Thomas Edgar Hammond (18 June 1878 – 18 December 1945) was a British track and field athlete who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics.[1][2] He was a founder member of the Brotherhood of Centurions (Centurion no.10) and is remembered primarily for his prowess as a long distance race walker.[1]
 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 18 June 1878 Hitcham, Suffolk |
| Died | 18 December 1945 (aged 67) Haywards Heath, West Sussex |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event | Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics – Men's 10 miles walk |
| Club | Surrey Walking Club |
Life
editHammond was born on 18 June 1878 in Hitcham, Suffolk.[3] He was educated at Bedford Modern School,[4] and after school became a stockbroker at the London Stock Exchange.[1]
In 1899, Hammond signed up for service in the Boer War, becoming cyclist orderly to Lord Kitchener.[1] After war service, he returned to stockbroking.[1] In 1903, he came third in the Stock Exchange London-to-Brighton Walk.[1] In 1904 he won the event in 8 hours, 26 minutes, 57 seconds which was then a record.[1] In 1904 he joined the Surrey Walking Club, eventually becoming its President, and also became a member of the Southern Counties Road Walking Association Committee.[5]
Prior to his appearance in the Olympics, Hammond set a number of records, including London-to-Oxford (1907), London-to-Brighton and back (1907), and London-to-Brighton (1908).[5]
In the 1908 Olympics in London, he took part in the 10-mile walk event. In September 1908, he set a number of British records, including the 24-hour when he covered 131 miles, 580 yards; his record stood at the time of his death in 1945.[3] His time at 100 miles was 18-04:10.2.[3] In 1914 he set the record for Norwich-to-Ipswich.[5]
Hammond signed up for war service during World War I.[1] He held the post of D.A.D.O.S. in Northern Persia and left the army in 1920 with the rank of Major.[1]
In 1938, he was made President of the Old Bedford Modernians' Club.[1] Hammond died in Haywards Heath, West Sussex on 18 December 1945.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j The Eagle, The Magazine of Bedford Modern School, Vol. XXI, No.4, December 1937, p. 314
- ^ "Thomas Hammond". Olympedia. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "Tommy Hammond". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020.
- ^ "School Sport in the Twentieth Century" by P. J. King, Commemorative Edition of The Eagle, The Magazine of Bedford Modern School, 1974, p. 403
- ^ a b c "T.E. Hammond - Centurions World Wide Community-current". www.centurionsworldwide.org.uk.
- ^ Tommy Hammond. Sports Reference. Retrieved 2015-01-22.
