The Athletics Museum has been out and about this summer, taking pop up exhibitions of athletics heritage to the inaugural Pickering Memorial Throws International, building on the success of last year’s Walk of Fame at English Schools’ AA Championships, and bringing athletics heritage to the crowds at the England Athletics Age Group Championships.
Pickering Memorial Throws International. 27 May 2024. Loughborough University.
The Athletics Museum was invited to work with the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund and members of the Pickering family to create a celebration of the life and achievements of athlete, coach and mentor Shaun Pickering who passed away on 11 May 2023 to display at the Pickering Memorial Throws International Event held in Loughborough on 27 May 2024.
We created a pop up display, covering Shaun’s early years as a hammer thrower, his time in the USA playing American Football, his journey to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and the 1998 Commonwealth Games where he took a bronze medal in the shot put, through to his coaching and mentoring days, and his tireless work through the Ron Pickering Memorial Foundation, set up in memory to his father Ron Pickering and mother, Olympic bronze medallist Jean Desforges to support young athletes.
Space was made within the exhibition for athletes and spectators to share their memories of Shaun, building up a board of memories throughout the day which was captured as a lasting memory to Shaun.
English Schools’ Walk of Fame. 12-13 July. Alexander Stadium, Birmingham
In 2023 The Athletics Museum launched the ESAA Walk of Fame in partnership with English Schools’ Athletic Association to celebrate athletes and young officials who have competed at English Schools’ and gone on to success in the sport, and at the 2024 English Schools’ Championship we added four new stars.
- Issy Boffey – 800m
- Will Barnicoat – cross country and 5000m
- Jack Lambert – hammer thrower and field official
- Abigail Pawlett – heptathlon
The purpose of the Walk of Fame is to show current competitors who has trodden the track, the run up, the circle before them, and to remind them that even if the journey isn’t always smooth, it is worth taking.
We even had a visit from one of the stars of the exhibition. Jack Lambert was officiating at English Schools’ so came across to say hello and see his entry into the Walk of Fame.
You can view the full Walk of Fame and find out who else is in it by clicking here, or discover peoples’ memories of competing at English Schools’ over the past 80 years by visiting our Memories of English Schools’ page.
England Athletics Age Group Championships. 26-28 July. Alexander Stadium, Birmingham.
The Athletics Museum spent a very enjoyable three days at the England Athletics Age Group Championships at the end of July displaying various items from our collection for spectators to view. The London 2012 gold medal got a lot of attention – spoiler: it’s a replica, otherwise we may not have let Leonard the Lion get quite so close to it!
We had a display of training manuals from the early twentieth century, containing such pearls of wisdom as, “athletes should avoid eating indigestible food,” surely good advice for everyone, regardless of athletic ability? A selection of images showing how athletic technique has changed over the years, and medals from multiple domestic and international competitions.
How to find The Athletics Museums
The Athletics Museum will continue to be “out and about” at various events – keep an eye out for us. In the meantime, for a fix of athletics heritage, head to The Athletics Museum for online exhibitions on the History of the Olympic Games, the development of the Women’s Amateur Athletic Association, the History of English Schools’ Athletics, and the story behind Sportshall Athletics.
There are also shorter stories about individual athletes, events and objects if you Delve Into The Archive…
Enjoy!