Edinburgh Athletic Club is a British athletics club based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The club is based primarily at the Meadowbank Sports Centre on London Road and train on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Although founded in 2007 the club has a rich history under multiple other names.
History
The origins of the club date back to 1885 and the formation of Edinburgh Harriers who were based in the Western part of the city. They were followed by the creation of three other clubs so that the whole city could be catered for. The Edinburgh Northern Harriers arrived in 1889 and the Edinburgh Southern Harriers in 1897. Finally in 1922 the Cannon Athletic Club (later Edinburgh Eastern Harriers) were formed.
The club's first Olympic gold medalist was Wyndham Halswelle in the 400 metres event at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.
In 1961 the Edinburgh Harriers (who by now had a ladies section), Northern Harriers and Eastern Harriers all merged to become the first named Edinburgh Athletic Club but the Southern Harriers continued independently.
In 1968, Southern Harriers became the first Scottish club to participate in the inaugural British Athletics League and experienced some success, finishing third in 1975 and runner-up in 1976, while the women's Southern Harriers won the inaugural UK Women's Athletic League in 1975.
Later the Southern Harriers would race temporarily under the names Caledon Park Harriers (men) and Edinburgh Woollen Mill (women) for sponsorship purposes.
In 1996, the City of Edinburgh Athletic Club was formed when Edinburgh Athletic Club and Edinburgh Southern Harriers (men) merged to finally unify all of the men's clubs in the city. In 2006, the Southern Harriers (women) won the UK athletics league for the second time.
The final amalgamation came during 2007, when the men's club City of Edinburgh Athletics Club and Edinburgh Southern Harriers (women) became the club as it is today, a single city club for both men and women.
The first major success under the new name came with the women's section of the club after they won the UK women's athletic league in both 2013 and 2014.
Honours British Athletics League, runner-up; 1976 UK Women's Athletic League; champions 1975, 2006, 2013, 2014
Notable athletes Olympians AthleteClubEventsGamesMedals/RefJames Cormack Edinburgh Harriersmarathon 1906Wyndham Halswelle Edinburgh Harriers 200m, 400m, 800m 1906, 1908Reginald MacPherson Edinburgh Harriers non starter 1906Tom Jack ESH marathon 1908George Wallach ESH 10,000m 1912 Jimmy Duffy ESH marathon 1912Fergus Murray ESH 10,000m 1964Dave Stevenson ESH pole vault 1964Jim Alder 1st Edinburgh ACMarathon 1968Gareth Bryan-JonesESH Steeplechase 1968Don Macgregor ESH marathon 1972Dave Wilson1st Edinburgh AC 110m hurdles 1972 Chris Black ESH hammer throw 1976, 1980Helen Golden ESH 200m 1976Moira Walls ESH high jump 1976Drew McMaster1st Edinburgh AC 100m, 4x100m1980 Meg Ritchie ESHdiscus throw 1980, 1984Allan Wells ESH 100m, 200m, 4x100m 1980, 1984Peter Hoffmann1st Edinburgh AC non starter 1976 Elliot Bunney ESH 4x100m 1988Tom HanlonCaledon Park steeplechase 1992 Yvonne Murray1st Edinburgh AC 3000m1988, 1992 Allison Curbishley Woollen Mills400m, 4x400m1996, 2000Karen MacLeod1st Edinburgh AC marathon1996 Sinead Dudgeon Woollen Mills 400m hurdles 2000Shirley Webb City of Edinburgh ACHammer2004Freya Murray-Ross Edinburgh AC Marathon2012Lynsey Sharp Edinburgh AC800m 2012, 2016Chris O'Hare Edinburgh AC 1500m 2016Beth Dobbin Edinburgh AC 200m & 4x100m 2021Josh Kerr Edinburgh AC 1500m 2021, 2024Jake WightmanEdinburgh AC 1500m 2021 Scottish unless stated
Commonwealth Games AthleteClubEventsGamesMedals/RefHayley Ovens Woollen Mills1500m2002, 2006 Paul Walker Edinburgh ACpole vault2010, 2014
Other Allister Hutton (1990 London Marathon winner)
References