Like so many, Dave commenced race walking through his employer, in his case the Royal Air Force which he’d joined in 1965. While training at RAF Hereford (now SAS HQ) 2 were needed for an Inter-Squadron athletics meeting in May 1966. None volunteered, so the Sergeant in charge of the athletics team called out names of the first 2 on his alphabetical roll call, hence ‘A’ was a selection cert. The Sergeant himself was a celebrity – Irishman Jack Murray – as his sister was the late Ruby “Softly Softly” Murray whose name now lives on in cockney rhyming slang. One of Dave’s instructors was then Flight Lieutenant Mike Shannon, a 4-times’ senior Welsh champion in times when it was …Read More

Message from the President I did not think my first few days as President would be like this, if it carries on my reign I will be the only President who held the post when no athletes actually raced. I will be known as Gary The Plague President Floate. I hope you are all keeping well during this worrying time and that you are sticking to the rules and only training once a day. Hopefully we all be out of it soon and back training and racing. In the meantime look after yourselves. Name: Gary Floate Born: 1966 Date Joined: IAC Initially 1981, but left after less than 2 years to Join Newham & Essex Beagles,rejoined about 10 years ago …Read More