Fleet 10K

The FLEET 10K (17 Oct 2021)

In the momentous year for running of 1954, the year of Bannister’s 4 minute mile, Peter Driver played his part in England’s golden haul at the Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth games) in Vancouver, Canada, winning a gold medal in the 6 miles event.

Peter Driver (1932-1971) took up distance running when with South London Harriers. He ran his first international for England in 1952 and then had considerable success both on the track and at cross-county. In 1953 he became National Junior Cross Country Champion and in the games year of 1954 also won the AAA 6 mile track championship.

Peter moved to Fleet in 1961 and joined Fleet & Crookham Athletic Club in 1962, then a very small new club. He became Secretary and helped to improve and enlarge the club, giving it the base from which it flourished.

The Peter Driver memorial Road Races were inaugurated in 1972, soon after his untimely death due to an illness. The main event, a 6 miles road race (now a 10km event), was to commemorates his Empire Games victory and as a tribute to his contribution to athletics in this area.

Over the years the race has developed and now includes a 5km event and is now known as The Fleet 10km. The route has changed over the years too but we never forget when and why the race was started. From the early days the races have always been organised by volunteers from the host club, Fleet & Crookham AC and this continues today. An event “organised by runners, for runners” it sits alongside the other major event organised by the club – the annual Fleet Half Marathon.