Salford Harriers is a British athletics club based in the North of England. Today they are primarily a cross country and road running club and are based at various locations around Manchester, including SportCity at the

Manchester Regional Arena Manchester Regional Arena is a multipurpose stadium in Manchester, England, primarily used for athletics, football and rugby league. History It was originally developed as the warm-up track for the 2002 Commonwealth Games held at the adjacent ...

, the Bluebell on Moston Lane and

Heaton Park Heaton Park is a public park in Prestwich, Manchester, England, covering an area of over . The park includes the grounds of a Grade I listed, neoclassical 18th century country house, Heaton Hall. The hall, remodelled by James Wyatt in 1772, i ...

, the Cleavley Athletics Track and Duncan Mathieson Playing Fields Track.

History

Founded in 1884 the Harriers are one of the oldest athletics club in England and have a history of producing Olympic athletes and national champions. Originally the club was founded as a cross–country club at the Grapes Hotel in Cross-lane. From 1888 to 1898 the club won the

English National Cross Country Championships The English National Cross Country Championships is an annual English cross country running event which takes place in late February following the regional championships (Southern, Midlands and Northern) which all take place on the same weekend ...

six times and with two of the club's athletes Edward W Parry and George Crossland winning the individual title. The first significant athlete to run in the club colours was

Alfred Tysoe Alfred Ernest Tysoe (21 March 1874 – 26 October 1901) was an English athlete, and winner of two gold medals at the 1900 Olympic Games representing Great Britain. Biography Born in the Old Vicarage, Padiham, near Burnley England, Tysoe ...

who won two gold medals in the

800 metres The 800 metres, or 800 meters (American and British English spelling differences#-re.2C -er, US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of a ...

and the 5000 metres team race at the

1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 14 May to 28 October 1900. No opening or closin ...

in Paris. The club established itself over the following decades and by the

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were originally schedu ...

had a major influence, organising Olympic Trials and having seven athletes selected for the Olympic Games.

Notable athletes

Olympians

References

{{Reflist Sports clubs and teams established in 1884 Athletics clubs in England 1884 establishments in England Sport in Manchester Athletics clubs in Manchester