Harborough Athletics Club to celebrate its 40th anniversary this year

Harborough Athletic Club is hitting 40!

The starting gun fired on Harborough Athletic Club’s 40th anniversary celebrations at Everest Lounge restaurant last Wednesday as 60 club members, old and new, gathered to enjoy a tasty buffet of fine Indian cooking. Everest Lounge are one of the club’s generous sponsors and they provided the club with exclusive use of the restaurant for a memorable evening.

Harborough AC was formed in September 2024 by a trio of outstanding local athletes. Dick Callan, Pete Leach, and the late Hilary Johnson, had the vision and the enthusiasm, to establish an athletics club in Market Harborough, affiliated to England Athletics, to encourage everyone to get fitter, faster and stronger through taking part in one of the globe’s most popular sports.

Since that time the club has introduced hundreds of local people to running and track and field events. Many members have gone on to represent their county, some their country, and a few have won medals in World and European Masters Championships (for those 35 and older) – smashing a British, and even a current world record, along the way.

Today, nearly 40 years on, there are currently just over 300 members including 111 talented juniors aged 8-18. In the last couple of years the club has run a number of very popular and successful Couch to 5K programmes coaching new and returning runners from scratch to a parkrun 5k in 10 weeks, with near 100 per cent success. This has proved to be a great entry point for new members. For those already running anyone can come and try some club sessions for free.

Howard Crabtree, Club Secretary, said: “The purpose of the club has always been to welcome and encourage everyone to take part. That’s why after 40 years we have roughly the same proportion of male and female members, including at junior level, and members who represent every age group from 8 to 80. Everyone can benefit from the professional coaching and friendly group support we provide whether a beginner, an established athlete, or anywhere in between!”

It is thanks to the club’s recent four major sponsors that Harborough AC can offer more training sessions, competitions, and coaching whilst ensuring membership costs are kept affordable. Howard said: “it’s a huge thank you from us to Everest Lounge, The Three Swans, Barker Fleming and Davis Optometrists, all outstanding town businesses, for their generous financial support which helps us grow and provide more opportunities to more people. We are also very grateful to our friends at Market Harborough Rugby Union FC who host us at their clubhouse, provide us a grass track in summer, and have placed our sponsor boards by the first team pitch so they really catch the eye on match days.”

Pradip Karanjit, owner of Everest Lounge, said about his support for the club: “We wanted to give a boost to Harborough AC and all they do, and are so proud to be one of their sponsors. There was a lively atmosphere in the restaurant when they were here last week; the friendliness and enthusiasm of club members is something that’s apparent as soon as you meet them.”

The club has a few more events for its 40th year up its sleeve building up to its annual awards evening in the autumn and the attendance of a very special guest of honour from the world of athletics is being planned to mark the special occasion.

The photograph shows Club chair Jill Roginski receiving her framed certificate for breaking the women’s 65 British Record for the pentathlon at the European indoor championships in Torun, Poland in March from club founder member, Pete Leach.

Anyone interested in becoming a junior or senior member of the club, as an athlete, coach or athletics official can see the club website Harborough Athletic Club (harboroughac.co.uk) or contact the Membership Secretary, Amanda King, for more information and a friendly chat: [email protected]