Published on 1st August 2025

Athletics club Horsham Blue Star Harriers has been celebrating its centenary year with a series of special events. Members of all ages came together for a Track and Field Day at Broadbridge Heath on 28 June. 

Highlights of the event included a 100-lap charity relay that was supported not only by current athletes and coaches, but also enthusiastic parents and members of other local running clubs including Mel’s Milers and Horsham Joggers. Horsham Museum and Art Gallery is also currently hosting an exhibition of Blue Star memorabilia, including artefacts relating to arguably its most famous runner, Alfred Shrubb. 

Elspeth Turner is a veteran Blue Star runner who made her own contribution to the club’s history by winning the women’s 50 – 54 age category at the 2017 London Marathon. She said: ‘We have a good relationship with the museum, having previously sourced items for a display on Shrubb, a long-distance runner and former Blue Star athlete who broke several world records in the early 20th century. For the centenary exhibition, we compiled records and pictures from all eras of our 100-year history. Following a social media appeal, we were contacted by a former member who broke the club’s one-mile record in the 1950s, before moving to The Wirral. He had kept hold of the trophy he received all those years ago and presented it back to the club at the Sussex Road Relay Championships.  

‘In recent times, we have also reverted back to a more traditional kit with the blue star featuring prominently once again. For many years, the kit had a big star on a white T-shirt, but the design changed and the star was less prominent for a long time. It was only when some of our younger members asked for a retro design that it returned. Now, our training tops have a small star on the front and a large star on the back, which is a nice nod to our history and has proved very popular.’

STARTING BLOCKS

 There is no definitive record as to how the name Blue Star came about, although a reference by (former president) Laurie Ratley suggests the club was formed and named when a group of runners set off from Pirie’s Place on a clear, star-lit night. Blue Star Harriers may have been formed as early as 1894, but few records have survived from that time, aside from the achievements of the aforementioned Alf Shrubb, who won many races for Blue Star before joining South London Harriers. 

The Great War signalled the end for the first incarnation of the club, but it was reformed on 4 February 1925. This is the date used to pin-point Blue Star’s foundation. As the club grew, the Southern Counties AAA invited Blue Star to take part in the prestigious London to Brighton Road Relay. Inter-club matches were very much the order of the day, including paper chases and cross-country events. The Drill Hall was used for changing and there was just enough room to mark out a track at the rear of the hall. Lord Burghley, 400m gold medallist at the 1928 Olympics, was among those to compete there. A lady’s club was formed too, but despite notable performances, it petered out. The men’s club nearly followed suit with the outbreak of World War Two, with many members joining the Armed Forces, some never to return. However, in 1945 the club was reformed and marked the occasion with a run at Horsham Cricket Club.  

In the second half of the 20th century, the club had six Senior Cross Country Champions and three winners of the South of Thames Cross Country Championships. In 1976, Graham Jackson became Blue Star’s first international representative, running for GB juniors at 3000m, followed two years later by Ian Beauchamp in the marathon. Since then, outstanding competitors have included hurdler Zoe McKinnon, who competed for Team GB at indoor internationals in the late 1990s, Clare Harman (née Milborrow), who ran indoor hurdles for England, and Jacob Cann, who competed in cross-country raced for his country in 2024.

RISING STAR

Today, the club competes in Division 3 South of the Southern Athletics League, while juniors compete in Track and Field Championships organised by Sussex Athletics. Blue Star’s current crop of promising athletes includes Izzy Wheeler, 14, an 800m and 1500m specialist who qualified for this summer’s English Schools’ Athletics Association’s Track & Field Championships in Birmingham.  

Izzy (pictured, left) said: ‘I started attending Blue Star’s Monday training sessions for fun, as I’ve always enjoyed athletics at school. I like the variety the club offers, as one week we train for sprints and the next we might try long jump or a throwing event. My main focus is endurance and I train twice weekly. Neil Boniface and the other coaches are amazing and I have improved a lot since moving to the endurance squad, resulting in my qualification for English Schools’.  

‘Just attaining that standard is very hard, so simply taking part will be a good experience for me. Eventually, I would love to represent England, but that will be hard in my first year at U17 level, as one of the youngest athletes. I take inspiration from runners like Keely Hodgkinson and Innes FitzGerald, who I met at a cross-country event only a few years ago and she is now competing at Diamond League events. That gives me great encouragement.’

The club has enjoyed success with its female athletes ever since the ladies section was reformed in 1977 by Sue May and Melanie Marlow (who also founded Mel’s Milers). Teresa Rice (née Mainstone) grew up in Broadbridge Heath and followed in the footsteps of her three older brothers by competing for Blue Star Harriers. 

Teresa said: ‘When I joined aged 11, I tried everything and although I was consistent, I didn’t shine in any one event. When we were short of competitors, I often entered to ensure Blue Star was represented, which helped me become proficient in many events. Naturally, this led me to the heptathlon and I went on to represent Sussex. I loved competing as there is an amazing atmosphere and you make friends with team-mates and athletes from other clubs too. I stayed with Blue Star until I was 24 before leaving to raise a family. When my son expressed an interest in athletics, I was delighted to return and took the coaching assistant’s course. It’s good to be back, as the club has a fantastic camaraderie.’

TEAM SPIRIT

The positive atmosphere is credit not just to the coaches and volunteers, but also to the athletes, particularly a contingent of young adults who train, compete and assist in training sessions, inspiring younger members. Charlie Beckley, 21, joined Blue Star when he was 10 and now competes in middle distance and cross-country events. The club gives him a place to keep fit and socialise. Charlie said: ‘Although I wasn’t quite good enough to reach an English Schools’ standard, I continue to train as I love running and have many friends at the club. The friendly atmosphere has been the foundation for our success.’

Camaraderie is important to Zoe Neal too. As well as representing Sussex at cross-country, Zoe’s passion for athletics has given her opportunities to hone her skills as a journalist. Zoe, 17, said: ‘I like to interview competitors at Sussex Athletics events and make clips for Instagram and other social media 

platforms. I’m recovering from injury, which has given me more time to focus on reporting, not just for Blue Star, but other clubs and local newspapers too. It is good experience for me, as I hope to pursue a career as a sports reporter and by covering race meets, I’m making contacts in the sport and in the media.’  

‘As for Blue Star, the endurance team has become like family to me. Izzy Wheeler is my training partner and although she’s faster over short distances, I help her with pacing over longer distances, so we work well together. Even if I’m not fit enough to compete at the moment, I still love coming down to help out and to support friends. I’m not aiming for the Olympics or anything; I just want to stay healthy and reach my own potential.’

OLYMPIAN COACH

Although the club caters for athletes aged 10 and upwards, its coaches are active in the community, visiting primary schools to promote the sport and raise the profile of Blue Star Harriers. Some can fall back on their own experience, including sprint coach Susan Wightman. Susan (née Tooby) represented GB in the women’s marathon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, finishing 12th, while twin sister Angela was a Commonwealth Games medallist. Susan’s son Jake Whiteman won gold in the 1500m at the 2022 World Championships too. Now, she shares her knowledge at Blue Star. 

‘One of the big differences from when I was competing is that middle-distance running is more sprint orientated,’ says Susan. ‘At the top level, runners like Jake do more sprint training than they used too. However, I’m a big advocate of long-term development and one of the great things about Blue Star is the variety we offer. A 13-year-old shouldn’t be focusing on one event. It’s more beneficial to engage in many – track, field, and other sports or leisure activities – as it’s only when they fully develop physically that you learn what they’re best at.’  

 A beneficiary of this varied programme is Kyla Ball. Kyla, 18, joined the club after excelling at school sports. Initially, she demonstrated prowess in the long jump, but later became County champion at high jump. Kyla continues to attain personal bests in these disciplines, but more recently has won medals on track too. Kyla said: ‘I recently came first in the 100m at a Southern Athletics League fixture, which surprised me! I have now won both my 100m races this year, so it could be that I focus on sprinting in future. After completing my A’ levels, I would love to secure a sports scholarship at an American university, as many top athletes follow that pathway.’  

STAY HEALTHY

There have been difficult times for the club to navigate. The loss of The Tube as an indoor training facility (part of the old Broadbridge Heath Sports Centre) was keenly felt. The club had to rebuild after Covid too, with new coaches and parent volunteers stepping up to ensure Blue Star could thrive again. Ron Shannon, lead coach, said: ‘We went through a period where lots of coaches had left and we had a waiting list of children wanting to join, with no coaches to train them. Then we had the lockdowns, which left us having to rebuild, almost from scratch. This year, we’ve seen numbers surpass pre-Covid levels and I think this is down to the welcoming environment we created. We have reached our centenary in very good shape; Blue Star Harriers is a happy club!’  

WORDS: Ben Morris PHOTOS: Alan Wright

 Further information:

For training nights and membership details, visit www.horshambluestarharriers.org.uk