A team of runners from Halesowen Athletics Club will be honouring club founder Jack Price by running in the Original Marathon IX from Windsor to White City.
The race follows the historic route of the 1908 London Olympic Marathon which legendary Halesowen athlete Jack Price led for fourteen miles, before dropping out due to heat exhaustion.
After a successful spell as a professional athlete, Price’s career effectively ended due to World War I, when he fought in France with the Garrison Artillery.
Jack’s place in Halesowen folklore came in December 1922, when he was joined by friends Eddie Webster, Tommy Smith and Percy Archer for a run over the Clent Hills.
Following that muddy Boxing Day cross country run, the Black Country-based club was born and is still going strong today, over 103 years later.
Four athletes from the club will be following their founders’ footsteps, including men’s cross country captain Mark Hadley.
Mark said: “Jack Price is an inspiration to everyone at Halesowen.”
“Every year, we honour his legacy with a Boxing Day race around the club grounds that wouldn’t be here today without all his efforts in the early years of our club.”
He added: “It’s a true privilege to be invited to run the same route as Jack Price and I hope I can do his memory proud.”
Mark will be joined by clubmates Louise Collins, David Lewis and Alex Morgan for the Original Marathon IX which takes place on Saturday 7th March.
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