VPHTHAC is based out of St. Augustine’s Hall in the north-east corner of Victoria Park, east London. It was formed in 2001 as a merger of Victoria Park Harriers (founded 1926) and Tower Hamlets Athletics Club (founded 1976). The club is open to all, regardless of ability, from the age of 9 upwards. The membership of approximately 400 includes track, field, road and cross country athletes, from beginners to GB team members. Coached training sessions occur at both St. Augustine’s Hall and Mile End Stadium several times a week. The Club is a charitable trust (Registered Charity No.1091712) which aims to provide a friendly environment for the local community to take part in athletics and associated social activities.
The Club has its own substantial headquarters at St.Augustine's Hall, Cadogan Terrace, Victoria Park which provides changing, showering, a hall for indoor training, a weights room with multi-gym and free-weight equipment, a meeting room and a licensed bar. The Clubhouse is open five days a week and its use is free to all full Club members. The Clubhouse is located on the edge of Victoria Park giving direct access to the traffic-free running environment provided by the Park, the local canal towpaths, Hackney Marshes and the River Lea towpath. In addition, the Club uses the 8-lane, floodlit track at Mile End Stadium, Rhodeswell Road for track and field training on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and at weekends.
A list of Club Officials and coaches is available here.
There is an extensive history of Victoria Park Harriers here.
Tower Hamlets AC started on 5th October 1976 as a result of a very poor performance when the Borough hosted a heat of the London Boroughs Championships, the fact that children would not travel to Victoria Park in the winter and the virtual non-existent opportunities for female athletes. One of the big factors in establishing the club was the opportunity to use the floodlit track at East London Stadium (now renamed Mile End stadium) as the track in Victoria Park was unlit. The Club struggled for existence during various renovations of the Stadium but managed to survive with help from Tower Hamlets Council.
Tower Hamlets AC concentrated on track and field athletics and had a mainly young membership who joined as total beginners and learnt their events under a handful of talented coaches. The club had a very young men’s team competing in the Southern League which rose to division 3 during its most successful period and a ladies/girls team which mainly competed in the lower divisions of the Womens’ Southern League. The club's athletes won hundreds of Middlesex Championships over the years and many athletes went on to achieve representative honours at county, schools, area and International level. It was very pleasing to note that almost three quarters of the honours were won by female athletes. As the number of youngsters grew the small number of coaches and officials at the club found it increasingly difficult to organise all the different league teams and open meetings that the young members needed to attend. Eventually the approached VPH in 2001 for a merger in order to benefit from the greater number of experienced volunteers at the older club and to produce a strong club in this area of London.
The Guild exists to keep former members of the founding clubs in touch with each other and the club. If you are a former member of either of our founding clubs and would like to get in touch with old friends, or come along to reunions, please send your name, address and telephone number to Major Carr.
Memorandum of Association for VPH and THAC