1981 – Boundary Harriers 30km Walk
You had to feel sorry for International race walker Denis Jackson of York Postal walking club when he took part in the 1981 Boundary Harriers Invitation 30km walk as guest of the host club.
He arrived the previous afternoon by ferry on a rough crossing, he was suffering from a heavy cold and he stayed with Murray Lambden whose central heating was broken and whose house was similar to an ice box, but whose form was about to reach a peak.
Denis went on to be one of Britain’s most consistent 50km walkers over the next 10 years but on the last weekend of February 1981 he became Boundary Harriers’s first guest to be beaten in their annual invitation meeting.
Although time passes by and the 1981 performances have been surpassed by many at the meeting since, the local win was significant to local pride at the time. The late Kevin Madigan wrote in the Isle of Man Courier “The display of walking put on by Murray Lambden at the Bowl on Saturday has only been surpassed by one other walker, Paul Nihill, who set a world record in 1972 for 20km.”
Lambden’s performance stood as a British record for one day short of a year, he knocked 9 minutes and 45 seconds off the previous Manx record and he set Manx records at 10 miles (74.08) and 20km (92.12) – the latter amazingly remained as his 20km personal best even though it was set in a 30km race.
Kevin Madigan went on to record “Murray Lambden was knocking on the international door but I would say he has now kicked it in.”
Allan Callow set a personal best time behind Denis Jackson in third position and looked likely to make the 1982 Commonwealth Games team but he was to be excluded by the faster times of Graham Young and Robbie Lambie the following year.
The 30km distance was intended to help prepare for the Commonwealth Games but was considered too long for some of the novices and youngsters who had pushed the 1981 winter league fields to record numbers close to 50. As a result, a 10km walk was held alongside the 30km and this was won by Mark Cringle.
30km results
|
Position |
Christian Name |
Surname |
Time |
Club / Country |
|
1 |
Murray |
Lambden |
02:19:42 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
2 |
Dennis |
Jackson |
02:26:52 |
York Postal |
|
3 |
Allan |
Callow |
02:32:45 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
4 |
Graham |
Young |
02:41:04 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
5 |
Allan |
Brooks |
02:51:11 |
Yorkshire Walking Club |
|
6 |
John |
Cannell |
03:02:17 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
7 |
Noel |
Cringle |
03:07:38 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
8 |
John |
Smith |
03:11:10 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
9 |
Anthony |
Kneale |
03:18:48 |
Boundary Harriers |
10km results
|
Position |
Christian Name |
Surname |
Time |
Club / Country |
|
1 |
Mark |
Cringle |
00:53:53 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
2 |
Andrew |
Garrett |
00:55:03 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
3 |
Chris |
Richard |
00:55:27 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
4 |
Tony |
Conway |
00:56:12 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
5 |
Mike |
Karran |
00:57:28 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
6 |
Doug |
Corkill |
00:58:12 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
7 |
Barbara |
McDermott |
01:06:00 |
Manx AC |
|
8 |
Ann |
Todd |
01:10:30 |
Boundary Harriers |
|
8 |
Margaret |
Brooks |
01:10:30 |
Boundary Harriers |
