Hillingdon Athletic Club

Hillingdon Athletic Club is a British athletics club based in Uxbridge, west London and Ruislip, northwest London, England. The club's headquarters and clubhouse are based at 206 Bury Street in Ruislip but training and racing takes place at the Hillingdon Athletics Stadium in Uxbridge. The club train five days per week and is affiliated with UK Athletics, the South of England AA and Middlesex County AA.^[1]

Hillingdon Athletic Club

Founded	1877
Ground	Hillingdon Athletics Stadium
Location	1 Gatting Way, Uxbridge London, UB8 1ES, England
Coordinates	51°33′12″N 0°27′59″W
Website	official website

History

The stadium in 2011

David Hemery

The club's origins date back to 1877 when a group called the Gentlemen of Hampstead founded the Finchley Harriers following a meeting at the North Star Tavern.^[1] The first run took place 8 November 1879.^[2]

In 1899 and 1900 Charles Bennett won the individual title at the English National Cross Country Championships, while the Harriers won the team title in 1900 in Rotherham.^[3] Bennett went on to win the club's first Olympic medals at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris.^[4]

In 1933, the Finchley Harriers introduced the Finchley Road Race, which became a prestigious event^[5] and was later renamed the Hillingdon 20.^[1]

Shortly after World War II in 1946, Roger Bannister joined the club before moving to University and in 1949 the original clubhouse on Bury Street was built by the Finchley Harriers.^[1]

In 1951, Ruislip and Northwood Athletics Club was founded^[1] but later merged with Finchley Harriers to form the Hillingdon Athletic Club on 1 October 1966.^[6] Further clubs merged with Hilllingdon AC afterwards (Hillingdon and Harlington AC in 1970, Uxbridge & District Ladies in 1990 and Brunel Juniors in 2006).^[1]

In 1976 the current clubhouse on Bury Street was built and the Don Hirst Trust Fund was set up in 1985.^[1]

In 2006 the Athletics Stadium was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.^[7]

Honours

• English National Cross Country Championships team winners: 1900
• English National Cross Country Championships individual winners: 1899, 1900

Notable athletes

Olympians

Athlete	Club	Games	Events	Medals/Ref
Charles Bennett	Finchley Harriers	1900	marathon, steeplechase, team race	[8]
Frederick Randall	Finchley Harriers	1900	marathon	[9]
Frederick Ashford	Finchley Harriers	1908	800m	[10]
Meyrick Chapman	Finchley Harriers	1908	100m	[11]
Eric Shirley	Finchley Harriers	1956, 1960	steeplechase	[12]
Frank Salvat	Finchley Harriers	1960	5000m	[13]
Frances Slaap	Ruislip & Northwood AC	1960, 1964	high jump	[14]
Pat Pryce-Nutting	Ruislip & Northwood AC/Hillingdon AC	1960, 1964, 1968	80m hurdles	[15]
Gwenda Matthews	Ruislip & Northwood AC	1964	high jump	[16]
David Hemery	Hillingdon AC	1968, 1972	400mH, 4x400m relay	[17]
Barry King	Hillingdon AC	1972	decathlon	[18]
Paul Dickenson	Hillingdon AC	1976, 1980	hammer
Mark Naylor	Hillingdon AC	1980, 1984	high jump	[19]
Alec Leonce	Hillingdon AC	1988	bobsleigh	[20]
Julia Bleasdale	Hillingdon AC	2012	5,000/10,000m	[21]

• English unless stated

Commonwealth Games

Athlete	Club	Games	Events	Medals/Ref
Len Carter	Ruislip & Northwood AC	1962	4x100m relay
John Adey	Finchley Harriers	1966	4x400 relay
Peter Gabbett	Hillingdon AC	1970	decathlon
Mike Campbell	Hillingdon AC	1970	high jump
John Hillier	Hillingdon AC	1974, 1978	discus
Graham Gower	Hillingdon AC	1974	110m hurdles