Sixty years ago was a significant period in the life of the Yorkshire Walking Club (later to become the Yorkshire Race Walking Club). January, 1948, saw the resignation after 40 years as a walker and official of the legendary Frank Holt who, during his ten race-walking years, notched up 40 firsts, 15 seconds, ten thirds and numerous team awards as well as setting up various records.

During that year, too, Charlie Colman joined the club after eight years as a member of Wibsey Park Harriers' walking section. He was a useful addition. In 1951 he was second in the Northern area 20-mile championship and in the Bradford Walk.

The following year, though, was when he made history, dead-heating in the Bradford Walk with former Olympic champion Harry Whitlock. The minutes of the June committee meeting record: "The performance was adjudged to be so meritorious that it was unanimously resolved to place it on permanent record."

Not everyone agreed, though. As Geoff Dowling reported in his excellent 1982 history of the YRWC's first 70 years, T&A athletics writer Harry Jennings was not so impressed. He later declared: "This (dead-heat) came about through the two men making a pact when someone else was leading to keep together if they passed him. When it was announced to the crowd in Peel Park that the pair were abreast at Eccleshill hopes of a thrilling finish were raised. When, with 150 yards to go, they were still abreast excitement was tremendous, but not in my case.

"To my mind it was an anti-climax and my report stated that they should have sung Dear Old Pals'. I shall always contend that Charlie Colman made a big mistake as, much younger than Whitlock, he could have won a fighting finish. It probably cost him a place in Britain's team for the Olympic 50k at Helsinki that year."

Geoff has reprinted the history of the club from its 1903 beginnings (when the Bradford & County Walking Association organised one of the first all-amateur walking events to be held in England, between Bradford and York) to 1982. Copies of Yorkshire Race Walking Club - The First Seventy Years are available at £2.50 each from Geoff Dowling at 9 High Park Crescent, Bradford BD9 6HT (cheques payable to him, please).