Race walker who competed at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics for Britain has passed away aged 89

One of Britain’s finest race walkers during a golden era for the discipline, Eric Hall represented his country in two Olympics and was a member of Belgrave Harriers for a staggering 73 years.

Hall was also Belgrave’s oldest member when he died on March 20 aged 89 after a period of declining health.

Hall developed his appetite for race walking by going for long walks with his family on Sunday afternoons. As a teenager he began training with competitive race walkers and was inspired by the 1948 Olympics in London.

Leaving school he started a lifelong job outside athletics as a customs and excise officer but after rising through the ranks as a race walker he took three weeks of unpaid leave from work in 1956 to try to make that year’s Melbourne Olympics.

Only 24, he finished runner-up to Don Thompson in the National 50km and later that year on a hot day in Melbourne finished ninth.

In 1957 he became the first Belgravian to win the Race Walking Association National 20 miles title but in 1958 he was controversially left out of the British team for the European Championships in Stockholm.

Hall finished runner-up to his friend and training partner Stan Vickers at the trial and Vickers went on to win gold in Stockholm by nearly two minutes whereas Hall was left at home.

At the Rome Games in 1960 Hall had another shot at the Olympics and this time completed in the 20km event, placing 10th as Vickers took bronze.

It was a golden era for British race walking too as Thompson famously took gold in the 50km in Rome with Ken Matthews winning another Olympic race walks title – this time over 20km – four years later in Tokyo.

Hall was elected a life member of Belgrave Harriers in 1957 and was named president in 1999.

In a detailed tribute, which you can read here, Belgrave said: “Very many years ago Jack Crump, the Secretary of the British Amateur Athletic Board, found cause to say of Eric that he was ‘Gentlemanly, modest, temperamentally and technically a perfect walker’.

“Well over 60 years later we can not only confirm those qualities but add that Eric was generous in the extreme and a great friend to many, in all walks of our club and sport.”

Hall leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Mavis, children Sharon and Alistair and granddaughters Brittany and Katelyn.