South London Harriers (SLH) is a British athletics club based in Coulsdon, South London, England. The club's headquarters are based at 194 Brighton Road but training and racing primarily takes place at the athletics track at Woodcote High School and on Farthing Downs. The club train on Tuesday and Thursday evenings but also run sessions at weekends that include events such as cross-country and triathlon.

History

Racing Club de France versus South London Harriers, 31 May 1909, the start of the 1500 metres at Croix Catelan
Farthing Downs
Gordon Pirie

The club was founded on 27 December 1871 at a meeting in the Vivian Arms in Peckham Rye, with the first cross country race taking place on 13 January 1872 and the first track meeting held on 24 August 1872.

The club experienced significant success at the English National Cross Country Championships with Herbert A Heath being the club's first winner of the event in 1891 and 1892. Alfred Shrubb later won the event for four consecutive years from 1901 to 1904.

The club supplied seven Olympians for the 1908 Summer Olympics in London and later produced two silver medal winners at the Olympics with Tom Richards in 1948 and Gordon Pirie in 1956.

SLH has used 45 different venues for staging track and field meeting throughout its history but in 1991, the club moved from the Tooting Bec Athletics Track to the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, which it still uses for specialised training. SLH moved to the athletics track at Woodcote High School following its construction in 2013.

Honours

Notable athletes

Olympians

AthleteEventsGamesMedals/Ref
Jack Densham400m hurdles1908
Alfred FlaxmanSHJ, GD, discus, javelin1908
Jack George100m, 200m1908
Francis Knott1500m1908
Republic of Ireland Larry Manogue800m1908
Edwin Montague400m, 1600m medley1908
Jack Morton100m, 200m, 1600m medley1908
Leslie Housdenmarathon1920
Sonny Spencer1500m1924
Brian Oddie5000m1928
Harold Moodyshot put1948
Derek Pugh400m, 4 × 400 m relay1948
Wales Tom Richardsmarathon1948
Jack Parker110m hurdles1952, 1956
Gordon Pirie5,000m, 10,000m1952, 1956, 1960
Gordon Millerhigh jump1960, 1964
Laurie Reed1500m1960
  • English unless stated
  • GD=Greek discus, SHJ=standing high jump

Commonwealth Games

AthleteEventsGamesMedals/Ref
Peter Driver6 miles1956
Harry Hedges1 mile1930