LEICESTERSHIRE AND RUTLAND ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
An analysis of the Power of 10 "All Time" Rankings shows that County clubs have had what it takes to make it to the top ten in the UK.
SENIORS: Diana Davies, (Leicester Coritanian AC) has held the UK High Jump Record since 1982. In the Top 10 we also have Tara Krzywicki (Charnwood AC) ranked 7th in 3000m S/C; Phil Vesty (Leicester Walking Club) ranked 9th in the 20K Walk; and Jack Buckner (Charnwood AC) ranked 4th in 5000m and 7th in the 3000m.
YOUNGER AGE GROUPS: Helen Worsey (Leicester Coritanian AC) still holds the top position for U17s 80mH and 60mH (indoors); Eden Francis (Leicester Coritanian AC) holds the top spot for U20s Discus. In the rest of the Top 10 Rankings we can also find: Coritanian athletes: Claire Allen, Sean Ashton, Grant Baker, Eden Francis, Denae Matthew, Callum Priestley, Justine Roach, Helen Titterington, Lisa York; and Charnwood athletes: Julian Adiran, Dominic Girdler, Lloyd Gumbs, Daniel Maynard.
Check out the full list of the Leicestershire club athletes rankings by clicking here
(See the additional performance rankings of Brian Adams, Dick Callan, Shirley Clelland, Brenda Flowers, Janet Heaney, Craig Mochrie, Chris Monk, Glenys Morton, Adrian Royle: they are all still ranked on the "All-Time" lists - fantastic testament to their performances of over 25 years ago).
Brief History of the early Leicestershire County Amateur Athletics Association
(For a fuller version see Jim Sharlott’s (1994) “On the Starting Line”: ISBN 0901 675253)
At the start of the twentieth century there were two big debates in athletics. One was about “Amateurs and Professionals” – competing for prize money or making a living from athletics was not to be part of the new amateur associations. The second concerned gambling, betting and various malpractices within the sport and the new County Associations set themselves up to ban some of these practices and “clean up” the sport. The new ideas were being put forward by the Amateur Athletic Association under a scheme of “reconstruction” of the sport. The Leicestershire AAA was founded in 1919 when Leicester Harrier Secretary, Fred Cox, invited a number of people to a meeting. As a result, the County Association became the first in the country to be set up in the scheme of reconstruction, holding the first County Association Championships in the country on June 9th, 1919. These were held at the County Cricket ground. These Championships were held every year to the present day, other than the WW2 years and in 1950 when no suitable venue could be found!
Past Presidents of the County Association (in chronological order) were: Sir Samuel Faire, Tom Hatton, Sidney Charles Packer, Samuel Livingston, JA Wagstaff, Len Shipman, John Smith, Sam Kellock, Ernie Boot, Stan Dawson, Jim Sharlott, Eric Gamble, Ted Toft, Peter Adams, June Clarke, Gordon Ward, Jose Clarke, Ken Oldfield, Tony Clarke, Gordon Ward, Ted Toft, Derek Johnson, Sylvia Markham, and (currently) Ken Bray.
There are many stories of the history of the Association which many readers may have so please let us know if you have some to share with readers of the website. Currently the Association (now the Leicestershire & Rutland Athletic Association) meets regularly to discuss the organisation and development of the sport in the County. Contributions are welcome from the clubs, athletes, coaches and technical officials who are so vital to the continuation of athletics in the County. In the current climate of restructuring and re-organisation it is difficult to know what the future holds. However the Association will continue to hold County events, and will provide opportunities for the development of local athletes as well as to provide technical officials for these events.
[Details of the clubs currently affiliated to the Association is on the Committee page]