Cannel. Bob finally won out over Richard, 19:46:11 to 19:50:39, to become, at age 59, the oldest winner of an Open event and National championship. It was the closest ever recorded finish in a British 100, with the exception of the joint win by Sandra and Richard Brown in 1992. Overall 15 of the 47 starters reached the hundred milestone, three qualifying as new Centurion members C978 to C980. 2001 saw the death of two of the greats of the Centurion world. In March Frank O'Reilly


C276 died aged 76. Frank had dominated long distance walking in the late fifties and early sixties and was the first walker to break the 17 hour barrier. Then, in June, Gordon Doubleday C142 died after more than 40 years service as treasurer and 15 years as president. In July Jill Green C898 and Herbert Neubacher C959 completed the centurion race in New


Zealand and so joined Sandra Brown as holders of all five centurion badges. No sooner had they joined Sandra in this feat than she raised the ante. Malaysian racewalking judge Khoo Chong Beng had previously announced that Malaysia would be hosting an inaugural 24 Hour Endurance Walk, offering Malaysia Centurion status to anyone reaching the 100 mile mark. The event was held in August with a large field of over 180 starters, including 30 international walkers. Fully sponsored by various Malaysian entities such as the Departments of Tourism and Sport, the organisers were able to fund the trip for selected overseas entrants with subsidised airfares and all Malaysian accommodation costs covered. The race itself was held in the Genting Highlands Resort at 5000’ altitude about an hour’s drive outside Kuala Lumpur and was judged differently to our events; anyone given a report was docked a lap as a penalty. Overall, 11 walkers completed the 100 miles within 24 hours. Sandra Brown was amongst them and thus secured all six Centurion badges. The 2001 race was named the Hedgethorne 100 in tribute to John Hedgethorne C413 whose sudden death was deeply felt throughout the walking fraternity. This energetic walker and race organiser will be remembered by this race held in his home town. Charles Aronsanyan C979 became the first Nigerian to become a Centurion. The 2001 AGM was held at the New Astley Club, Newmarket, and was followed by a most enjoyable 90th anniversary dinner, organised by Ron and Joan Wallwork. The guest speaker was 1960 double Olympic medallist Professor Peter Radford, who had written a much acclaimed book entitled "The Celebrated Captain Barclay". The Lancashire W.C. commemorated its 95th Anniversary in 2002 by hosting a 24 hour


track race at Stanley Park, Blackpool in August. With a restricted field size of only 35 walkers, it was an elite group which greeted the starter's gun and not surprisingly 19 of them completed 100 miles or more. The Blackpool lights certainly brightened up the ordeal for the 3 successful new qualifiers which included two from the host club. Ad Leermakers C561 made history by becoming the first Dutchman to win an English 100 miles/24 hour race and the fourth non-British walker to accomplish this feat. The others were Frenchman C. Hubert in 1953, German G. Nickel in 1967 and the Russian A. Rodionov in 1993. It was a fine result for the organising club with two of the three new centurions, Joe Hardy C981 and Hazel Fairhurst C983 in Lancashire Walking Club colours. The other new centurion, John Stubbs C982, was almost a 'local’, representing Manx Harriers. Roger Le Moine C802 was forced, due to ill health, to announce in December 2002 that he would no longer be able to continue maintaining the fledgling Centurions website and the hunt was on for a new web champion. The mantle would eventually be passed to Kathy Crilley C933. In 2003 Surrey Walking Club decided to break with tradition and stage their four yearly


event away from their home base and so the Rowley Mile winning post at Newmarket once again hosted the start and finish of the Long Distance Walking Championship, with 50 laps in-between for the full distance of 100 miles. The Newmarket venue proved to be the correct choice. If the previous few years had seen only a smattering of new members, 2003 was


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