miles. So Tom’s time of 17 hours 35 minutes 4 seconds still stood as the record. The other records to fall were those set by Tom Hammond C10, in 1908. He broke all records from 170km to 210km as well as those at 110, 120, 125 and 130 miles, finally breaking the 24 hour record that had lasted for 42 years by 1 mile 745 yards, to set a new distance of 132 miles 1325 yards. A remarkable performance by an athlete who would have been a great asset to the Centurions, if only he had raced in Great Britain!
The Dispatch Years
In 1951 the Centurions celebrated their 40th birthday. They say that life begins at 40, and it certainly did for the Centurions. From 1951 there has been an unbroken sequence where long distance walkers have had at least one opportunity every year to qualify for membership of the Centurions. To mark the occasion Earnest Neville C7 and Earnest Wray C9 were elected as Life Vice Presidents in recognition of their work for the Society during its first 40 years. This action left a vacancy for the position of Captain which was filled by Billy Baker C66.
Tom
Richardson C100 and Percy Reading C121 were also elected as Vice-Captains. In May, a new edition of the handbook, the 5th, covering numbers 1- 153 was published. The 1951 race was the familiar Brighton and Back promoted by Surrey Walking Club and organised by E.H. Neville, it was said to be his swansong. He had originally intended that the race should coincide with The Festival of Britain celebrations, and would start and finish at the Festival Gardens site in Battersea Park.
Unfortunately this was one occasion when
Earnest’s remarkable powers of persuasion were to fall foul of the overwhelming authority of a much greater organisation.
There was however one major difference from all of the
previous races. Mr. Charles Eade, editor of the “Sunday Dispatch” newspaper, made an offer to sponsor the
event. This offer was gladly accepted and thus began a friendly and helpful connection between the newspaper and long distance walking.
The race was held on 6th-7th July,
following weeks of publicity by the “Sunday Dispatch”. 45 entered of whom 36 started. 25 competitors completed 100 miles, 20 of them continuing for the full distance. Of the 25, four were existing Centurions. L.E. Lambert C133, being the only one to retire at the 100 mile mark.
Stan Horton C128, who at one stage made a serious challenge for the lead, completed his hat-trick. The winner of the race was A.J. Stirling-Wakeley C143, in a time of 18 hours 46 minutes, thus becoming a winner on both road and track (a feat that had only been achieved previously by Tom Hammond C10 in 1907 and 1908). His intention had been to break Billy Baker’s 1926 record, and although he started well he had a very bad patch just before the dawn, when Stan Horton had closed to within 2 minutes and actually had him in sight, however Jack Wakeley rallied, and with the sun on his back, moved effortlessly away to secure his victory. He won not only the Hammond Cup but also the Hammond-Neville trophy, as this was a S.W.C. race. He also became the first holder of a splendid 12 inch diameter silver punchbowl presented by the “Sunday Dispatch”. It is interesting to note that 4 hours after he had finished the race, having had a bath and a short nap, Jack was dressed in his working clothes (full evening dress), and he took his position as chief percussionist in the orchestra pit of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. As he struck up the opening drum roll for the overture of the 5 hour Wagnerian epic ‘Die Meistersinger’, there was still over an hour for those left on the road to qualify as Centurions.
It is not recorded when he
eventually got back to his Wimbledon home, but his day had been at least 36 hours long, 18
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