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Honorary Membership

The following are entitled to free membership of Kent AC.  If they are competitive athletes they need to pay their own EA membership.

Honorary MembersListed below
Active CoachesCoaching secretary advises membership secretary
Active OfficialsL2 and above. officials secretary advises the membership secretary 
GB vest holdersSeniors, including para- and transplant athletes.  Vest awarded when athlete a 1st claim member.  Includes standard athletics events, XC, mountain and ultras.
OlympianIrrespective of nationality. Includes para- and transplant athletes. Representation must have been when the athlete was a 1st claim member.  Any event that includes athletics or running.

Honorary Life Membership may be bestowed on members deemed to have rendered long, exceptional and meritorious service to the club, subject to the person nominated receiving at least 75% of the votes recorded at the AGM. Any such nomination must be made to the Committee in writing and provided the Committee approves it, it shall be included in the agenda for the ensuing AGM. 

Honorary members :

Norman Fox

Honorary Member Since 1987

Norman joined in 1948 and served on the committee in the 1970’s. Highly committed and hardworking. He made some generous financial donations to the Club at a time when our bank balance was none too healthy!

John Higgins

Honorary Member Since 1987

John joined in 1973. Did a lot of work (together with wife Eileen) when we used to run the KAC Sidcup 10 mile road race.

Alf Regan

Honorary Member Since 1988

Alf joined Kent AC in September 1973. He will be 70 in 2019 and remains an active club member.

He took up running at University and ran for the club until 1987. He completed 6 of the first 7 London Marathons as well as New York and World Vets Champs. His fastest marathon time was 2hr 42mins 59secs.

He served on the club committee for a number of years in various roles including fixtures secretary and honorary auditor. Alf relocated in 1987 to take up a teaching appointment in the West Country but still retained his commitment to the Club. He still has his old Kent AC vests and together with running medals from that period form an important part of a cherished collective memory of the club.

Ron Hale

Honorary Member Since 1994

No one has committed more time and energy to Club affairs. Ron joined Kent AC on 12th May 1947!.  In 2019 He will have been a member for some 72 years – that is club loyalty at it’s very best. Ron has done it all both as a runner and committee member.

Derek Baldwin

Honorary Member Since 1996

Derek joined the club in 1956 and was a committee member in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. Very loyal and hardworking. 

Peter Yates

Honorary Member Since 1999

Peter joined in 1949 and was a highly committed member. He was active on the committee for many years between the 1960’s and 1980’s. Peter was President in the 1970’s when Kent AC experienced significant problems. He did much to ensure our continued existence at a time when some members sought a change of name to Lewisham AC. Peter also competed on a regular basis.

Cliff Jennings

Honorary Member Since 2004

Joined in 1994. Moved to Ireland about 15 years ago. A good thrower and valuable member of the track and field team. Discovered at the Post Office T&F Champs by another member – Shane McLeod.

Jack Green 

Honorary Member Since 2012

Jack joined Kent AC in 2008 . He is a British sprint athlete who specialises in the 400m distance, along with the hurdles and the 4 × 400 m relay. He competed for the Great Britain team at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. At the 2011 World Championships, he finished fifth in his semi-final, a performance he described as “embarrassing, a waste of my time and the team’s money”, despite finishing where expected.[2] He also won a gold medal at the 2011 European U23 Championships in the 400m hurdles.[3]

In May 2012, he won both the 400m and the 400m hurdles at the BUCS Championships which were held at the Olympic Stadium in London.[1] During 2012, he trialled a new technique which involved taking fewer strides. He first tested the technique at the Bislett Games in Oslo, finishing in sixth place after hitting seven out of ten of the hurdles on the course. After the Bislett Games, he spoke to former hurdler Kriss Akabusi who gave him advice as he suffered from similar issues during his career.[4] Green placed second in the 400m hurdles at the British Olympic Trials, behind his training partner and World Champion, Dai Greene.[5]

At the start of July 2012, Green was named to the athletics squad for the 2012 Summer Olympics, to compete in the 400 metres hurdles and 4×400 relay.[6] Two weeks prior to the Games, he ran at a meet at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, setting a new personal best in both the 400m and the 400m hurdles, at 45.99 seconds and 48.60 seconds.[7] The media coverage of the event noted the fact that Green had written “CHIN DOWN, FLAT BACK” in capital letters on the inside of his left forearm prior to the 400 metre race.[7]

In the 2012 Olympics, Jack Green was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 400 m hurdles, hitting a hurdle and falling. He performed well in the 4 × 400 metres relay, running 44.42s, as Great Britain finished fourth, just 0.13 seconds outside of a medal.[8]

Having suffered from depression throughout 2012,[9] Green announced in 2013 that, despite a full recovery, he was taking a break from the sport to allow his health to improve further, and leaving the British Athletics high-performance funding programme to do so.[10] In August 2014, Green announced his intention to return to the track for the 2015 season and returned to full-time training in Florida.

Paul Pollock

Honorary Member Since 2013

Paul joined the club in 2005. He is an Irish Marathon runner. He competed at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, finishing the marathon in 32nd position, in a time of 2.16.24. He was the first Irishman home, followed by his teammates Kevin Seaward and Mick Clohisey. His time was the third fastest by an Irish runner at an Olympic Games.

He first competed at a major championship in 2004 when representing Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo, Australia. He finished 4th in the 1500m. By 2017, he had 15 Irish caps, as well as having represented Northern Ireland on numerous occasions. He has competed on the world stage at each of the major global championships, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, European Championships and Olympic Games.

In 2018, Pollock qualified to run in the Commonwealth Games marathon but was forced to withdraw due to injury during training in Australia. 

Following his participation in the 2013 World Athletics Championships, he continues to write a monthly blog detailing his races and training. Having originally been a member of Abbey AC (Newton abbey, Northern Ireland), he now represents both Annadale Striders (Belfast) and Kent AC. He continues to train, coach and compete, alongside working part-time as an Emergency Medicine doctor.

Andrew Dunwoody

Honorary Member Since 2017

Andrew joined in 2001. Regular runner at distance events up to about 2010 when family duties took over. Ex Kent AC president.

Conrad Williams

Honorary Member Since 2018

Conrad joined the club in 2001 is a British track and field sprinter who competed in the 400 metres and 4x400m relay.He holds a personal best of 45.02 seconds for the individual event.

He won the club’s first international medal winning silver in the GB 4x400m relay squad at the world championships in Berlin 2009. He also won bronze in the same event in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi a year later.  In both instances he carved a niche market as an outstanding first leg runner and one untroubled by difficult, inside lane draws.

The majority of his success has come in relay events, where he has won eight senior international medals, including the gold medal for both Englandat the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and for Great Britain at the 2014 European Athletics Championships.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, although he did not advance beyond the semi-finals in the 400 m, he was part of the British team that came fourth in the men’s 4 x 400m relay. By this time Conrad was being coached by Linford Christie.

Conrad retired in 2018 and received a standing ovation from members at the 2018 club awards event.

Alex Yee

Honorary Member Since 2018

Alex joined Kent AC in 2015. He is also a member of the UK Sport World Class Lottery Funded British triathlon squad based in Leeds. As well as representing Great Britain in triathlon, he has represented Great Britain at senior level in athletics, including running the 10,000m at the 2018 European Championships.

Alex’s transition from exciting junior prospect to the U23 ranks appeared to be halted by a horrific mid-race crash at an ITU World Cup event in Italy in 2017. However, a winter of rehab and hard work saw him achieve a remarkable 10,000m run time of 27:51.94 in May 2018 and secure selection for the GB Athletics team at the European senior championships in August. 

In September 2018 he raced at the ITU World Triathlon Championships on the Gold Coast, finishing 10th in the U23 event – his first Olympic distance race. In his next race, one week later, he won his first senior ITU World Cup medal in China.

Alex’s strength is firmly the run. He is currently running a faster 5,000m time than Mo Farah was at the same age.

Adrian Musson

Honorary Member Since 2020

Adrian joined Kent AC in June 1986 from Blackheath Harriers.  Although not a hugely competitive athlete he found his niche in coaching. He formed and coached the women’s group – at the time tiny but gradually expanding into today’s C group, which he has nurtured for as good as three decades.  He is an encouraging and attentive rather than demanding coach and has won the loyalty and appreciation of his many athletes. Adrian is one of the club’s cornerstones.

He has also been social secretary, in particular organising the club trips to Guernsey & the New York Marathon in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which were instrumental in consolidating team loyalty in the cohort that joined in the mid and late 1980s. For many years Adrian hosted a summer barbecue for members in his beautiful garden demonstrating his professional skills as a landscape gardener.

Ken Pike

Honorary Member Since 2020

Ken has been a real asset to Kent AC. He initially joined us in November 1983 from Blackheath Harriers as a 2nd claim. He immediately settled into the Club and decided to become 1st claim member.

Ken was a very versatile runner who seemed to be able to turn his hand (legs) to any distance. In the latter part of his running career he trained for the marathon and ran an excellent time of 2hrs 29mins 50 secs in 1984 at the London Marathon.

Ken has 2 real passions in life -; running and mathematics. The latter he taught at Sedgehill School for many years where he was regarded as an excellent teacher by staff and pupils alike. Ken’s passion for running is second to none. Ken is inspirational. Moreover, he acquired an excellent knowledge of athletics having a brain that loves nothing more than poring over training and racing data. It therefore came as no surprise when he decided to move across to coaching following his retirement from competitive running. He has become an accomplished coach very much in the same way that he became an accomplished teacher. Ken inspired his runners and pupils to achieve high standards and his passion and great knowledge brought the very best out those he has interacted with. He is also blessed with excellent organisational skills – no stone is left unturned. Kent AC’s successes in the British Athletics League owes much to Ken’s passion and organisational ability.

Dennis & Norman Fairbrass

Honorary Members Since 2020

As identical twins, it is difficult to write of them separately, and difficult to know which given name to put first although Norman is the one often found behind a camera. Dennis and Norman joined Kent AC in October 1972 and, along with Peter Yates, were instrumental in preventing the club from folding in 1979.  For much of the 1980s they were the leading athletes on road, track and the country.  They are also ever-present on the committee, Dennis having done a stint in the president’s chair and separately as fixtures secretary of the Southern Men’s league, and which inexplicably minimised to the track team’s travelling costs.

Both are quietly spoken members who essentially let their running do the talking but were fearsome competitors, Norman having the edge on the country and Dennis on the road – he held the club marathon record for nine years from 1985 (2:24:22) It was rare that both were injury free; on one memorable occasion at the 12 stage at Wimbledon a hapless official accused one of them of running twice!

In addition to athletics their interests are other things sporting, especially football (Sunderland, Woking and Dulwich Hamlet), cricket (Surrey), hefty Italian motorbikes and cats.

Mick Barlow

Honorary Member Since 2021

Mick Barlow joined Kent AC in 1983 aged 17.  He is our fifth longest standing member. His contribution is most easily summarized by the 258 hits on the name Barlow in the club history.  His first race, the south Thames junior, (237th position) was five days after joining.  He rapidly evolved into an enthusiastic competitor, trainer and socializer.  He is an enormously versatile and long-standing athlete.  His pbs include 400m 52.7; 3000m sc 9.56 (and county champion in 2001); hj 1.80m; pentathlon 2400 pts.  He won the assembly league series in 1993, was in the first national 12 stage team in 1996 and the British League qualifying team in 2001.  Last seen in action at the national cross country at Leeds in 2019.

On the social front he was a regular fixture on the Guernsey trips in the 1990s and is an avid collector of Wetherspoons pubs.

His hobby is his work as he was variously employed in Lewisham’s pools, by Sport England and GLL.  He served on the committee as secretary 2006-7.  His biggest contribution has been as a race organizer where his many qualifications put him in high demand.

Pete Boxshall

Honorary Member Since 2023

Pete Boxshall (what better initials could an athlete have?) was made an honorary member at the 2023 annual general meeting.

Although best known as a coach and de facto team manager today, he had an outstanding career as an athlete.

Pete joined Kent AC in May 1982 and, building on his background as a footballer, swiftly became a member of the small hardy Tuesday training group at Ladywell’s then cinder track. He soon became a regular in our competition cycle: cross country, road, especially assembly league, (won in 1986) and the growing and determined track team. He excelled on the track with pbs at 400 of 55.3; 800 of 1.59, 1500 4.08 and 3000 sc of 9.31, then a club record. He also made up the scorecard in jumping and throwing field events. However he made the ‘chase his event dependably putting in sub 10 performances during the 1980s and 1990s as we worked our way into the British League. He was a member of our most important team squads: first national six stage qualification in 1993; 12 stage in 1996 and British league qualification in 2001. He ran for Great Britain as a vet 40 in the ‘chase.

Perhaps one of his best decisions was to avoid club admin and management and he cannily steered away from committee involvement. But he did manage the men’s XC squad in the early 2000s as his running tapered off.

He has contributed to the club tremendously in the last decade and a half developing, from almost nothing, the women’s group as their coach and team manager. He has nurtured team spirit, loyalty, ambition and success through countless hours at the track and competition offering sound, effective, challenging but achievable schedules and gentle, even-handed, sensitive, personalized advice. With his help the womens’ section has developed into one of the strongest squads in the south in road and cross country. He was awarded a prestigious England Athletics coaching award in 2016, which he received with his usual modesty.

He is also great fun to socialise with having a keen memory and a fund of stories of past successes and pitfalls. If this isn’t enough he is also a qualified timekeeper regularly out in pitiless summer sun up a gantry over the track finish line.

He is a credit to Kent AC and we are delighted to honour him in this way.

Bernie Hutchinson

Honorary Member Since 2023

Bernie Hutchison was made an honorary member at the 2023 annual general meeting.

Bernie joined Kent AC in 1986 from Ealing Southall and Middlesex. He fell in with the developing Tuesday evening training groups and has been a regular on cross country, road and track for many years. He features in all our standard and important competitions: assembly leagues, regional and national road relays, track (5000 m pb 15. 37) and cross country; and has a marathon pb of 2.33. His appetite to run and compete is as strong as ever.

His contribution to the club has mostly been behind the scenes. In addition to a spell as track B team manager from 1990 and cross country manager from 1998, he held, until a successor came forward in 2023, for a remarkable 34 years the post of membership secretary. In duration of tenure this is the second longest ever held by any club officer. This is the sort of unglamourous role that every organisation needs but which is rarely appreciated yet alone applauded. Bernie has done this accurately, thoroughly, promptly and consistently and has overseen its management through numerous systems – paper based, then excel and now on a proper database, assisted in this work by his professional IT skills, attention to detail and vigilance.

He is a credit to Kent AC and we are delighted to honour him in this way.