Edinburgh Athletic Club is a British athletics club based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The club is based primarily at the Meadowbank Sports Centre on London Road and train on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings.[1] Although founded in 2007 the club has a rich history under multiple other names.
 | |
| Founded | 1885/2007 |
|---|---|
| Ground | Meadowbank Sports Centre |
| Location | London Road, Edinburgh EH7 6AE, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°57′25″N 3°09′31″W / 55.95694°N 3.15861°W |
| Website | official website |
History
edit.jpg)
The origins of the club date back to 1885 and the formation of Edinburgh Harriers who were based in the Western part of the city. They were followed by the creation of three other clubs so that the whole city could be catered for. The Edinburgh Northern Harriers arrived in 1889 and the Edinburgh Southern Harriers in 1897. Finally in 1922 the Cannon Athletic Club (later Edinburgh Eastern Harriers) were formed.[2]
The club's first Olympic gold medalist was Wyndham Halswelle in the 400 metres event at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.[3]
In 1961 the Edinburgh Harriers (who by now had a ladies section), Northern Harriers and Eastern Harriers all merged to become the first named Edinburgh Athletic Club but the Southern Harriers continued independently.[2][4]
In 1968, Southern Harriers became the first Scottish club to participate in the inaugural British Athletics League[5] and experienced some success, finishing third in 1975 and runner-up in 1976, while the women's Southern Harriers won the inaugural UK Women's Athletic League in 1975.
Later the Southern Harriers would race temporarily under the names Caledon Park Harriers (men) and Edinburgh Woollen Mill (women) for sponsorship purposes.[2]
In 1996, the City of Edinburgh Athletic Club was formed when Edinburgh Athletic Club and Edinburgh Southern Harriers (men) merged to finally unify all of the men's clubs in the city.[2] In 2006, the Southern Harriers (women) won the UK athletics league for the second time.
The final amalgamation came during 2007, when the men's club City of Edinburgh Athletics Club and Edinburgh Southern Harriers (women) became the club as it is today, a single city club for both men and women.[2]
The first major success under the new name came with the women's section of the club after they won the UK women's athletic league in both 2013 and 2014.
Honours
edit- British Athletics League, runner-up; 1976
- UK Women's Athletic League; champions 1975, 2006, 2013, 2014
Notable athletes
editOlympians
edit| Athlete | Club | Events | Games | Medals/Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cormack | Edinburgh Harriers | marathon | 1906 | [6] |
| Wyndham Halswelle | Edinburgh Harriers | 200m, 400m, 800m | 1906, 1908 | .svg){kind=icon} .svg){kind=icon} .svg){kind=icon} |
| Reginald MacPherson | Edinburgh Harriers | non starter | 1906 | [7] |
| Tom Jack | ESH | marathon | 1908 | [8] |
| George Wallach | ESH | 10,000m | 1912 | [9] |
 Jimmy Duffy | ESH | marathon | 1912 | [10] |
| Fergus Murray | ESH | 10,000m | 1964 | [11] |
| Dave Stevenson | ESH | pole vault | 1964 | [12] |
| Jim Alder | 1st Edinburgh AC | Marathon | 1968 | [13] |
| Gareth Bryan-Jones | ESH | Steeplechase | 1968 | [14] |
| Don Macgregor | ESH | marathon | 1972 | [15] |
| Dave Wilson | 1st Edinburgh AC | 110m hurdles | 1972 | [16] |
| Chris Black | ESH | hammer throw | 1976, 1980 | [17] |
| Helen Golden | ESH | 200m | 1976 | [18] |
| Moira Walls | ESH | high jump | 1976 | [19] |
| Drew McMaster | 1st Edinburgh AC | 100m, 4x100m | 1980 | [20] |
| Meg Ritchie | ESH | discus throw | 1980, 1984 | [21] |
| Allan Wells | ESH | 100m, 200m, 4x100m | 1980, 1984 | [22] |
| Peter Hoffmann | 1st Edinburgh AC | non starter | 1976 | [23] |
| Elliot Bunney | ESH | 4x100m | 1988 | [24] |
| Tom Hanlon | Caledon Park | steeplechase | 1992 | [25] |
| Yvonne Murray | 1st Edinburgh AC | 3000m | 1988, 1992 | [26] |
| Allison Curbishley | Woollen Mills | 400m, 4x400m | 1996, 2000 | |
| Karen MacLeod | 1st Edinburgh AC | marathon | 1996 | [27] |
| Sinead Dudgeon | Woollen Mills | 400m hurdles | 2000 | [28] |
| Shirley Webb | City of Edinburgh AC | Hammer | 2004 | |
| Freya Murray-Ross | Edinburgh AC | Marathon | 2012 | |
| Lynsey Sharp | Edinburgh AC | 800m | 2012, 2016 | |
| Chris O'Hare | Edinburgh AC | 1500m | 2016 | |
| Beth Dobbin | Edinburgh AC | 200m & 4x100m | 2021 | |
| Josh Kerr | Edinburgh AC | 1500m | 2021, 2024 | |
| Jake Wightman | Edinburgh AC | 1500m | 2021 |
- Scottish unless stated
Commonwealth Games
edit| Athlete | Club | Events | Games | Medals/Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayley Ovens | Woollen Mills | 1500m | 2002, 2006 | |
 Paul Walker | Edinburgh AC | pole vault | 2010, 2014 |
Other
edit- Allister Hutton (1990 London Marathon winner)
References
edit- ↑ "Track & Field". Edinburgh Athletic Club. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Our History". Edinburgh Athletic Club. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Athletics". Morning Post. 27 July 1908. Retrieved 5 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Edinburgh AC formed". The Scotsman. 16 May 1961. Retrieved 5 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "E.S.H. first Scots club in league". The Scotsman. 12 December 1968. Retrieved 5 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "James Cormack". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Reginald MacPherson". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Tom Jack". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "George Wallach". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Round the Running Track". Scottish Referee. 4 May 1914. Retrieved 5 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Debut". The Scotsman. 28 October 1967. Retrieved 5 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Sport in a Flash". Daily Record. 23 May 1966. Retrieved 6 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Alder makes it look easy". Sunday Mail (Glasgow). 22 February 1970. Retrieved 5 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Cross-Country". The Scotsman. 19 January 1970. Retrieved 6 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Don Macgregor". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Dave Wilson". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Chris Black". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Helen Golden". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Moira Walls". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Drew McMaster". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Meg Ritchie". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Allan Wells". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Peter Hoffman". The Scotsman. 31 May 1976. Retrieved 5 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Elliot Bunney". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Tirop signs up for Meadowbank race". The Scotsman. 22 June 1990. Retrieved 5 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ↑ "Yvonne Murray". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Karen Macleod". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.
- ↑ "Sinead Dudgeon". Olympedia. Retrieved 5 April 2025.