Mick No 1 Church start 2006
Rest in Peace Mick. A valued competitor who did so much for Guernsey in the early 2000s. Competing with a small number of walkers in his first Church to Church walk in Guernsey in 2001 he set out to promote the event in the UK which resulted in larger number of competing walkers and spectators for that event and the Guernsey 3 kms road walk a few days earlier. He even competed for a few years as a member of Sarnia Walking Club.
Mick Barnbrook walked in the Church to Church event in:
2001 3.36.52, 2002 3.38.43, 2003 DNF, 2004 3.51.28,
2005 3.48.01, 2006 3.39.26, 2007 3.46.56 and 2013 3.48.03.
Guernsey 3 kms in 2006. Mick No 78
Copied below from Essex Walker.
MICK BARNBROOK RIP
Some may wonder why Mick isn’t getting a full obituary? This is at Mick’s request, as he asked, when his time comes, that no long write-up be published. Reason: he’d been so moved by lengthy articles in Essex Walker (Issue 389 – Aug/Sep 2019) and Sarnia WC’s website https://sarnia.wordpress.com/2019/07/31/mick-barnbrook-retires-from-race-walking/when he’d announced a retirement from active athletics in 2019, he’d no wish to use up more space – which he asserted would be better filled by articles featuring up-and-coming newcomers – so here’s a brief account:
| So sad to inform Mick Barnbrook, aged 80, passed away after a long illness. His passing was peaceful, at 9pm on Wednesday 14 February. Mick was born in Romford’s Oldchurch Hospital and brought up in |
| Plaistow. His active athletics career spanned 49 years, during which he race walked in first claim capacity for Cambridge Harriers, Ilford AC, Sarnia WC, Ilford AC again as well as The Centurions, Metropolitan Police and British Police Representative teams. He also had a 6 years’ unattached spell after leaving Cambridge Harriers and joining Ilford AC. He was one of 6 race walkers (all Centurions) to pass 100 completions of the London Post Office 9 kilometres yacht handicap races at Blackheath Park – he did 108. When friends pointed out if he could manage one more race, he’d clock-up 50 years. Mick wanted to do one more short race, but health prevented him reaching 50. Mick had opinions on most things and twice stood unsuccessfully for Parliament. Mick only dropped out of one race – in a Guernsey Church-to-Church halfway up a steep opening hill near the start. He struggled back to his then Sidcup home,was very ill so went to a local hospital to be admitted for a week. While there a Consultant told him that, had he not been such a fit man, he could have died – words Mick never forgot. He achieved Centurion status at 1979’s Ewhurst 100 Miles when clocking 21 hours, 59 minutes and 05 seconds to become Member No 661. Mick achieved another sub-24 hours clocking for the 100 miles’ distance at The John Hedgethorne Memorial 100 Miles at Colchester’s Lower Castle Park in 2001. We will, of course, publish some tributes. For a full remarkable account please go back in time to Essex Walker issue 389 (pages 6 to 9). DA |
Guernsey Race Walking : Sarnia Walking Club 