Hadleigh Olympiads in the Annual Road relay race; London to Southend

The club entered the annual relay race from London’s East End along the Arterial Road (A127) to end at Southend pier. The course left the main road and turned up to Hadleigh, then down to Leigh, through Chalkwell and to the sea front. I lived in Leigh so generally ran the last leg starting at the top of my road (coincidentally Hadleigh Road!)
I seldom saw another runner as gaps between teams were large after some 37 miles.

There must have been five or six in the team running around five miles. I liked to run the last leg as it started near where I lived. However I remember one year running an earlier leg. The team sat in the back of an open lorry, at each change the previous runner was picked up and the next one set off. These intermediate stages were quite boring, just running along the more or less flat cycle path.

I was probably the youngest in the team so I do not know if any other team member is still alive (I am 83 this year). 60 years ago there was obviously no internet or social media. The only things that are recorded on the internet concern people such as Jock Duffy and people from other clubs such as Mel Batty (Thurrock), twice national cross country champion.

Same with the Essex leagues, it seems they still exist in some form. I remember the club used to run a coach to the athletic events as covering all events for both ages justified this. However, for the cross country individuals went by car, my father some times took me, my brother (who was a member of the Southend club) and others.

I lost touch with everyone in Hadleigh/Leigh when I went to university, then California. On my return from the US, work took me to Berkshire, where I have lived in the same house for some 50 years. I never ran competitively again.

I also competed in both the Essex cross-country league and athletic league matches where Hadleigh Olympiads had both junior and senior teams. A bit of history around that time can be found on the Chelmsford athletic site, including a bit about leagues; [chapter 2 – post war years (1950 – 56) which includes “was encouraged to found the SE Essex, cross country league”.] In the summer I generally ran the six mile race for the club. On a grass track, it was not much different from cross country!

Hadleigh Olympiads in the Annual Road relay race; London to Southend

via Thundersley and Hadleigh, of course!

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