Manchester Harriers & A.C. regret to advise the cancellation of their two June events:
The 13th Joe Moran Memorial Veteran Track & Field Meeting on Wednesday 10th June 2020
The Manchester Mile on Wednesday 24th June 2020
The decision hasn’t been an easy one. It follows advice from England Athletics that they are extending the suspension of all athletics activity in England to the 31 st May. This would leave too little time to give the events the attention they deserve.
Thanks to all those who came along a couple of weeks ago and made the social & awards night a great event. Below are the full list of awards for 2019 Track and Field and 2018/19 Cross Country.
On the 24th September 2019 Richard Wilde, a highly talented yet modest life member of our club, passed away at the age of 73.
Richard Wilde 1945-2019
Richard was a Life Member of Manchester Harriers &
Athletic Club serving at times on the committee as well as setting cross
country courses. He had an illustrious running career but was extremely modest
about his achievements and shunned publicity. He was successful over many
surfaces and distances, excelling on the fells, cross country, road and
indoors.
In 1970, at the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Vienna, he won Gold in the 3,000 metres with a new world record time of 7:46.85. That same year he came sixth and took Team Gold in the International Cross Country Championships. His versatility was obvious when he achieved what was to become a legendary time in the Lantern Pike fell race. He is the only person to break 30 minutes for the race. He also won the classic Fairfield Horseshoe race as well as Lyme Park, Great Hill and Edenfield – some of them in record times.
Richard Wilde 1970 European Athletics Indoor Championships, Vienna, 3000m Gold
He improved his marathon time of 2:23.04 in the 1972 Maxol Marathon to 2:14.43 when he won the 1979 Grandma’s Marathon in Minnisota, USA. Two years later he ran the same race two seconds faster, 2:14.41, finishing fourth. In 1978 he won the Paavo Nurmi Marathon in Iron County, Wisconsin, USA in 2:19.10. The hilly terrain, the humidity and the August heat contributed to the slower time but he had set a course record which stood for many years until the course was changed.
Richard Wilde 1977 setting the Lantern Pike Fell Race record of 29:12. This records still stands
Richard was in his prime in a very different era to that of today.
Rather than huge sums of money, a typical prize would be a tea set. On one
occasion, having won a race overseas, he was presented with a SHOTGUN which he
brought home on the plane – a different era indeed!
Richard was a complex character and something of a
perfectionist as he demonstrated on many occasions when setting cross country
courses. His reluctance to talk about his own running, whilst regrettable for
all those of us who would have loved to listen, added to his charm. He was well
liked and respected and will be missed. It was a privilege to know him.
It is with great sadness that I heard of the passing of Richard Wilde. Very much his own man and a wonderful Athlete and human being. His exploits are well documented of course and hard to imagine that behind that sometimes vague expression was a man of steely determination. I last saw him in January of this year when visiting Ron Hill, a near neighbour. After chatting for about 20 minutes in his lounge he insisted on walking back with me down the hill to Ron’s home. A caring attitude, much lacking in today’s world. Rest in peace Richard.
It is with deep sadness and regret that we announce the death of Richard Wilde at the age of 73. Richard was a member for more than 50 years. An exceptionally talented runner, he went on to serve on the Committee and continued to help the Club host many events.
A full review of his achievements will be posted soon. Richard died in hospital on the 24th September 2019.
First staged in 1943, this event hadn’t been held since 1952 until it’s resurrection in 2014. David Coleman was the Winner in 1949. Winners of The Manchester Mile Trophy: 1943 Sydney Wooderson 1944 & 1945 C H Bunton 1946 P Harrison 1947 C J Kelly 1948 A B Parker 1949 David Coleman 1950 & 1951 & 1952 Frank Evans 2014 & 2015 Chris Livesey Winner of The Rose Bowl 2014 & 2015 Louise Rudd Please note: entrants will be graded using their estimated time
FASTEST ATHLETE (Male or Female) TO BE PRESENTED WITH THE MANCHESTER MILE TROPHY [PLUS TROPHY TO KEEP] IF THE FASTEST ATHLETE IS MALE THEN THE FASTEST FEMALE TO BE PRESENTED WITH THE ROSE BOWL [PLUS TROPHY TO KEEP] IF THE FASTEST ATHLETE IS FEMALE THEN THE FASTEST MALE TO BE PRESENTED WITH THE ROSE BOWL [PLUS TROPHY TO KEEP] TROPHIES, UNLESS THE FASTEST ATHLETES ARE VETS, ALSO TO THE FASTEST MALE VET (min age 40); THE FASTEST FEMALE VET (min age 35); THE FASTEST MALE & FEMALE U15 & U17 and to the FASTEST U13 BOY & U13 GIRL in the 1500 metres
Manchester Harriers and Athletics Club 
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