Schools' Relays - Achilles

Achilles Schools' Relays

The Achilles Schools' Relays were started in 1963 by David Donaldson and Donald Gorrie with encouragement from the Achilles Club’s committee chaired by Tommy Macpherson and from the Club’s President the Rt. Hon. Philip Noel-Baker. The first meeting was held at Iffley Road on the 8th June 1963, with 21 schools represented. The track referee on that day was Adrian Metcalfe. Performances in the meeting over years have gained high rankings in the all-time best performance for their age group and this is one of the few occasions when some of the races continue to be run.
Below are listed the Trophies competed for, along with the people after whom they are named, and the Meeting Records.

The next Meeting will be held at Iffley Road on: Thursday 2 May 2024 (UKA Licence No. OUT 24/275).

Please contact the Organiser, Lucy Simson, for entry details: schools@achilles.org

Trophies and Records | Trophy history

TROPHIES AND RECORDS

In addition to those listed below, the following trophies are contended for overall performance:
The Sir Roger Bannister Trophy for the Best Performance of the Boys' Meeting
The Milocarian A.C. Trophy for the Best Performance of the Girls' Meeting

	Open Boys	Open Girls
4x100h	The Lord Burghley Trophy	-
	62.4	68.7
	Millfield 2015	Millfield 2003
4x100	The Harold Abrahams Trophy	The Sarah Owen Trophy
	42.4	48.3
	Richmond 2010, Eton 2016	Millfield 2021
4x200	The Douglas Lowe Trophy	The Bridget Wheeler Trophy
	1:30.1	1:45.1
	Millfield 2008	Millfield 2021
4x400	The Jack Lovelock Trophy	-
	3:20.2	-
	Epsom 1985	-
4x800, 3x800	The Lord Noel-Baker Trophy	The Sally Ann Hales Trophy
	7:55.3	7:05.6
	Millfield 1992	Millfield 2003

	U17 Boys	U16 Girls	U15 Boys
4x100h	The David Hemery Trophy	-	-
	59.2	-	-
	Southend 2011	-	-
4x100	The Sandy Duncan Trophy	-	The Godfrey Brown Trophy
	44.4	49.8	46.8
	Whitgift 2016	Southend High 2016	Q.E.S. Barnet 1988
4x200	The Bevil Rudd Trophy	The Achilles Trophy	The Tom Hampson Trophy
	1:33.2	1:45.1	1:36.6
	Millfield 1985	Southend High 2016	Whitgift 2014
4x400	The Christopher Brasher Trophy	-	-
	3:30.9	-	-
	Harrow 2011	-	-
4x800, 3x800	The Christopher Chataway Trophy	The Achilles Trophy	The Guy Butler Trophy
	8:19.7	6:58.9	8:57.3
	Dulwich 1988	Millfield 2016	Southend High 2009

TROPHY HISTORY

Sir Roger Bannister

Exeter and Merton Colleges, Oxford.
First man to run a sub-four minute mile [at Iffley Road] 1954.
World Record 4 x one mile relay 1953, one mile 1954, Commonwealth Games Gold one mile 1954, European Championship Gold 1500m 1954, Bronze 800m 1950, A.A.A. Champion one mile 1951, 1953-54 and 880 yards 1952.
Chairman of The Sports Council, 1971-74.

Milocarian A.C.

Milocarian is one of the most prestigious athletics clubs in the country, producing many Olympians since its foundation. The Club is committed to supporting schools' athletics and kindly donated this trophy in 2012. Gp Capt Tom Finlay and Colonel Godfrey Rampling (4 x 400m Gold 1936) were both members of Milocarian. Tim Graham (4 x 400m Silver 1964) was a member of a school that has previously won the Milocarian A.C. Trophy.

Lord Burghley

Magdalene College, Cambridge.
World record 440 yards 1927, Olympic Gold 400m hurdles 1928, Olympic Silver 4 x 400m relay 1932, Commonwealth Games Gold 120 yards hurdles, 440 yards hurdles and 4 x 400 yards relay 1930, A.A.A. Champion 120 yards hurdles 1929-31, 440 yards hurdles 1926-28,30,32.
International Olympic Committee 1933-82, IAAF President 1946-76, British Olympic Association Chairman 1936-66, A.A.A. President 1936-77.

Harold Abrahams

Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge.
Olympic Gold and Olympic Record 100m 1924, Olympic Silver and World Record 4 x 100m relay 1924, A.A.A. Champion Long Jump 1923-4, 100 yards 1924.
Achilles Club Chairman 1947-61, Vice President 1961-78, A.A.A. President 1976-78, IAAF Veteran, BAAB Chairman 1971-75.

Douglas Lowe

Pembroke College, Cambridge.
Olympic Gold 800m 1924, Olympic Gold and Olympic Record 1928, World record 600 yards 1926, A.A.A. Champion 440 yards, 880 yards and 4 x 440 yards relay 1926-28.
Hon. Secretary of the A.A.A. 1931-38.

Jack Lovelock

Exeter College, Oxford.
Olympic Gold 1500m 1936, World Records one mile 1933, 1500m 1936, World Student Games Gold one mile 1935, Commonwealth Games Gold one mile 1934, A.A.A. Champion one mile 1934.

David Donaldson

Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
President of CUAC in 1957. Ran in the Varsity Sports of 1954, 1956 and 1957, with a best time of 24.3 for 220yH (then 5th on the CUAC all-time list). Captain of the Oxford and Cambridge team which toured the USA in 1957. A highly regarded and progressive headmaster of Kimbolton School, overseeing the admission for the first time of girls, he and Donald Gorrie (then master i/c Athletics at Marlborough) founded the Achilles Schools Relays in 1963.

Lord Noel-Baker

King's College, Cambridge.
Olympic Silver 1500m 1920, A.A.A. Champion Medley relay 1920.
Co-founder of the Achilles Club, Hon Secretary 1920-21, Chairman 1930-36, President 1946-79, Patron 1979-82. Cabinet Minister and Nobel Peace Prize.

Sarah Owen

New Hall, Cambridge.
Established the Women's Varsity Match 1975, GB International Heptathlete (PB 5592 points), Achilles Medal Winner 1981 and 1982, World Veterans' Indoor Pentathlon Record 1993, Regular winner of British Veterans' Championships, Team Manager of the British Team at the World Junior Championship 1993.

Bridget Wheeler

Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
Varsity Match Record 200m (24.7) 1980, which stood until 2015. Varsity Match 100m record.
Chairman of the Achilles Club Committee, coach to Cambridge University and Oxford University.

Sally Ann Hales

Girton College, Cambridge.
Winner of the Achilles Medal 1985, Marathon 2:28:33.4, (still) one of the fastest times ever achieved by a British Woman.

Sandy Duncan

New College, Oxford.
World Student Games Gold 4 x 100m relay 1937, Commonwealth Games Silver 4 x 110 yards relay 1938, A.A.A. indoor Champion 70 yards, Long Jump 1935 and Relay 1937.
Hon. Secretary of the Achilles Club 1948-86, Hon. Secretary of The Commonwealth Games Federation 1948-75, Olympic Order, Silver Medal.

Bevil Rudd

Trinity College, Oxford.
Olympic Gold 400m 1920, Silver 4 x 400m relay 1920, Bronze 800m 1920, World Record 880 yards relay 1920, A.A.A. Champion 880 yards and Medley relay 1920.
Co-founder of the Achilles Club, Hon. Secretary 1921-23, Chairman 1937-46.

Christopher Brasher

St John's College, Cambridge.
Olympic Gold 3000m s/c 1956, World Student Games Gold 5000m 1951.
Founder of the London Marathon.

Christopher Chataway

Magdalen College, Oxford.
World Records 4 x one mile relay 1953, three miles 1954 and 1956, 5000m 1954. Commonwealth Games Gold three miles 1954, European Championships Silver 5000m 1954, A.A.A. Champion three miles 1952 and 1958.

David Hemery

St Catherine's College, Oxford.
Olympic Gold and World Record 400m hurdles 1968, Olympic Silver 4 x 400m and Olympic Bronze 400m hurdles 1972, World Student Games Silver 110m hurdles 1969, Gold 110m hurdles 1970, A.A.A. Champion 110m hurdles 1966 and 1970, A.A.A. Champion 400m hurdles 1968 and 1972.

Godfrey Brown

Peterhouse, Cambridge.
Olympic Gold 4 x 400m relay and Olympic Silver 400m 1936, World Student Games Gold 400m and 4 x 100m relay 1937, European Championships Gold 400m, Silver 4 x 400m, Bronze 4 x 100m 1938, A.A.A. Champion 440 yards and 4 x 440 yards 1935 and 1937, 880 yards 1938.

Tom Hampson

St Catherine's College, Oxford.
Olympic Gold 800m 1932, Commonwealth Games Gold 880 yards 1930, A.A.A. Champion 880 yards 1930-32.

Guy Butler

Trinity College, Cambridge.
Olympic Gold 4 x 400m relay 1920, Olympic Silver 400m 1920, Olympic Bronze 400m and 4 x 400m relay 1924, World Record 300 yards 1926, A.A.A. Champion 4 x 400m relay 1925-28, 220 yards 1926.

The Achilles Trophies

These trophies for the Under 16 4 x 200m and the Under 16 3 x 800m were donated by the Achilles Trust in 2014. Southend High School for Girls were the first winners in both events, introduced in 2013, and this is engraved on the trophies.