About Wycombe Phoenix Harriers AC
Introducing Wycombe Phoenix Harriers AC
Officially founded in 1912, Wycombe Phoenix Harriers AC has been an active club in the Wycombe area ever since. Our club has enabled a number of athletes to represent their country at a senior level. In the junior section we have had considerable success at a national level, with athletes winning gold medals at events such as the English Schools Track and Field Championships.
The club continues to grow and provides high quality coaching and competition opportunities to its members. We aim to provide coaching across the athletics disciplines of running, jumping and throwing at both a junior and senior level.
Entirely run by volunteers, WPH is reliant on volunteers coming forward to offer their help. We are always looking to recruit new help from our members and also from the local community to ensure the continued success of the club.
Find us at the Wycombe District Athletics Complex in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire, having moved across from nearby Handy Cross Sports Centre in 2014.
WPH are designated by Wycombe District Council as the athletic provider within the community.
Getting In Touch With WPH
If you are interested in joining our club as an athlete, please see our membership page and squad pages before requesting to join the club.
If you are interested in volunteering at the club (no previous experience required), please select "Volunteering" from our contact us page.
A Brief History of Wycombe Phoenix Harriers
2020 to Present
Most recently in 2021, Leanne Wellings won a Double Gold at the Irish Master Championships for 100m and 200m.
Ryan Wells won the National U17 Decathlon Silver also in 2021.
Ranking no. 1 in the United Kingdom for the Men's 400m Hurdles (V55 Age category), Barrie Marsden gained 2 gold medals in the British Masters Championships. Barrie completed 100m in a time of 12.81s and 400m Hurdles in 64.50s.
Nemiah Munir gained a bronze at Manchester International for the England U20s by clearing a 3.57m height. The same season Nemiah also improved her PB to 3.70m.
Kirsten Stilwell brought home a Silver in the English National Cross Country Championships (U20 age category) for the 2020 season.
2010s
Pippa Woolven succeeded in representing her country in the Steeplechase at the Commonwealth Games in 2014 and at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country International.
Kirsten Stilwell won Gold in the Junior Girls 1500m at the English Schools Championship 2017.
And in 2018 the Senior Women won the South of England Cross Country Relay Championships.
Pippa Woolven was selected to represent GB at the European Cross Country Champs 2018 and was part of the Silver medal winning team.
The 1980s
In February 1980 Tracey along with Elise Lyon won their respective age groups in the Women’s National Cross Country Championships in Rugeley, Stafford, the second year running for Tracey. In march 1981, Tracey, Yvette, Sarah, Elise and Christine Rowe won the National Junior Cross Country team prize in Andover.
In June 1982 Elise Lyon won the gold medal in the 1500M at the World Schools Games in France. A few days later she was picked to represent Scotland in the Celtic Games. Elise was voted the Sportsmail Athlete of the Month that year.
Whilst these girls were doing their thing Gareth Brown was beginning to make his mark in the 400 and 800M. Gareth would eventually run for Wales.
Kerry Blackburn was selected to run the 400M for the UK senior team at the Cosford indoor meeting having previously represented his country at the Junior level.
The 1970s
Successes started to come thick and fast during the mid- Seventies onwards when a crop of talented young athletes helped to raise its profile.
Jackie Priest won the Girl’s National cross Country title in 1974
In November 1978 Tracey Gleed won her age group in the Mike Sculley Trophy races in Bristol. Tracey also “shone” in the Southern Road relays in Aldershot along with Sarah and Yvette Hague. Both of those sisters later ran outstandingly well in the World Orienteering Championships coming first in their age groups.
1912 - WPH founded
Early records show that Wycombe Phoenix Harriers was formed by local man Charles Allen in 1910 and that it staged a “Magnificent Meeting” of athletics at the High Wycombe Cricket Ground in September 1912 under the auspices of the AAA and the NCU. That fixture attracted 430 entries in the 59 races and offered prizes worth £100. During the following 50 years, the club expanded and, by the 1970s, was beginning to make a name for itself at road and cross country.