In 1987 a group of local runners in the Clacton & Colchester area saw the need for a running club in the area to cater more for the non-elite runner. Some of these runners were ex Colchester Harriers members who had become a little disillusioned there and wanted to help and support local runners who did not have access to a running club that could cater for their abilities. The only other local running clubs to join being at Harwich, Colchester Joggers in Colchester who were seen by some runners more as an elite club.
The club was founded by a local runner, Derek Cook, who became the clubs first Chairman, Malcolm Glading was Vice Chairman and co- founder member. Royal Blue was chosen as the club colour (possibly due to the Chair and Vice Chair being Ipswich Town supporters). The club expanded very rapidly and members travelled far and wide to compete in races. Racing in the late 1980’s was a very different thing to what it is now, many races were not officially measured (Some local “half’s “were less than 13 miles!), though most had vast support in those days. Great Bentley Joggers, as the club was then known, itself hosted a 12.7 mile race twice yearly and this attracted well over 900 runners to each event.
In 1988 Derek resigned as Chairman and disappeared from the club scene for a few years. His place was taken by Malcolm Glading and the club continued to pick up support. Amongst the new runners who joined in 1988 was one Paul Strutt , who in a few years would represent Essex at the peak of his running . Paul held virtually all the club records until very recently (2000/01), most standing for very nearly ten years or more. Dave Nugent was another member who joined in 1988 and continues to this day to represent the club and is someone who must be one of the most travelled runners in the UK, having run well over 500 times for the club. Also from this era is Larry Wise, who is the current longest serving member of the club at time of writing this history.
In 1991, Malcolm Glading passed away after a short illness. His running partner, Ray Broad took his place as Chairman and took the club to new levels. The club had never been affiliated to any association though it still continued to pick up support from local runners and now it had a very useful squad to represent it , including local runner Dave McCune , who for many years as second only to Paul Strutt in terms of ability and but for injuries , may have achieved much more. As a mark of respect to Malcolm, the club ran a relay of 55 miles in the tour of Tendring to raise money for charity. This was something Ray and Malcolm had planned to do alone originally, but a superb event took place where, along with Colchester Joggers and Harwich Runners, members ran various legs of this route in a relay and raised a lot of money.
1994 – A troubled year which saw the club at various stages have three chairmen. Ray Broad stepped down early in 1994 due to a change at his workplace and having to work new shifts and longer hours, he felt he could no longer devote the time required. In his place stepped Rodney Lawrence, who took the Chair for around 6 months, though Rodney too had similar problems at the time and could not devote the time required all the time. For the first time ever, the club saw a down turn in membership. It was unfortunate that a few members all found work away from the area all at the same time and were required to move home. Add to this a problem on the club’s London Marathon trip and long term injuries to a few key runners, the club struggled for support. At times a club night could attract as few a 5 people, and they weren’t all runners. For a while, the future was touch and go. Once again, Derek Cook took over as Chairman, after rejoining in 1991 – a drastic change had to be made if the club was to survive. The first change was that the club voted to join the AAA’s. This had been overwhelmingly rejected just two years prior to this, but the membership (what little there was) felt the time was now right to join. Club nights were changed from Thursday evening’s to Wednesday evenings and the club now used a smaller room in the village hall to cut overheads. The club took a new approach to recruiting new runners and by the end of 1995 things looked well and truly better as new members joined and old injured friends came back from injury – the turn around was well and truly under way .
The club now had regular races to places far afield and a much larger contingent of the club was going on these trips. Grizzly in Devon was and still is a favourite of the club as word spreads of this tough but likeable race. Tough Guy, in Wolverhampton was a popular event, as was Coniston 14 in Cumbria , though some hadn’t realised here what was involved at these places . Trips abroad have been popular too – Bruges, Rotterdam, Paris, Lanzarote, Malta, Cyprus, Paris to name but a few have all appeared at some time on our race calendar.
In 1998 the club voted upon the possibility of changing the club name from Gt Bentley Joggers to Gt Bentley Running Club. After a long debate, the motion was very narrowly carried by the membership, though amusingly, we still get results from races with the old name on them.
In 2000 , Derek Cook stood down from his second spell as club Chairman for health reason’s , the club was now in a much healthier state than when he had taken over in 1994 . Although a period of uncertainty followed for a short while, the club has grown stronger still and can boast some superb talent and a very strong squad, especially for what is still essentially a small village club.
2001 will be remembered in the club as having both great highs and lows. On the high side we saw the club’s greatest ever achievement in its history by finishing a narrow 2nd to St. Edmunds Pacers in the Ekiden Relays. The relay team of Geoff Tomlinson, Paul Burton, Kevin Bowles, Peter Pearce, Geoff Day and John Cottis finished just 16 seconds behind them. We were the only other club in contention that day, beating many other larger clubs, a marvellous team achievement for a small running club. Sadly also that year was the death of a great favourite of the Club Mickey Edwards. As a tribute to him we have a handicap series for the members of the club called The Mickey Edwards Memorial Trophy. A handicap is unique in the sense that everyone has a chance to win from the local jogger to the elite runners at the club. Mickey always had admiration for everyone at the club at all levels and we felt it was a fitting tribute to him.
With very nearly 70 members (and still growing) the club is perhaps unnaturally strong for its size. In Geoff Day, the club has a runner that can compete with the very best. Add to this Peter Pearce, Geoff Tomlinson, Kevin Bowles and John Cottis, it is no surprise to any at the club that a silver medal was achieved in the Essex County Championships in 2000. Though the club continues to grow, and it may be soon that it can no longer be seen as a “small “club , it still retains the friendliness and closeness of type of club it has always been .
The roller coaster ride continues
Jon Bolton,
Club Chairman