It is with great sadness that Chelmsford Athletic Club has learned of the passing of Brian Hill-Cottingham, one of the outstanding athletes and most important figures in the history of our club.
Born in Chelmsford in 1938, Brian joined Chelmsford AC in 1953, beginning an association with the club that would span decades.
Brian’s introduction to running was, by his own admission, somewhat reluctant. As a schoolboy at KEGS, waterlogged football pitches resulted in pupils being sent on a 3½-mile road run. Brian was one of the first two back – despite claiming that he hated it. Before long, however, his considerable talent had been discovered and running became an important part of his life.
That talent would take him to the very highest level.
In January 1960, aged just 21, Brian was selected to represent England in international cross country, becoming Chelmsford AC’s first international athlete. Later that year he finished 21st in the International Cross Country Championships.
His list of achievements in the green and gold of Chelmsford AC was remarkable. Brian was North of the Thames Junior Cross Country Champion in 1959 and Senior Champion in 1962, twice became Essex Mile Champion, and was part of the Chelmsford team that won the famous Leyton-to-Southend Road Relay in record time. In 1961 he finished second to the great Gordon Pirie in the AAA three-mile championship and recorded outstanding performances across distances from 1500m to 5000m.
In 1960 Brian also ran 1:07:01 at the Romford Half Marathon, a performance recognised by athletics statisticians as the first official half-marathon world record, making him the first and only Chelmsford athlete to hold a world record.
But Brian’s contribution to Chelmsford AC extended far beyond his own performances.
He helped coach and manage the club’s younger athletes, took great satisfaction from seeing new talent develop and played a part in the development of the club itself, including the efforts that eventually resulted in the building of the clubhouse at Melbourne Park.
Brian was also part of some wonderful chapters in the club’s history away from conventional competition. In 1970 he took part in the 400-mile relay from Chelmsford to Edinburgh to mark the Commonwealth Games, and two years later was part of the relay from Essex to Munich ahead of the 1972 Olympic Games.
Perhaps Brian’s own words best capture the philosophy that underpinned his athletics career. When asked what advice he would give to young athletes, he spoke about the importance of initially running for enjoyment, before adding that no amount of coaching, facilities or support could replace hard and dedicated work.
Those words feel particularly fitting for an athlete whose career began with training from a wooden hut in Waterhouse Lane, running through floods, snow and winter nights, and who went on to represent his country and become one of the finest athletes Chelmsford AC has produced.
For those of us associated with Chelmsford AC today, it is easy to take for granted the facilities, opportunities and reputation the club now enjoys. Brian belonged to a generation of athletes and volunteers who helped build those foundations.
His name will always have a special place in the history of Chelmsford Athletic Club – not simply because of the races he won or the records he set, but because of the contribution he made to the club and to the generations that followed him.
Everyone at Chelmsford Athletic Club sends their deepest condolences to Brian’s family and friends at this very sad time.
Thank you, Brian, for everything you gave to Chelmsford AC.
Forever Green & Gold.
Rest in peace.
