Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow Athletic Club

Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC members were saddened to learn of the recent death at his home in Hordle, near Lymington of Len Runyard. Len was the founder of Eton Athletic Club back in 1948. The club’s headquarters at that time were on the Eton College cinder track at Agars Plough, later to become the site some 50 years later of the Thames Valley Athletics Centre, the current home of the Athletic Club.

In the early1950’s Len Runyard was instrumental in the move of the Club to a new base to a grass track on the Army Training Ground in Kings Road Windsor, the Club then changing it’s name to Windsor & Eton Athletic Club. The late 50’s saw a rapid rise in the club’s fortunes with its star athlete being Stan Eldon who for some time held the British track records over 3 miles and 6 miles. The Club’s reputation as a distance running unit grew accordingly and the Club’s rising status saw a move to a new grass track venue on Vansittart Road Playing Fields thanks to representations from the Club Committee, with Len Runyard at the helm, to the local council. In the late 60’s funds were raised to erect a permanent Clubhouse at Vansittart Road. With the advent of league athletics in 1968, Len Runyard was at the forefront in the negotiations with Slough Athletic Club to combine and form a single and even more powerful club. The Club then became Windsor Slough & Eton Athletic Club. The Club’s membership and status continued to rise under Len Runyard’s watchful eye and after more representations to the Local Authority, in the early 1970’s a 6 lane all weather track was laid at Vansittart Road, only the third such track in Southern England. The Club continued to thrive and by the late 1970’s had achieved promotion into the National League, a competition, at that time, reserved for the top 24 clubs in the UK. Having achieved so much, Len Runyard relinquished the post of Club Secretary in 1973, coinciding with his retirement as Headmaster of St.Edwards School Windsor and moved to the south coast. He continued to maintain a close interest in the Club and was a regular spectator at the Club’s home meetings for many years and witnessed the Club’s move to its current headquarters in the Thames Valley Athletics Centre – in fact a return home to the very place where Len Runyard started it all. Sadly ill health curtailed his visits in latter years but he can be justifiably proud of what has grown from the seed he had sown over 60 years ago.

His memory and achievements continue to live on.