A HISTORY – 1950’s TO THE NEW MILLENIUM

City of Hull members at Raywell for a club cross-country c1990. This picture, like many in this section, was taken by Laurie Jones. Laurie, a former Bingley Harrier, is a long-term member of the club

The End of the Club Pavilion

When the club sold its land and moved on to the Costello Stadium site with the encouragement of Hull Corporation, it believed it was moving on as the managing club. Yet though the Corporation had been anxious to see the club installed at the track and were happy to see them erect their pavilion, the club's actual status there never seems to have been resolved to the satisfaction of club members. The ambiguity thus created seems to have caused long term problems between the two sides. However, whilst the club no longer owned its own land, at least it retained control of its own club-house.

The Corporation were keen to improve facilities at the track and during the autumn of 1961 club members were informed that the Corporation intended to erect a brand new pavilion by the Costello track and offered a tenancy to Hull Harriers. It was clear that this facility would be open to other clubs and individuals. The club had always had exclusive use of its own facilities since the first pavilion had been built near Blenkin's Farm in 1908. Before making such a move the club were anxious to secure, amongst other things, exclusive use of the facility at key training times. Moreover, the committee were concerned about the level of rent initially proposed. The subsequent negotiations over conditions and usage appear to have been somewhat strained and by early January 1962 the club had received a formal letter from the Town Clerk's Department giving them notice to remove their pavilion from its site at Costello by the 1^st July 1962.  Many members felt aggrieved by such action, especially as they felt they had been encouraged by the Corporation to move on to Costello only a few years before. The two sides continued to argue over the rental rates and a move to other venues, including re-erecting the pavilion near Hessle Tennis Club, was considered, but the club eventually agreed to use the new facility and with some reluctance dismantled and sold off its pavilion by the beginning of July 1962. Facilities at St Marks Church Hall were used as a base for some training runs for a while in order to keep down rental costs and memories of the way the whole issue was handled sometimes soured relationships between the two sides over the ensuing decades. Over a six-year period the club had obtained the use of better track and field facilities at the cost of relinquishing the ownership and management of its own club-house and facilities. Henceforward, it was just one of a number of organisations using a publicly owned and managed sports facility.

Fred Fussle in action on the country

In terms of the facilities it provided, the new pavilion was an improvement. It had separate changing rooms, shower baths and toilets for both sexes and in the centre was a small general club-room. At the same time, the railings which had surrounded the track were moved well back and the layout altered to conform to metric distances which had by then been adopted throughout the world. Over a number of years the changing rooms were extended and improved. Indeed, during the 1960s, many other cities in the north were jealous of the track facilities at Costello.

Running Further Afield

As road running grew in importance so runners began to travel further on a more regular basis during the later 1950s and early 1960s. Initially, few members had cars or motorbikes but as the working week shortened and more came to own vehicles it was that bit easier to travel to out of town races. At first, the marathon and other long distance races such as the London to Brighton and SLH 30 attracted club members but shorter distances, especially 10 mile road races, proved popular. Local road races were also promoted which drew competitors from some distance whilst a number of the club’s runners became known on far and wide for their performances on road and track as well as country.

  
Arthur Nendick and Dennis Briggs in the 1950s

Frank Lucop joined the club in July 1952. He turned up at the Anlaby Park Road club house one Thursday evening intent on becoming a miler. The following Saturday, Arthur Nendick, Dave MacDonald, Colin Waudby and Reg Taylor took him on his first training run, a seven-mile outing round Jenny Brough Lane. It was late in the season to think about mile races and in a short while Frank began making his mark on first the road running and then cross-country scenes.

As his fitness and experience increased, he established himself as one of the club's best runners. He was club marathon Champion on no less than ten occasions - running a pb of 2.31.48 in 1957 and was noted for taking no prisoners in the last few miles at that distance. Off the road he won the club eight mile cross-country championship and finished runner up in the Hull and District Cross-Country Championships on three occasions. In one month in 1957 he ran with Colin Waudby, Dave MacDonald and Mike Kirkwood in the Hull Harriers squad that took the team prizes in both the London to Brighton and South London Harriers '30' road races. One of his most notable individual achievements was to win the Classic South London Harriers '30' in 3.11.00 on a blistering hot day in 1964. He was third in the same race the following year with a pb of 3.02.26 and was part of the squad which took the team prize in this race again in 1967. His team mates on that occasion were Bert Cooper, who took second overall place, and Jim Kirwood...

Mike Kirkwood, Colin Waudby, Frank Lucop and Dave MacDonald

These races were epics in more than one sense for the journey south in those days was sometimes an arduous affair. On one occasion in 1967 Frank Lucop and Bert Cooper, setting off after work on a Friday night, took the ferry to New Holland then travelled down on Frank's Ariel Leader 250cc motor bike. After an overnight stop and then the afternoon race, they made their way back, complete with prizes. On that occasion, Bert, riding pillion, had to carry a standard lamp with him all the way back to Hull.

Through much of the 1950s Dennis Briggs blazed a trail on the track. He made his mark in the Yorkshire Championships in 1952 with fourth place in the mile in 4minutes 33 seconds and as a result was chosen to run for Yorkshire. His notable performance being first with a time of 9 minutes 25 seconds on a heavy grass track in the two mile team race at Mexborough Sports. In that race Hull Harriers won the team prize, beating the favourites, otherham Harriers whose team included England International, Eddie Kirkup. The other members of the Hull team were Fred Fussle and Dave Plewes.

The Ferriby 10

The club has organised a road race named after North Ferriby every winter since the early 1950s. The event originated as a staggered start handicap  along one of the` favourite training routes. The event was first proposed by Cyril Taylor and seconded by Colin Waudby at a committee meeting held at the Church Institute in September 1953. After some discussion about the advisability of adding more races to the club programme it was agreed that the race should go ahead and the first event was held on the 16^th January 1954. Although it was agreed that the race be an open handicap, in the event only East Hull Harriers and Driffield Harriers were invited to participate. First man home being Ray Gray of East Full Harriers whilst the fastest time (56.38) was recorded by Reg Darley of Hull Harriers off scratch. Thirty-three runners competed including Dennis Briggs, Frank Lucop, Harry Benson, Jack Leach and Arthur Nendick. Afterwards the club secretary noted that "the distance proved very popular, being not too far for the cross-country men and not too short for the marathon runners".  Reg Darley was to be fastest man again the following year and was a particularly versatile runner, being able to perform well at any distance from 220 yards upwards. His decision to emigrate to Canada shortly afterwards was a particular loss to the club.

Competitors prepare for the start of the Ferriby 10 in the 1960s. Club President, Stan Pleasants, has the megaphone

The third event was held on the 25^th February 1956 and won by Wally Bent of the host club in 54.19 whilst Arthur Nendick was the first man home. Thirty four runners from three clubs, the others being East Hull Harriers and Ideal Standard A.C., completed the race. The following year, the club's official backing for road racing was extended, the staggered start was abandoned and the Ferriby 10 made an open race. The race was held on the 23^rd February 1957 and Joe Lancaster of Manchester A.C., the world twenty mile champion, crossed the line in 53.40. The event had established itself and over the following years began to attract athletes from far and wide. Times continued to improve with our own Harry Benson winning the 1958 race in 52.31 after passing the five mile mark in 26.20. Harry, a boxer during his National Service Days, had started running whilst at Grammar School in Sheffield and after leaving the army had joined Hallamshire before joining Hull Harriers on moving to the area in the 1950s. During his time with the club Harry has at various times held the posts of Captain, Secretary and President and apart from winning the Ferriby '10' had runs in both local Cross-Country events and the Northern Counties Cross-Country Championships.

In 1960 Stan Sykes of Longwood Harriers lowered the fastest time for the Ferriby '10' to 51.02. Variations on the original route from Costello Stadium, which passed through North Ferriby and made use of Swanland Hill, were used until 1962 but thereafter had to be abandoned because of the high traffic levels on the A63. The race moved to a new 10 mile 120 yard course which no more than glanced at Ferriby from the top of Swanland Hill.

For this area, however, the course was somewhat formidable, making full use of the edges of the Yorkshire Wolds. Though never really steep, the route from 2 to 5.5 miles was an almost continuous pull through Anlaby, Kirkella and Westella. This section sapped the legs of many who had set off too quickly. After passing up Swanland's main street and by its village pond, the  highest and most easterly point was reached. Before long competitors found themselves on the fast downhill stretches of Tranby and Jenny Brough Lanes. By the time Hessle was reached most races had been either lost or won.

Many competitors returned to run the event year after year. One member of Hull Harriers, Jack Leach, actually had his ashes scattered on the course, others have had their hopes of a fast dispersed in a similar fashion.

In the 1990s the construction of a new stretch of the busy A1079 road to the Humber Bridge cut across the route and the race moved to a new course from Skidby through Little Weighton and Rowley before returning to a finish on Harland way in Cottingham. The first race on this route was held in 1991 but a few year's later the route was modified to reach Riplingham Cross Roads and start and finish in Skidby. This latter route is perhaps the slowest of the four courses the event has been held over but in  2003 attracted one of the largest entries for years.

 
Two pictures from the Ferriby 10 in the 1980s

Being a winter road race, one expects the weather to be bad but the elements often seem to be able to pull out a really dirty day to greet the runners. In 1957, the first open race, heavy sleet fell throughout the event and competitors ran into a biting easterly wind on the second half of the course. All finished with a sheet of ice on their chest and arms and found it practically impossible to hold a cup of tea as they shivered so violently in the showers whilst thawing out. In 1985 Jim Dingwall had to scamper home over a layer of thick snow to win in 51.30. The year after, as on so many other occasions, competitors ran into the teeth of gale on the long climb out whilst in 2000 the officials in the finishing funnel on Keldgate Road , including the 84 year old Arthur Nendick, worked on through the blizzard like conditions to record all finishers. Yet such atrocious conditions are perhaps part and parcel of the event's highly individual character.

Such weather may at times have had an effect on the overall number of entries but has not prevented many top names turning out in the past. Previous winners include Malcolm Prince in 1981 (49.51) and Jimmy Ashworth (49.25) two years later. The fastest time recorded on any of the courses was set by Brendan Foster in 1980. Being in fine form and benefiting from slightly better weather, he devastated the field to win in 48.01. No one else has come within a minute of that time.

City of Hull Athletic Club (incorporating Hull Harriers)

In 1970 Hull Harriers joined forces with Hull Achilles and took on the name of City of Hull Athletic Club. The club gained the membership of Bob and Pam Piercy, English international 800 metre runners who gave a terrific boost to the track athletics. After amalgamation the club had a substantial Ladies Section. In some respects the choosing of the new name meant that the wheel had turned full circle, for many of the club's founding fathers had been members of the long defunct Hull Athletic Club.

During the 1960s and the 1970s, many of the club’s athletes made their mark including Pete Collinson, Peter Chapman and Barry Short. The first half of the 1970s were also a time of great success for the Boys, Youths and Junior teams coached by the two Petes, Jarvis and Chapman. Martin Farrall, Steve Rennie, John Devaney, K. Hodsman, Steve Scargill and Barry James all date from this era. The boys won a string of team events in 1970 including the Yorkshire Championships when Ray Cocks took the individual title, after taking the lead in the two mile event at the halfway stage. They finished second to Sale in the Northern Cross-Country Championships held at Blackburn, well ahead of Middlesborough the third placed club. The club took the Yorkshire Youths Championship in 1973 and Cocks took the individual title. The team went on to win the Northern Youths title at Blackpool, finishing 35 points ahead of their closest rivals Liverpool Harriers. In that race Cocks finished second whilst Steve Rennie and Steve Scargill finished ninth and eleventh respectively.  In 1974 City of Hull’s Youths and Junior teams both finished third in the English Championships which attracted more than 2000 runners whilst the Juniors took the Yorkshire Junior Championship title in 1974. The following year the Juniors not only took the Yorkshire Championships again (Malcolm Prince, Steve Rennie, Ray Cocks and John Devaney)  but finished second in both the Northerns and National Cross-Country Championships. The counting team members in both of these races were Malcolm Prince, Ray Cocks, Steve Rennie and Steve Scargill.

Throughout this period many of the youngsters achieved individual representative honours. Carl Nightingale, John Devaney, Steve Rennie, Steve

Scargill, Barry James, K. Hodsman and Martin Farrell all represented Yorkshire at one level or another. But although there was much individual success the emphasis was always on team spirit and a hard training regime which at one time prompted one newspaper to ask if City of Hull A.C. had the fittest youngsters in England. Many of them went on to become exceptionally good club runners at Senior Level and some such as Steve Rennie and Martin Farrall won a number of club, local and regional races over the following years. Ray Cocks’s pinnacle was being awarded his international vest as first reserve for the England under 19 team for the international cross-country championships at Monza in Italy. However, Malcolm Prince enjoyed the greatest success as a Senior becoming a full international. Malcolm won an impressive range of representative honours and major titles and, whilst still a sixteen year old, he set a world best performance for that age in the 10,000 metres when he recorded a time of 31 minutes and five seconds in finishing second to Barry Short in the club’s 10,000 metre Championship at Costello in 1972.

The fixture cards covering the 1898/9, 1927/8 and 1970/71 seasons give some indication of how activities had widened by the 1970s. By the latter year, of course, the club has become City of Hull Atletic Club. In that year the traditional First and Final Runs of the cross-country season were still being held, but these soon ceased. The 1970/1 fixture card belonged to Reg Taylor, a President on the club.

Malcolm Prince and Ted Coggin both became full internationals whilst members of the club. Great Britain international Jim Dingwall captained the Scottish cross-country team whilst club captain and in the late 1980s Dominic Gibbons, Tanya Blake, Andy Gill and Jeanette MacLean brought honour to both club and city by winning junior international vests for track and field.

From the beginning of the 1980s the club benefited from the "Running Boom" which saw thousands of people take up – or return – to running at this time. Amongst the runners who joined the club in this period were the Slater brothers, George, Tony and Phil. George went on to become club captain. Others included Alan Fowlie, Gordon Jibson, Dave Brooke, Phil Groves, John Matthews, Terry Davis, Ian Adams, Robb Robinson, Frank Harrison and, later, Mike Baggott and Pete Blowers. A small cohort of women also came to the fore during this decade and enjoyed a substantial degree of success on the road country and track both locally and on the wider stage. They included Denise Briggs, Ann Sweeney and Jeannie Coupland. Denise and Jeannie are, of course, daughters of well known club members, Dennis Briggs and Bob Coupland, but made a substantial mark in their own right.

The number of races available across the country mushroomed during this decade with a large number of marathons and half marathons, as well as 10 mile and 10K road races attracting substantial fields. Runners from the club were usually competing far and wide across the north of England and beyond on many weekends.

The Champagne League

The Champagne League originated in the first half of the 1970s. There was usually a break between the end of the track season in September and the opening of the cross-country season in October and in those years there were very few short road races around. The club would finish the track season with its own Championships and to make these more interesting, the mile, 5K and 10K races were handicapped. In 1974 points were awarded according to handicap positions and two short road races around the Costello area were introduced. The total points from all these events were added together to form a league table. The first year saw twenty competitors, many of them juniors who were coached by Peter Jarvis, take part. This competition was the precursor of the Champagne League.

Robb Robinson, Phil Groves and Darren Bilton half way through the 1985 Champagne League Race at South Cave.

By 1976 guests from East Hull were competing and during the following year a small group of runners came over from the West Riding. In 1978 the numbers entering the competition reached fifty, far too many for track races to be included. These were thus dropped from the schedule and more road races were introduced. The handicap added to the popularity of the race series giving everyone a chance. More and more veterans joined in, enabling the series to take place throughout the summer months.

Increased road traffic, especially around the Costello area made it necessary to move out into the country for suitable courses and a number of off road races were added at Beverley Westwood, Brantingham and Wauldby. Two of these events, the Brantingham Chase, and the 8.4 mile circuit at Waudby have been held every year - with the exception of 2001 when alternative races were held because foot and mouth restrictions. Other popular venues in recent years have been the three mile race from Sancton - during one race there Derek Ricketts was felled by a running sheep - North Cave, Bishop Burton and the Humber Foreshore between Hessle and Ferriby.

Champagne League Competitors at Raywell - late 1980s

In 1980 some eighty plus runners entered the series which had by then had risen to twelve races and the best ten handicap scores counted towards the league, the twenty pence entry fee providing vouchers for the race winners. It was in that year that the series acquired the Champagne tag. Egon Gifhorn, a local businessman, sampled the pleasures of running for the first time. He enjoyed it so much that at the end of the series he presented bottles of wine to the handicap winners and a bottle of Champagne to the overall series winner. Unfortunately, by 1983 he had disappeared from the scene but even without the "bubbly" the series continued under its Champagne League banner. The races, which by now were held in the spring and early summer and run in conjunction with the East Hull Harriers Summer League, benefited from the running boom of the early eighties which saw many people take up running for the first time and join local clubs. By the end of the 1980s over one hundred runners were entering the series with fields of eighty plus in nearly every race.

The end of a Brantingham Chase

The number of races in the series was reduced to ten and to allow for holidays, the Champagne League Trophy was awarded to the runner with the best eight scores. In 1986 a yellow jersey was introduced and this competition is for those who compete in every race. This is probably the most prestigious competition within the League and the total accumulated times determines the winner.  Although there is no trophy as yet, every one who completes the ten races gets an exclusive T Shirt and there are also prizes for the various veterans categories. In later years an informal team race was included. The teams of three can be a mixture from any of the competing clubs and be any age or sex. In 1990 about six teams were formed but by 2001 some thirty teams entered under a variety of weird and wonderful names. A further competition spun off from the League is a Knockout Trophy whereby runners predict their finishing time. Those taking part are not allowed to wear their watches and the best 50% of predictions go forward to the next round. In 2000 a green jersey competition was also added and this is awarded to the most consistent runner through the series.

During the 1990s the number of women competing in the League gradually increased and in 1997 Pete Taylor, the computerised results/statistics whizz kid presented a women's trophy based on handicap points. However, women have always been eligible for the Champagne League Trophy and have won it on several occasions since the 1980s.

By the 1980s the Champagne League had filled part of the hole left by the ending of the old paper chases in the 1960s. Over the years the composition of the field has changed dramatically. When the first race series started in 1974 about 75% of the runners were juniors and there were no women entrants. In 2001 less than 10% of those entering were under forty and the field included four veterans over the age of seventy. In the opening race of the 2003 series 31 of the 131 finishers were women. Initially all runners were from City of Hull but by the 1990s runners came from a wide variety of local clubs including East Hull Harriers, Haltemprice, Springhead, Beverley, Bridlington and Scarborough. The series has been masterminded by Peter Jarvis who has put an inestimable amount of time into its planning and organisation. At first all races were held within the city boundaries in the vicinity of Costello. Today, most events take place out of town and on the road or country.

Ironically, despite organising the event for twenty-eight years, he has never had the opportunity to run in any of the races. Peter Jarvis even managed to locate suitable emergency courses for many of the races which had to be cancelled in 2001 because of the Foot and Mouth disease precautions and the full menu of events was run on schedule over the spring and summer months. He is supported by a dedicated band without whose help these races could not take place.

Newsletters have been a major means of keeping members involved and informed and the club's journal during much of the 1980s and 1990s was Distance News which was started by Peter Flatman in his days as club captain and was successively edited by Alan Fowlie, Dave Sewell, Robb Robinson and Stuart Buchan. For more than 25 years one of the highlights of the year for the men's section was the annual training week in Wales. As many as twenty-five members used to descend on Mr Jones's in Dyffryn Ardudwy where they camped in a field behind his farm. Here, they contended not only with big hills but also the huge and delicious portions served up by the Peter Jarvis catering emporium. It was the only place where club members could run up to one hundred miles in a week and still put on weight.

  
Fred Fussle and Peter Jarvis and Bert Cooper and John Bryson in action in Wales

 The Llanbedr '9' before breakfast was perhaps something better experienced than described as was the run over the mountains to Barmouth and the jaunt back by beach after liquid refreshment at the Tal Y Bont. In the 1990s a substantial group of runners started going to Moorside Farm near Longnor in Derbyshire each year where they sampled the hills of the Peak District and hospitality of Charlie Futcher. The challenges on this soujourn included running run up The Rake, a steep hill near the farm, without stopping and getting to Leek over the Moors without going off course near the Lake. In 2002 the summer outing moved on to Swaledale and some glorious running in the Yorkshire Dales.

Gordon Jibson in action over the country in Wales. Few runners would get more miles in during Wales Week

The Wolds Way Relay

The plan to organise a club relay along the eighty-two mile footpath which meanders its way from Filey Brigg to Hessle Foreshore was conceived by Dave Ainsworth in 1983. Dave not only came up with the idea but also carried out much of the detailed organisation. Assisted by Trev Gray, he surveyed the course, drew up the various legs and change over points and supplied maps for those running each section. The original aim was to break a record set by a walkers organisation for completing the route and the first event, held in October 1983 was organised with military precision. The teams left Costello early in the morning in vans and mini-buses and the first runners set off from Filey Brigg at 8.30 in the morning. The event required map reading skills as well as a fast pace, especially in some of the more remote northerly sections of the route where it was relatively easy to go off course. In the event, only the runners on the Sherburn Road to Wintringham and Thixendale to Fridaythorpe legs went seriously off course but the time this cost the runners was not enough to prevent the runners from setting a new record when they arrived at Hessle Haven in some nine hours and twenty-two minutes after leaving Filey Brigg. Later in the evening a high spirited social was organised for the team, supporters, friends and relations in the Ferry Boat Inn.

Two views of the Wolds Way Relay. In the firs Dave Brooke and Steve James watch the changeover whilst in the second Billy Collinson’s crew provide the much needed sustenance

Over the next few years a number of organisations tried to beat the time but failed and in 1989 the club decided to repeat the relay as part of the "Centenary" Celebrations. This time Paul Peacock was oversaw the organisation. Dave Ainsworth supplied the original maps whilst Paul spent some time with Robb Robinson, Arthur Gill and Pete Chapman on various parts of the course going over the details in the preceding weeks. On this occasion the runners avoided the mistakes of the previous years, although there was a hiccup on stage twelve, the Londesborough to Arrass Hill leg. However, Mike Baggott made up much of the lost time with a storming run on Stage 13, Arrass to Swindale. Even so, it was apparent to all that breaking the record was going to be no pushover and but, Paul Peacock, like all the good movie directors, kept something special up his sleeve for the finish by saving some of his fast runners for an epic finish. On the penultimate stage Adrian Hill and Andy Ulrick could be seen hurdling fences down the Humber after a superb run from Brantingham and at Ferrriby they handed  over the batons to Paul Scott and Mike Lake who made the final dash along the Humber Bank to Hessle. The whole team was elated when the pair arrived at the Ferry Boat Inn on Hessle Haven some seven and a half minutes to the good with a time of 9.14.14. Calor Gas struck up a barbecue (Martin Farrell was by now on his sixth hamburger of the day) and handed out very welcome liquid refreshments.

Details of Stage 5 of the Wolds Way Relay Courtesy of John Easterbrook

In 1990 East Hull Harriers took up the challenge with relish and on their first outing - over ten rather than twelve legs they completed the full route in 9.25.31. Their team ran the route from Hessle Haven to Filey Brigg - the opposite direction - possibly a harder direction and threw down the gauntlet to City of Hull. The result was an open race between several local clubs the following year. In that race, City of Hull Senior team built up a substantial lead  before half way and looked in an unassailable position until one of their team went wildly off course on the leg by Millington Pastures and the City of Hull Veteran team came past them to take a lead which they never lost. The same leg caused problems for the City of Hull team another year and lost them the race.

The Wolds Way not only took a lot of planning but also required an early start. Clusters of competitors and supporters would congregate on Filey Brigg to see the first leg runners start against the backdrop – depending on the weather and time of year – of either a grim and grey or shimmering North Sea. Convoys of cars then chased along quiet lanes and across the open country of the High Wolds to collect at the various changeover points where over all would strain eyes and ears to catch the first glimpse of the incoming runners racing through the fields and hedgerows of this beautiful stretch of countryside or to shout support for their team member on his or her way up some steep chalky path or furrowed footpath. Those who had completed a leg before half-way had time to stop off at the Cross Keys in Thixendale for both food and refreshment before rushing on to catch up with the race on a later leg. The great thing about the Wolds Way Relay was the uncertainty: it was often to predict which team would actually be in front by the line at Hessle Haven.  It only took one runner to go off course on one leg for the nature of the whole race to change.

Wolds Way Relay Results 1991

City of Hull Athletic Club (incorporating Hull Harriers)

Over the long years since Hull Harriers first ran on the country a number of other clubs have come and gone. Others have stayed and flourished. Often these clubs have been formed by former members of Hull Harriers and City of Hull. In the 1983, for example Brian Spratt and Rob Fitzjohn left to form Hull Springhead Harriers and soon had a large membership and a club-house at Springhead.  A number of members of City of Hull also left to re-form Hull Achilles. Both these clubs have enjoyed considerable success but the remaining members, anxious to protect their Hull Harriers' lineage and trophies, changed their name once more in 1987, this time to City of Hull Athletic Club (incorporating Hull Harriers).

Despite these splits, City of Hull enjoyed considerable success in the late 1980s. The ladies and men's sections were replaced by track and field and road and country sections and the advantages of the reorganisation was perhaps reflected in results. In 1989 David Tune won the Yorkshire Junior Cross-Country title at Pudsey whilst the men's track and field teams were ranked as third Yorkshire and seventh northern team in the rankings compiled by Today's Runner magazine, thanks in no small way to their dedication and the hard work and enthusiasm of their coaches. The Ladies track and field - who were the first in the Hull area to reach division one in the UK League back in 1982 after seven successive years of promotion - often dominated the local scene and had 26 entries in the 1989 Women's National Track and Field rankings. In the same year Andy Gill, Tanya Blake and Jeanette McLean won junior international events; the veteran squad of Jim Dingwall, John Matthews, Phil Groves and Pete Flatman took second place in the European Veterans 10k held in Bruges whilst Eric Seedhouse gained an international vest in the 100k and won the London to Brighton Road Race. Glen Hood, a relative newcomer to the club in the later 1980s, discovered a talent for road running that brought him several prizes in the over 60s categories towards the end of that decade and beyond.

Track and Field Athletes c1990

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the main run of the week was from Costello Stadium on a Tuesday but in summer the run from Raywell on a Thursday night was often – and indeed still is - very popular. Variations on a course of up to about eight and a half miles – depends who you talk to - were run from April to October and the great thing about these routes, which include part of the very tracks run over by the club’s forefathers in the first run of 1882, is the diversity of country covered: uphill, downhill, woods and open fields, all variations are covered and no more than a handful of houses are passed on the entire route. Sunday mornings have also proved a popular run for those willing to get out of bed early and meet in Brantingham Dale in winter or at the top of Beverley Clump in summer. One and a half hours over the country in all weathers with Gordon Jibson on a Sunday morning will wake anyone up.

For those who have run on a Sunday Morning this photograph, taken by Laurie Jones at the end of an outing in the 1980s, will need no further words

During the 1980s the Costello stadium building was completely rebuilt and an impressive stand with changing rooms and indoor training facilities replaced the wooden pavilion. These facilities allowed indoor training, provided ample spectator provision and represented a real bonus for the city. However, many members of the club felt that the new facilities, whilst impressive, did not take sufficient account of the needs of the athletic clubs that by now used the stadium. Criticisms were levelled regarding the fact that the club room was often hired out for private parties and that there were sometimes problems with club helpers members providing tea and refreshments for their members on training nights and during athletic meetings. In short, they felt that the club environment – so important for the continuing vitality of athletics - was not always nurtured by the new facilities. Such problems were a renewed source of aggravation with local government but did improve somewhat after meetings with local officials and help from the stadium management from the later 1980s.

"Centenary" Celebrations

Centenary Celebrations at Costello in 1989 – the day of the 100 x 1 mile Relay

Despite the club’s long and illustrious history, one thing it certainly managed to lose – or more accurately miss – was it centenary. Thanks to the destruction/dispersal of early records – due to Zeppelin attack on the clubhouse and the passage of time, the club had long marked 1889 as the date when Hull Harriers were formed. That was the year when the club had played an important part in the formation of the Hull and District Cross-Country Association. Celebration dinners were held in 1939 and 1959 to mark what were believed to be the fiftieth and seventieth anniversaries respectively and at the 1939 dinner the club had been presented with its fine Jubilee Trophy by Grimsby Harriers in recognition of its role in local harrier circles. When 1989 – and the centenary – approached, Robb Robinson was asked to research into the origins of the club for the celebrations. A survey of old newspapers and various other records that were unearthed showed that the club’s origins could actually be traced back to 1882.

Despite this disconcerting discovery the club decided to go ahead and celebrate its "centenary" in 1989. A range of different events were organized and held. These included a re-enactment of the original paper chase along the route of the first run in November 1882, the hares on this occasion being Gordon Jibson and Robb Robinson. A Wolds Way Relay Race was held and the club broke its own record for the event and a 100 x 1 mile relay was held at Costello with members past and present between the ages of ten and eighty-four taking part. The club also organised and hosted the Yorkshire Cross-Country Championships on Beverley Westwood and finished as creditable third team in the Senior Championship event. The final event was a club dinner attended by more than 100 people at the Duke of Cumberland in Ferriby and David Bedford was the guest speaker. The event did a great deal for the club spirit but the earnest hope is that the bi-centenary can be celebrated on the proper anniversary.

Jeannie and Bob Coupland in the Centenary 100 x 1 mile Relay.

The 1990s

During the early 1990s the club was involved in as wider range of athletic competitions as it had ever been. Apart from the track and field, cross-country, Champagne League and club races a large number of external road races were available each year, both locally and across the country. In order to try and concentrate efforts for the road and country section a Pounds for Points system was introduced in 1992 under the captaincy of Mike Lake. Under this system points were awarded according to finishing position in specified key races and for a time this helped encourage a concentration of effort. Other runners who came to the forefront in the late 1980s and early 1990s included Paul Marlin, John Redmond and Adrian Hill.

A number of senior runners performed extremely well during this period including Erik Seedhouse and Andy Lyons. Seedhouse, a former paratrooper, who had run some extremely fast marathons in the mid-1980s turned increasingly to ultra-distance events later in the decade. In 1989, he won the London to Brighton Race and finished sixth in the Duluth 100k. During this stage of his running career he had a string of victories including the South London Harriers '30' in 1990, the Barry '40', the Lincoln 50km and the Vanersborg 50km in Sweden. In 1991 he won the AAA 100km and by the middle of 1992, he was averaging between 120 and 130 miles per week and ranked eighth in the world 100km all time list with a pb of 6 hours 33 minutes.

Andy Lyons, who started his running career when at Cottingham School, joined City of Hull A.C. and went on to Loughborough University. Whilst there he began to be coached by City of Hull's Trevor Therkelson and won the British University Cross-Country title and the Northern Counties 5000 metres. He competed in the World Student Games in Sheffield in 1991. In 1992 he won a number of races including the Overton International Five Mile in 23.27. but in July that year, pulled on a British vest for the first time in the Welsh Games at Cwmbran, finishing fourth in the 3000 metres behind two Kenyans and an Australian.

Mike Lake and Brian Ward in action on the road

The Senior men's Track and Field Team who were promoted to Division One in the Northern Men's League consolidated their position over the following couple of seasons finishing 3^rd in 1994. The changes in the club's structure in the late 1980s and the hard work of the coaches seemed to have helped develop talent throughout the ranks. The club was enjoying one of its best periods of success although in 1994 the retiring track and field manager Captain, Mark Ding still felt this represented an under-achievement given the talent theoretically available by that time. Indeed, the diffusion of effort across a wide range of events coupled with the reluctance of some athletes, especially those Senior members with family commitments, to travel far on a weekend was a perennial problem for many clubs. In some years the club failed, as it had on occasions in earlier decades, to turn out teams in key events such as the Northern and National Cross-Country Championships, despite the sterling efforts of Captain Pat Howdle, the former Olympic Biathlete who had joined from East Hull Harriers in the early 1990s.

In the meantime the club's veteran performances continued to improve. Since the 1970s an increasing number of road and cross-country runners continued to compete after they had achieved veteran status on their fortieth birthday. In the 1980s, for example, Pete Flatman ran a number of sub-50 minute ten mile road races on becoming a veteran. Increasing participation by veterans of all ages was a national as well as a local trend and is a most positive physical manifestation of the Sport for All concept, although it has meant that there has sometimes been a shortage of officials for some events as many have been competing instead.

Another picture of the Wales Camp in the 1980s

By the time many runners reached veteran status their families have grown up and a number probably have more time to train and race. Some of those, who took advantage of the trend towards early retirement in the later 1980s and 1990s, have really been able to capitalise on this situation to become formidable over 50 year old competitors, and Steve James is perhaps the best example of this. Steve, who joined the club from Southport Harriers when his wife took up a post at Hull University had already taken early retirement before moving to the area. He had been a formidable competitor in the 1950s, winning the Oxford Mile, the year after Roger Bannister ran under four minutes in 1954. Steve held a string of veteran records and won a host of titles before and after joining the club. He took the Yorkshire Veteran 50 cross-country title in 1992 and 1993. In 1995 he took the over 55 title and was in fact first finisher in the over 50s competition. He rounded of the year at the World veteran's Championships in Buffalo, taking Gold in the 10,000 metres, Bronze in the 5,000 metres whilst finishing fourth in the cross-country and sixth in the cross-country. Unfortunately, for the club, his wife's career took him back to Lancashire that year and he rejoined Southport Waterloo who he has continued to represent on the national veteran stage although he continued to join the City of Hull training camp in the Peak District during several summers and maintains his links with the local runners.

A Run from Peter Jarvis’s House on Boxing Day in the 1980s

The later 1990s also saw the rise and rise of Darren Bilton. Darren had made a promising mark as a Junior and young senior but had drifted away from competitive running for some time before making a comeback. In 1996 he finished third in the Ferriby 10 with a time of 51.13, some three seconds behind Paul Marlin and by 1999 had taken up the Marathon in a most focused fashion, finishing 38^th overall in the London in 2.21.34, following that performance in November with victory in the Roundhay Park 5 mile with a time of 24.56. As a result he was selected for the North of England in an inter-area match in Portsmouth, finishing fourth counter in his team with a time of 24.36.

City of Hull and Kingston Athletic Club

Early in the new millennium proposals were mooted to form a new large club out of all the existing clubs. The idea was to focus talent within one organisation. However, as plans progressed it became evident that a number of Hull clubs, including East Hull Harriers and Hull Achilles were unlikely to join. The issue proved particularly traumatic for City of Hull members. Although the track and field section seemed strongly in favour of joining the new set up the road and country section was much more split on the issue. The end result was a split: a substantial group of the road and country section elected to join the new club along with the track and field section whilst the remainder of their former running mates decided to continue with the old club. At the end of March 2001 both went their separate ways. Those electing to stay with City of Hull drew up a new constitution thus ensuring the continuity of its competitions and trophies. The reconstituted club also decided to move from Costello where it was felt the new Kingston Club was likely to be given preferential treatment and moved base to Haltemprice Sports Centre this severing a connection with the Anlaby Park stadium that had lasted since its inception.

At first, prospects for City of Hull looked less than rosy. Many of the best and country runners had joined the new set up at Costello and the club found itself finishing third or fourth in local events. Moreover, one of the club’s most effective veterans during the 1990s, John Bobzuc, collapsed and died during the Champagne League Race at Sancton in April 2002. Yet slowly but surely the club pulled back. Arthur Nendick came back as President to steer the club into the new millennium and the untiring efforts of Peter Jarvis, Bob Dennison, Gordon Jibson and the committee brought the situation round. By the spring of 2003 the club had more members than before the split – including a number who have rejoined from Kingston - and now has the largest number of women road and country runners – including Tanya Wardell and Helen Sampson - it has ever known. New front runners have emerged. Initially, Wilf McSherry made the running for the reconstituted club and lately he has been joined by Colin Langley who has blazed his way through the club competitions over the last year.

Outside of the Champagne League season, the club meets every Tuesday at Haltemprice Sports Centre but a large number of runners of all sorts of age ability and background join Peter Jarvis’s Monday night training session which in winter are held on the Humber Bridge Car Park and in the summer on the playing fields in Willerby. Runs are also held from Haltemprice on a Thursday and also on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

And so the unique story of our club and its members continues. Perhaps this is an appropriate point, as we move forward in the New Millenium, to take a moment to remember and thank those who, in the words of the former club President, Stan Pleasants, "laid the trail".

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