The History of the Kent County Athletic Association

Last amended at 12-06-02

Almost eighty and still full of life

Amateur athletic clubs have existed in the County of Kent from victorian times. Of the clubs currently affiliated to the association the oldest, Blackheath Harriers, was founded in 1869. Herne Hill Harriers was founded in 1888 and Cambridge Harriers in 1890, the former being principally a Surrey club after 1935. In addition there were other Kent clubs operating in the 1890’s mainly in the south east London area including Lewisham H., Kent A.C. and Tunbridge Wells Harriers. Locally, track and field competition was not on the scale it is today, though a number of open meetings existed, events often being held as handicaps. In addition there was a regular series of evening meetings in the summer months, again including handicaps. Up to the first world war there had been no athletics on a county basis except for a few individual Kent County Championships which had been staged by Blackheath Harriers at their annual sports at the private bank cricket and athletic club ground, Catford from 1910-1914. Following the war, it was felt that it was the time to revive amateur athletics in the county. The Amateur Athletic Association reconstruction committee recommended that county associations be formed and on 6th may 1920 a meeting was held at the town hall, Maidstone at the invitation of the mayor and under the chairmanship of Marquess Camden, Lord Lieutenant of Kent, with a view to forming a county association. Unfortunately, in view of the small attendance at this meeting it was not considered to be fully representative and a further meeting was held in London at the offices of the Amateur Athletic Association on 26th may following which the Kent County A.A.A. came into being with T. Crafter of Blackheath Harriers and C. Otway of Herne Hill Harriers, as its first chairman and secretary respectively. The first county track championships under the new association were held at the Woolwich Polytechnic ground, Eltham on 7th august 1920, the only 1914 holder to successfully defend his title being G.C. Gorringe of Highgate Harriers. Gorringe had won the 1 mile title on four occasions pre-war and though his time was some eighteen seconds slower than his previous best recorded championship performance, it was a most popular victory. G.P. Sweet won the 440 yards having held the 880 yards title six years earlier. The first cross country championship was held on 5th march 1921 from the Ravensbourne Club ground in Lee. The course lay from Weigall Road around playing fields, crossing Eltham Road towards Mottingham Farm then across the railway at King John’s Lane continuing via Eltham Green and Well Hall to Herbert Hospital, Shooters Hill returning by the RAF depot at Kidbrooke, a distance of about 6.5 miles in all. For those conversant with the area today it is difficult to visualise that this was mostly open farm land. the individual winner was A.C. Edwards of Blackheath Harriers, who had been prominent in military races during the war, followed by S.S. Jones of Cambridge Harriers, and A.C. Telfer of Blackheath Harriers. Cambridge Harriers comfortably won the team title from Herne Hill Harriers and Blackheath Harriers. With the exception of the period of the second world war, championships have been held each year subsequently and these have been staged in many different parts of the county.

For many years Business House clubs provided their sports grounds for our championships and as recently as 1961 the Medley Relay championship was held at Standard Telephones ground at New Eltham. Since 1967 the main track championships have usually been held at Crystal Palace.

Kent have supported Inter-County Championships and have a good record in both track and cross country team events and as recently as May 1998 won the Achilles Trophy in the CAU Inter-Counties Championships at Bedford having last been champions in 1932. Over the years many Kent athletes have represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games and European Championships, but individually the greatest performances must surely be the World Records of Sydney WOODERSON and Steve BACKLEY. Likewise a number have represented England at the Commonwealth Games and in the International Cross Country Championships. By far the most consistent and finest performance in the latter coming from Frank SANDO, the former Treasurer of the Association, who ran in each championship from 1952-1960 and was the individual winner in 1955 and 1957.

In recent years the results of Kent Schools teams have been extremely good thus giving every confidence for the continued success of Kent athletics in the future.

Many of the original County Officials were also involved with the governing bodies of the sport. Charles OTWAY continued as County Secretary until 1927 but was also ECCU Hon. Secretary from 1914 - 1929. C.W. PEARCE of Herne Hill Harriers was President of ECCU from 1914 - 1919 and in 1926 followed J.A. COTTRELL of Cambridge Harriers as Hon. Treasurer. A.D. THWAITES of Blackheath Harriers was another to serve in the capacity and more recently in 1989 we have seen Alan BRENT as President of ECCU.

The Officers of the Associations have given excellent service to the County over many years and it is this quality and continuity of service that has proved invaluable.

The KCAAA amalgamated with the KCWAAA forming the present KCAA in succession to the previous County Associations in September 1990. The new administration is still a fledgling compared to the impressive history of the parent bodies. However, a broad base of competitive opportunity is provided for Kent athletes from sportshall to veterans of over 60 years.

Fine international athletes of the caliber of Steve BACKLEY, Kelly HOLMES, Anthony WHITEMAN and Mark Steinle have recently gained honours at the highest level, while Tosin OKE, Greg BEARD, Andrew BECKWITH and Claire COLMER are among the next wave who have already achieved success at international level.

Adapted from an original article by Brian Boulton former President, KCAAA 1990