​Early in the 1980’s, Mike Powell and Glen Hillyer began running together from the Ann Oliver Dancing School/Theatre, while waiting for their daughters to complete dance lessons on Monday and Friday evenings. They were then joined by Mike Powell’s 14 year old son, Steve.

By 1983/84 the 3 runners had been joined by Kirk Warsop (Ann Oliver’s stepson), Bip Patel, Mark Marshall, Chuck Shuttlewood, Rex Bell, Deryk Woods and Paul Reed. The dance venue was in Leicester town centre, so most Monday runs were down the canal/river towards Aylestone Locks, and the Friday runs shorter to Victoria Park and back. These runners entered various races and were collectively known as “ANN OLIVER RUNNERS”.

 

1985

In May 1985, they applied to the AAA for affiliation, as “OLIVER INTERNATIONAL RUNNING CLUB”. After several forms and letters affiliation to the L&RAA was formally accepted. The club colours of Red, White and Royal Blue horizontal stripes on a White Vest were initially rejected as being too similar to the English National colours! After appealing to the National AAA it was agreed that there was little chance of a clash and the colours were accepted.

The first committee was made up of Mike – Chairman, Deryk – Secretary, Rex – Treasurer, and 3 committee members Glen, Paul and Chuck.

The Midlands AAA wrote and challenged the use of the word “International” in our club name. We had to reluctantly change our name to “OLIVER RUNNING CLUB”.

In September, we were accepted into the North Mids., Cross-Country League, running 2 races that year. What a shock to the system, the standard was so high that our 4 fastest runners finished in the last 50 of a field of 400. Before the end of the year, Pete Merrill had joined us and ran in these races, with Steve Powell competing in the Youth League.

Other members joining us in that first year were – Gav. Lane, Tony Preston, Stephen Taylor, Tony Hollands and Graham Jennings. Four sons of fathers running were also accepted as Junior Runners, but only competed in a few fun runs. These were Steve Woods, Kelly Shuttlewood, Adam Hillyer and Rex King (Bell).

 

1986

This was our first season in the Leicester Road Running “Brooks” Winter League, and we ran our first race on 11th January 1986, the Charnwood 10km. We had 9 runners and all finished in under 45mins!

That first season in the Winter League the team finished 14th and the vets 11th. Paul Reed was top Oliver runner finishing 51st and Chuck 17th Vet.

The first Club Trip was to Holland for the City-Pier-City Half Marathon in The Hague. Six members travelled and took part, with Paul Reed achieving the first club “Sub 80min Half”.

 2nd June 1986 the first AGM was held for Oliver RC , Tony Hollands became Treasurer, and a new role was voted into the committee, Race Director, Glen Hillyer.

21st June, Chuck carried the baton for HRH The Queen’s Relay, being one of 320 stages from London to Edinburgh for the XIII Commonwealth Games.

 

1987

March – Club trip again but instead of coach, 12 members drove in 3 cars. Unfortunately, due to gales, they were stranded on the car ferry in the middle of the English Channel for 24 hours (just 2 weeks after the Zeebruge ferry disaster). But arrived JUST in time for the race which most did. Best finisher, Chuck, 110th vet in 1:28:51.

8th June, second AGM with 21 members (all Male) and Club Coach role was voted in (Steve Powell).

Many races, but favourite was Handicap Race against Leicester Walking Club, at Hungarton.

 

1988

Club Trip – Hastings, with a low key 6 mile race. Mainly  students and we got a pasting in the results.

AGM, now 28 members and post of Social Secretary created, Graham Jennings, with 2 non-committee assistants.

21st Nov.  -We organised for George Taylor, a top coach, to visit for MACC Coaching Clinic. Very successful training session and Q&A.

 

1989

Voted at the AGM to split membership between Full Competing and Non-Competing members.

Gibb Andrews became Social Secretary.

Club Trip to Porton Camp AC 6.85mile x/c Only 8 members ran.

Held very successful “Alpine Oompah Band” night

Winter League sponsored by NIKE. Most successful member, Gibb Andrews 38th overall.

In Summer League, “De-Lux Half Marathon” Ishtiaq Ahmed 79:44 and came 16th.

 

1990

March club trip to Lancaster District Half Marathon.

First issue of our Newsletter, “The Runner” editor Steve Powell.

First lady member, Nadia Jolob, and became assistant to social secretary.

 

1991

January, moved our headquarters from Ann Oliver’s Theatre, to Soar Valley College.

Short term use, then in July moved to Coop Sports Club Ground on Birstall Road.

London Marathon, first Oliver runner under 3 hours, Gibb Andrews 2:58.

Club Trip, second trip to Lancaster, and they presented us with a trophy.

Les James took over the newsletter “The Oliver Running Mag”.

 

1992

2nd March, club changed name to “BIRSTALL RUNNING CLUB”.

4th April Club Trip Folkstone 10 mile. John Griffin, vet, 60:50.

First attempt at Round Leicester Relay. Finished 12th.

October Atherstone Half – John Griffin Vet. 1:18:38.

Very successful club pool competition won by Rob Williamson (24 entered).

 

1993

First league race arranged by Birstall RC, The Countesthorpe 7 mile. 306 runners.

Club Trip – Stithians 7km on Saturday. Seb Coe ran the race (as Falmouth MP) and presented prizes. Two runners, John Griffin and Rob Williamson had big write-up in the Leicester Mercury as two Birstall runners beating Seb in a race.  Then all ran Bolingey 10km on Sunday.

Club Run/Bike/Run organised in Birstall, won by Mike Powell.

Annual Runners v Walkers challenge won by Glen Hillyer.

 

1994

Club Trip a repeat of 1993.

Round Leicester Relay 6th Team (Ish 2nd in his leg)

12th June – Birstall RC organised “Birstall Gala 6 mile Race” from and back to School Lane playing fields, with circuit round Watermead Lakes. Due to a clash with an LRRL race only 23 entries.

 

1995

Birstall again organised the Countesthorpe 7 for the League.

Summer League Ish Ahmed was joint 2nd overall.

Celebration Night organised at the Co-op Sports & Social Club for 10th Anniversary. Highlight was a Poster produced by “The Hillyers” to commemorate the 2 Old Gits starting the club to the then 91 members.

December – Thurnby Harriers disbanded and several runners joined Birstall. Ladies numbers swollen by Chris, Gill and Di all joining.

 

1996

March – Ashby 20 race to be used as training run. Great result was Ish 2nd Bernard 3rd I in the race and both blew their chances for a good “London”.

BRC awards night held in the Skittle Alley at The Wheatsheaf in Thurcaston.

 

1997

May – Club trip Rother Valley 10km on Saturday, Ish 9th, Then travelled over Pennines to Blackpool 10km on the Sunday. Ish 8th overall from 2625 runners with team 3rd

Brian Durrant awarded Norman Kershaw at LRRL for running after TB in the spine.

 

1998

1st BRC Newsletter produced by Steve Powell.

May Club Trip – Rother Valley 10km on Saturday Team 2nd (Ish 3rd, Bernard 8th, Neil 13th) Then Sunday handicap race at Scarborough.

Huncote Half Winner – Ish 1:12:24

Great North Run – Neil Wright 101st from over 40000 runners 1:14:30

Press Liaison Officer created at AGM – Tony Drake

“Leicester Sport” Road Running League. 11 races – Men Runners Up Div 1., Men’s Vets Promoted  Div.2.

 

1999

March – Ish won Worthing 20mile 1:51:18.

April – London Marathon Bernard Barriu – 2:41:30

May – Leeds Marathon – Ish 2:35:09, 4th place.

Round-Leicester-Relay – BRC 3rd Team

League – Men 2nd Div.1, Ladies 2nd Div 2.

 

2000

Steve Powell , Club Captain wrote in BRC Newsletter – Birstall RC Finest Year to date.

LRRL – Men Winners Div 1, Mens Vets Winners Div 2., Paul Warden 1st Vet40, Ladies 2nd Div 1,  Sara McDowell 2nd Lady, Lesley Griffin 1st LV50.

Stilton 7 – 1st Ish 36:50, 3rd Paul Warden 38:18

June - BRC held the first Swithland 6 race in LRRL, From, and back to, the Griffin Inn in Swithland. (Ish 3rd 32:04)

Round-Leicester-Relay – Mixed Team 1st, Men’s Team 3rd.

3mile Handicap Race for BRC round Watermead – Winner Marv Smith.

Entered teams in North Mids c/c Ladies 4th team in both.

Chris Mawer representing GB 45-49 age cat. World Duathlon Champs – France Bronze (3rd) and then World Vets 10km 2nd in Age Cat. (3rd overall).

Hereward Relay, Cambs., Ladies 2nd Team.

 

2001

Active membership – 80

Hereward Relays, Peterborough – Men overall champions in new course record (40miles in under 4 hours). The Ladies Team were second.

North Mids x/c BRC Men best team result 4th.

LRRL – Men and Ladies, each 1st Div 1. Deryk was Chairman of League 2001-2002 and arranged LRRL presentation of awards by Lord Mayor, John Allen.

1st Leicester Marathon for 10 years organised by Bob and Angie Budge from Mallory Park.

Chris Mawer won Gold in age category at World Duathlon in Rimini.

August – Men won Round-Leicester- Relay and Mixed Team 3rd.

Swithland race had to be re-routed missing out Kinchley lane, due to foot and mouth, to 7 miles.

 

2002

Club trip to Bratton Hilly, 1st place Neil Wright, and 1st Team of 4. Then proceeded to Weymouth.

Round Leicester Relay – Men’s team 3rd, Ladies 2nd.

Swithland 6 returned to the Griffin Inn.

Team of 4 entered 24 hour Pedal Car Race. Despite losing a wheel at 22 hours finished 4th (1st mixed team)

Announced that Leicester Marathon last year raised £8573 for Children in Need.

 

2003

First year club appointed Ladies Captain.

Round Leicester Relay – BRC 1st Ladies Team (in scorching hot conditions).

LRRL – Ladies won Winter and Summer leagues.

2004

Club trip again to Weymouth, including Happy Hilly on the way. BRC 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 9th. Plus team prize. Went to karaoke on Sunday evening and discovered that member, Kimbra Green, had the voice of an angel.

LRRL – Winter League race Ashby 5 – 1st Lady Zoe Fleming (Proctor) 30:39.

London Marathon, Donna Walker ran as a bunny girl 4:30

June – Coop provided new porta-cabin changing rooms.

Honorary club member, Bobby Brown, ran the 3,100 mile cross America race (Los Angeles to New York).

 

2005

Presentation Evening – Fancy dress, theme: Advertisements. Included presentation of £3500 to each, Loros and Rainbows, raised from the Leicester Marathon.

Club Trip – Bratton, Mens 1st Team prize, then Weston-Super-Mare where Glen initiated a visit to “Jill Dando’s Walk”.

20th Anniversary of BRC celebrated at Swithland 6 with memento engraved glass. £50 cash bonus paid to Diane Lobacevske for new ladies course record.

June 2005, Tragically, lost one of the founder members, Glen Hillyer who died at Queens Medical Centre. This followed the other founder member. Mike Powell, having a hip operation that stopped his running career.

BRC and Leicester Tri Club had a joint Christmas Meal at The Mine Restaurant in Braunstone Gate.

Bobby Brown won the 145-mile Grand Union Canal Ultra Race in 29 hours.

BRC was accepted into the Derby Runner X/C League and ran our first race late in 2005.

 

2006

Zoe Fleming won the 1st Winter League Race Barrow 6 in 36:02, and 1st in 3rd race at Markfield.

2nd Winter League Race Ashby 5 ROD Aaron Black 30:24 and Donkey Ryan Black 30:39 (Nothing changes!)

Club Trip Bratton (BRC 1st Team) and then Weston-Super-Mare, with a poignant moment when we re-visited Jill Dando’s Walk and remembered the recently departed Glen Hillyer.

Swithland 6 memento the famous Swithland 6 socks!

LRRL Summer League Ladies Div 1 Winners.

 

2007

The first year that we introduced the Club Championship (later called the Glen Hillyer Championship)

This year that several members emigrated to Australia.

Bob Budge managed to arrange for the Leicester Marathon to return to the City with start/finish at Victoria Park.

Derby Runner x/c Ladies 1st Senior team, with 1st Senior Lady- Liz Cocks.

LRRL Winter League 1st Vet45 Lady Sue Black and V55 Lady Lesley Griffin.

Low key trips to Frome for Bratton 11km and Trip to Paris Marathon.

The last Swithland 6 from The Griffin Inn.

 

2008

Christmas meal at Terracotta Chinese in High St Leicester (Organised by Sarah Mayoh-Smith)

Notting Half Zoe Fleming time 1:21:41

Leicester Mercury awarded Leicester Marathon “Sports Event of the Year”.

 

2009

Club Vest changed from White with Red/White/Blue hoops to Sky Blue Vest with Red/White/Blue diagonal stripes. Intended for first use in 2010 ie 25th Anniversary of BRC.

Club Trip to Dublin where we had an athletic competition against a local club on a track at Santry that had seen sub 4-minute miles years before. We lost!

Inaugural 100 lap challenge at Saffron Lane stadium. BRC team entered and arranged by Jane Coltman. Team 3rd.

1st Swithland 6 from Halstead Road  (actually 10km this time only). Torrential downpour but it turned out that we made an inspired decision to give all finishers an “Embossed Bath Towel” as a memento.

 

2010

Proceeds from BRC 10km race “Stroke the Mammoth” round Watermead, presented £3300 to Ward 8 General Hospital for a special hydro chair.

Club Trip to Rochdale – 6m road on Friday night, 6m mixed terrain Saturday Morning, and 6m Fell Race on Sunday. 18 BRC runners completed all 3 races. Best finisher Ish in 3rd place overall. BRC received 18 cans of lager for first team of 18 completing all races!

July 2nd- Silver Jubilee Dinner Dance at Birstall Golf Club.

1st year of Watermead Challenge, organised by Lions but assisted by Dave Snutch.

Christmas party at White Horse Birstall

 

2011

Steve Powell stood down as Club Captain after many successful, inspirational years. Adam Warner new captain.

Club Trip Bratton again and then on to Weymouth.

BRC ran 100 lap challenge in fancy dress.

Ted Toft, the well-known local guru on all things local athletics sadly died.

LRRL – Vet Ladies 1st Div 1.

 

2012

Liz Cocks 1st Lady Charnwood Hills race on her comeback to running.

LRRL Winter League – Liz won 4 races and several in Summer League. Lady Champion.

LRRL – Ladies and Lady Vets 1st in Div1. Men and Men Vets achieved promotion from Div3.

Hose Half- Liz Cocks 1:18:38

Club Trip to Lake District, Grasmere Gallop then Sunday walk over “The Old Man of Coniston”

 

2013

17th June 2013 Moved from Co-op Sports Ground to new headquarters at The Pavilion, School Lane. Arranged with Birstall RBL to use their club after Monday and Friday club sessions for socialising.

Club Trip again Bratton Happy Hilly 11km then on Sunday ran the “Black Death” 10 mile on Sunday morning. Stopped at picturesque Bourton-In-The -Water on the way home on Monday.

Liz Cocks 2nd Lady in Manchester Marathon 2:43:30. The organisers thought she was running for the RAF due to Birstall’s Sky Blue Vest.

10 members attended a Loros charity dinner at the Mercury Hotel, with guest speaker Seb Coe.

Derby Runner x/c Ladies 2nd team.

BRC Bonus Ball scheme initiated.

Adam Warner took over as Chair due to several resignations.

Club Vest changed to White Vest with Red/White/Blue diagonal stripes on the front.

 

2014

BPX Presentation Evening at the “Artform” Gt Central Railway, Birstall.

Liz Jones stood down after 9 years as Ladies Captain. Ali Rowlands took over.

Club Trip – Waverley 17km and Fun Run. Sunday walk from Keswick to Cat Bells.

BRC Guard of Honour for Bill Coltman at his 100th Park Run at 72.

 

2015

26th Sept – 30th Anniversary Ball at The City Rooms in Leicester.

Club Trip – Coton Fete to run the 10mile Windmill Race. Then to Keswick for Sunday Walk, Ashness Bridge via Walla Crag. Stopped in Harrogate on Monday on way back.

New Club Logo – Designed by Simon Taylor – adopted on BRC kit.

Nov - Major overhaul to BRC Club Constitution

 

2016

Club trip to Darren’s Dash “HILL” race then to Symonds Yat.

2 page spread in Leicester Mercury of photos from the Swithland 6.

Very successful C2-5K programme organised by BRC finalised in many “graduates” taking part in the Braunstone Park park run.

 

2017

Club Trip to Tywyn for the DySynni Trail Run. Then to Aberystwyth with long walk organised by Dean Grimbley.

Steve Hickingbottom ran his first Comrades Marathon  (54 miles) in South Africa in 9:47:59.

LRRL – John Orgill, Tim Tickner, Jess Eichel and Elisa Whittlestone among the award winners. Men Div 3 Champions and Ladies 3rd in Div 1.

October 2017 the last BRC newsletter produced after progress of Social Media, particularly Face Book.

 

2018

LRRL – Men Runners-Up Div 2 and promoted.

L&RAA X/C Championships – Masters Ladies Team Silver Medal Winners (Elisa Whittlestone, Lisa Spence, and Hannah Askham)

 

2019

Sadly, no club tour.

Mick Newton voted as Honorary President. Followed Mike Powel who had been Chairman/President since club founded in 1985. (Mike was also a founder of Ann Oliver Runners before the club affiliated to the 3A’s).

 

2020

The year of COVID-19!! The infamous Groups of 6, Track & Trace, and beware close proximity. ZOOM meetings introduced, races were cancelled and replaced by “virtual” events.

Many BRC members took part in the LRRL Virtual “Lockdown League”. No prizes but 5 races and a final 10km in August. Helped to keep the running community active.

 

2021

 Beginning of the end to restrictions, with Groups of 30 allowed from May 17th.

Swithland 6 cancelled

Pavilion at School Lane re-opened 28th June.

All restrictions lifted on 19th July.

BRC AGM held at RBL after 12 months of Zoom meetings.

Tristan Snutch stood down as Club Captain, after several successful years, and replaced by Ian Black.

LRRL organised the “Reunion” League with 5 races, commencing with the Prestwold 10km at end of June.

 

2022

Feb – Added use of Pavilion changing room on Wednesday evenings End Oct to Early April following year.

Adopted policy to include Juniors in BRC aged 14 to 17 years.

April – 46 members ran from Birstall to Ukranian Church and raised £600 Disaster Fund Emergency Appeal for Ukraine.

Swithland 6 ran again after 2 year absence due to Covid.

Club Trip arranged to Cartmel Races but only very low numbers travelled.

 

2023

BRC Christmas Party moved to Beedle’s Lake GC.

LRRL – Mixed Team 1st Div 2, Men 2nd Div 2, Men Vets 1st Div 2. Ladies Vet Team 1st Div 2.

 

2024

Weekend club trip to Cromer Park Run etc enjoyed by the few that went.

After many years John Starbuck stood down as Treasurer and replaced by Sam Harrison.

Swithland 6 had sponsorship from Martinez Patios and Landscaping and were able to give commemorative mugs as mementos.

Livingston Relays – Vet Ladies 1st.

Derby Runner x/c Ladies Team 1st.

 

2025

Mike Powell, co-founder of BRC and Chaiman/President for many years, passed away at his home in Weymouth.

Charlotte Bone qualified for World Championships in Australia and BRC gave her a contribution towards her travelling expenses.

Livingston Relays Vet Ladies 2nd.

Nikki Welyczko stood down as Club Chairperson, after several years of loyal service to the club.

 

The 23rd June 2025 will be the 40th Anniversary of Birstall Running Club, but our journey will continue hopefully, for many years to come.

Information compiled by Deryk Woods from a store of written records.