• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Outer Circle Race Walk

chocks2

chocks2

master brummie
I've just found out that my grandfather used to take part in a race walk around the outer circle. By all acounts he was pretty good at it. Apparently it took place on a Sunday morning. I'm not sure of the period that this happened but i guess it was after WW2 or possibly in the early 50's. I have tried to find out more about this race walk to no avail. I would like to find out some statistics on winners etc, who organised the walk, when it stopped or any other info. Any one able to help?
 
chocks2
Used to use No 11 bus quite a lot in late 1940s and early 1950s and can remember seeing walkers taking part in race.It was quite a big event and attracted a lot of media attention at the time, so there is sure to be records available
 
Donald Thompson the 1964 Olympic 50K Road walk Gold Medalist walked the Outer Circle a couple of times. not sure if he won it.
 
Last edited:
Hi Chock2: Your grandfather could have been a member of the Birchfield Harriers. I am not 100% sure that members of the Birchfield Harriers took part in race walks around the Outer Circle Route starting in thel 950's.I remember seeing walkers on Marsh Hill on Sunday mornings when my brother and I were catching the No.11 to Erdington to attend Children's Church.
A friend of mine Jim Woodhouse, whom I met in Vancouver over 30 years ago, was a member of the Centurions (100 miles race walking in 100 hours) in Britain. Jim was originally from Bolton, I think. He and members of his group came to Birmingham to join up with the Birchfield Harriers group to walk the Outer Circle route in the early 1950's. Sadly, Jim is no longer with us. He walked and ran in marathons well into his sixties and won quite a few of them and has an award named for him with a running club in Vancouver.

Here is the Birchfield Harriers site:https://www.birchfieldharriers.net/ You could contact them and ask about where the Brum Road Race Walkers history etc.can be found. They still train Road Race Walkers according to their site. Here is a website about the Centurions. https://www.centurions1911.org.uk/News/news2009.htm
 
Chocks my husband said until not long ago Ansells and then Carlsberg took part and they used to roll beer barrells round the whole route but has no dates ets just did it to sponser the childrens hospital. I am not sure if it still goes on today. Jean.
 
Thanks all for the info so far. Birchfield Harriers seem to ring a bell so I will be contacting them tomorrow. Thanks for that advice Jennyann. Cheers All.
 
chocks2 said:
I've just found out that my grandfather used to take part in a race walk around the outer circle. By all acounts he was pretty good at it. Apparently it took place on a Sunday morning. I'm not sure of the period that this happened but i guess it was after WW2 or possibly in the early 50's. I have tried to find out more about this race walk to no avail. I would like to find out some statistics on winners etc, who organised the walk, when it stopped or any other info. Any one able to help?
Click to expand...

Hi Chocks 2

Didn't the Birmingham Marathon used to take place round the Outer Circle
which is conveniently not too far out from the required distance. I believe it was organised by BRMB for charity, and took place in the 80s/90s. That
was on a Sunday morning too.
I walked round the route twice when in my early teens - took me all day
both times, - I wouldn't want to do it now!!

Kind regards

Dave
 
I remember Don Thompson , Alfie. I just looked him up and it was in 1960 when he won Gold for the 50K walk. I can't find anything about him walking the Outercircle, but I remember it too.
 
Race Walk, 50k Walk, B'ham Marathon, BRMB fun run and Draymen with a barrell. How did the No11 ever get round on a Sunday morning, makes you wonder doesn't it?
 
Last edited:
We lived on the outer circle route and I remember this walk. It was called the "Walkathon" (1960's) and was I think organised by BRMB.
 
The race I refer to was a genuine Racewalk carried out by athletic clubs and not the general public. This was before BRMB's walkathon in fact it was before BRMB or any other local radio station existed. I've spoken to Birchfield Harriers and they don't keep any records for the event but they do remember being involved. Sadly the Evening Mail needs dates to find any articles and unfortunately I don't have them but it was definately in the late 40's, early 50's and possibly the first couple of years of the 60's but this is one of the things that I need to find out.
 
Hi Chocks2: You might try contacting this chap, John Constandiou. He is local, lives in Great Barr and runs the magazine regarding Road Walking . This magazine has been published since 1941 every month. This is a very new site apparently and the Archives section isn't working. Under Contact you will find John's e-mail and hotmail addies. If he has no records re the Outer Circle Road Walks he may know someone to ask. His address is under Subscription on the left hand menu.
 
I watched the Outer Circle walk pre WW2, us kids would imitate the strange way the walked, caused i believe by the rules of walking races, they walked heel & toe so the foot was always touching the ground. Len.
 
[SIZE=+1]World Records . Senior Men[/SIZE]. Indoor races in metres, Road races in kilometres. LEN.

Distance Time Holder Country Venue Date 20,000m 1:17:25·6 Bernardo Segura Mexico Bergen 7/5/1994 20k 1:17:16
1:16:43 *
Vladimir Kanaykin
Sergey Morozov
Russia
Russia
Saransk
Saransk
29/9/2007
8/6/2008
30,000m 2:01:44·1 Maurizio Damilano ITA Cuneo 3/10/1992 50,000m 3:50:57·9 Thierry Toutain FRA Héricourt 29/9/1996 50k 3:35:47
3:34:14 *
Nathan Deakes
Denis Nizhegorodov
Australia
Russia
Geelong
Cheboksary
2/12/2006
11/5/2008
5,000m Indoors
18:07·08
Mikhail Shchennikov
Russia
Moscow
14/2/1995
 
Last edited:
Badger that's the one Ansells took part in the Walkathon as they were just over the road from the BRMB studios. Sorry I took so long to answer. Jean.
 
[SIZE=+1]World Records . Senior Women. Indoor races are given in Metres, Road races in kilometers. Len.
[/SIZE]

Distance Time Holder Country Venue Date 10,000m 41:56·23 Nadezhda Ryashkina U.S.S.R.
Seattle 24/7/1990 20,000m 1:26:52·3 Olimpiada Ivanova Russia Brisbane 6/9/2001 20k 1:25:41 Olimpiada Ivanova Russia Helsinki 7/8/2005 3,000m Indoors
11:40·33
Claudia Stef
Romania
Bucharest
20/1/1999
 
The return of a GREAT SPORTING EVENT under the auspices of the Birmingham Walking Club

The Twelfth Annual Open. 26 MILES ROAD WALK known as LEWIS'S OUTER CIRCLE WALK

for the Trophy and Prizes totalling £100 in value,presented byLewis's Ltd. Birmingham

Will be held on

SATURDAY. JUNE. 22. 1946

The walk will start from Villa Park,Aston, and will proceed by way of the Outer Circle bus Route, finishing at the Aston Villa Football ground.

NO ENTRANCE. FEES

Entries Close Friday June 7th. To the Gen.Hon.Secretary, B. BASHFORD,Unitas House,24,Livery Street, BIRMINGHAM,3

the above is taken from a Road Walking Association Souvenir Victory programme The National 20miles Road Walking Championship for Saturday May 11th.1946 starting at Morris Motors Sports Ground.Coventry.
This race was won by H.J.Forbes of Birmingham Walking Club in a time of 2hrs.50mins.43secs.
He also won the race next year starting at Hendon in a time of 2hrs.47.40.
 
I still have my certificate from 1967 when I walked the No. 11 route with my mates from Coleshill Grammar in aid of charity. Something to do with The Royal Society for the Blind. Will find it out and post a copy. Can remember, it was flipping hard but we had a great day. Anne
 
How funny this subject should pop up.
I remember, as a little kid, standing outside Swanshurst park entrance watching a crowd of men going past. I remember I couldn't understand why the men walked in such a peculiar way.
I must have been taken to see the 1946 race and my mother tells me my Dad was taking part.
Did this race go past Swanshurst park ?
 
I recall seeing this event one year must have been close to 1950. I seem to recall we were standing in Addison Road Kings Heath so yes Baz I feel it would have continued along to Swanshurst Lane. By the way you and I would not have been far apart on that day as at that time I was living opposite Swanshurst on Yardley Wood Road.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I well remember the no 11 walk (26mls) when i was a lad of 11yrs old in 1955 I used to help the milkman who worked for a company called Fowlers Forest Dairys the yard was up a drive opposite what used to be the Whestley Hotel in whestley rd. I can't remember the day it used to be held on but I do remember standing at the top of Whestley Rd and Fox Hollies Rd opposite the bus garage to watch the walkers pass, all along the pavement the locals would be handing out cold drinks in paper cups to the walkers as they passed the walkers never stopped but had a few gulps as they walked very fast. I hope this helps in some small way, Regards John.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top