club was Norman Smith C122, of Yorkshire Walking Club, his hat-trick being achieved in the 3 post war track races of 1946, 1948 and 1949. There were now 152 recorded Centurions, sadly 30 had passed away. As there was no race in 1950 it is worth giving a brief resume of the first 40 years. Not counting the 1877 track race at Lillie Bridge, and the failed attempts, there had been 20 occasions where Centurions had qualified for the coveted badge and distinctive number. 14 of them were on the Brighton Road, 3 at the White City Track, 1 at the Motspur Park Track and the only 2 races that were held north of London, namely the 2 Bradford track races. Although there was no race in 1950, there was a race in France that is worthy of note. The race, held on 14th-15th October, took place on a 3 laps to the kilometre track at Montreuil on the eastern outskirts of Paris (a place that would become very important to some Centurions in later years).
The winner was Henri Caron, a handsome young Frenchman who never
competed in Britain, and therefore never joined the ranks of the Centurions. He set new world record figures at a number of times and distances during the 24 hour race, the first being at 15 and 16 hours. He was approximately 2 kms in front of the 1936 records set by Tom Richardson, and 10 minutes ahead of Tom’s time at 90 miles but failed to beat him at 100
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