Tommy Godwin (cyclist, born 1912) explained

Tommy Godwin
Fullname:Thomas Edward Godwin
Birth Date:1912
Death Date:1975
Discipline:Road – Endurance rider
Role:Rider
Ridertype:All-rounder
Amateuryears1:1926–1938
Amateurteam1:Potteries CC
Amateurteam2:^Birchfield CC
Amateurteam3:^Rickmansworth CC
Proyears1:1939–1940
Proteam1:Rickmansworth CC
Proteam2:^Raleigh-Sturmy Archer
Majorwins:More than 200 Amateur and Professional
Road and Time Trial Events
World Endurance record for a single year
- 75065miles in 1939
World Endurance record for 100000miles
in 500 days (May 1940)

Thomas Edward Godwin (1912–1975) was an English cyclist who held the world cycling record for most miles covered in a year (75065miles) and the fastest completion of 100000miles.

In 1939, Godwin entered the Golden Book of Cycling as the greatest long-distance rider in the world.[1] He rode 75065miles in a year, averaging over per day. This record stood until 2016.

Early life

Godwin was born in 1912 in Stoke on Trent. To help support his family he worked as a delivery boy for a greengrocer (or newsagent) and with the job came a heavy bike with metal basket. The basket was hacked off and the 14-year-old Godwin won his first 25miles time trial in 65 minutes.[1]

Cycling

Amateur career

After his initial time trial success he subsequently clocked inside 1 hour 2 minutes for 25 miles on four occasions, and covered 236 miles in 12 hours.

In 1933 he finished 7th in the Best All-rounder road riding competition, open to all amateur cyclists in the United Kingdom. His average speed was 21.255 mph. His individual performances were:

Professional career

Godwin left his amateur status at Potteries CC to join Rickmansworth Cycling Club as a professional. After more than 200 road and time trial wins, the mileage record beckoned.[1]

World endurance records

In 1911 the weekly magazine Cycling began a competition for the highest number of 100-mile rides or "centuries" in a single year.[2] The winner was Marcel Planes with 332 centuries in which he covered 34366miles. The inspiration for the competition was said to be the efforts of Harry Long, a commercial traveller who rode a bicycle on his rounds covering every part of England and Scotland and who covered 25376miles in 1910. The world record for distance cycled in a year began in an era when bicycle companies competed to show their machines were the most reliable. The record was officially established nine times up to 1939.[3] A tenth claim in 1972, by the English rider Ken Webb, was later disallowed.[4]

In January 2016 Godwin's very long-standing record was broken. The American Kurt Searvogel completed 76076miles in one year, confirmed by the Ultramarathon Cycling Association, and this was later also recognised by the Guinness Book of Records.[5] [6]

+ World Endurance record for a single yearYear Record holder Gender Country Distance Ref
1911 Male
1932 Male [7]
1933 Male [8]
1936 Male [9]
1937 Male
1937 Male [10]
1937 Male [11]
1938 Female [12]
1939 Male
1939 Tommy Godwin Male [13]
2015 Male
2016 Female [14]
2017Amanda CokerFemale86,573.2 miles (138,517.2 km)[15]

In 1937 the Australian Ossie Nicholson had regained his record from Briton Walter Greaves by covering 62657.6miles. At 5 am on 1 January 1939 Godwin set out to bring the record home. He wasn't alone; two other British riders started that day, Edward Swann and Bernard Bennett. Swann crashed after 939.6miles, but Bennett fought it out with Godwin for the rest of the year. In sportsmanship their support teams, which included pace-makers, stopped at 50000miles to let the riders complete the attempt on personal merit. Godwin was sponsored by the Raleigh Bicycle Company and Sturmey-Archer.[16]

Godwin's bike weighed more than . As war came, he rode through blackouts, his lights taped to a glow. Silk knickers were substituted for chamois inserts and Godwin maintained his vegetarian diet. For the first two months, Godwin's mileage lagged 922miles behind Nicholson's schedule. Godwin increased his daily average beyond 200miles a day, and on 21 June 1939 completed 361miles in 18 hours, his longest ride of the record.

On 26 October 1939, Godwin rode into Trafalgar Square having completed 62658miles, gaining the record with two months to spare. He rode through the winter to complete 75065miles in the year.

In May 1940 after 500 days' riding he secured the 100000miles record as well. Godwin dismounted and spent weeks learning how to walk before going to war in the RAF.

Later career

Godwin returned to cycling in 1945, keen to race as an amateur. However, despite a petition by fellow cyclists, the governing bodies ruled that having ridden as a professional he was barred from amateur status. Godwin became trainer and mentor to the Stone Wheelers. Godwin died aged 63, returning from a ride to Tutbury Castle with friends.

Commemoration

Godwin is commemorated by a plaque at Fenton Manor Sports Centre in Stoke on Trent that was unveiled in March 2005 by Edie Hemmings, the culmination of a 30-year campaign by her late husband, George.[17]

Citation in the Golden Book

Godwin entered the Golden Book of Cycling on 31 December 1939. This recognised his record-breaking exploits for averaging over 200 miles a day for a year.[13]

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.phased.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11&Itemid=7 Tommy Godwin
  2. News: Year's Road Riding. . . 7 January 1933 . 18 . National Library of Australia.
  3. Cycling, 1972, undated cutting
  4. Ken Webb's claim was for 80647miles in 1972. Webb insisted he had completed the distance but others said he hadn't and he was removed from the Guinness Book of Records.
  5. Web site: MacMichael. Simon. Kurt Searvogel awarded Guinness World Record for distance cycled in a year. road.cc. 22 January 2016. 7 August 2016.
  6. News: Wynn. Nigel. American Kurt Searvogel breaks cycling highest annual mileage record . 7 August 2016. Cycling Weekly. 5 January 2016.
  7. Web site: The Golden Book of Cycling – Citation for Arthur Humbles.. Archive maintained by 'The Pedal Club'.
  8. News: Ossie for Aussie . The Referee. Sydney . 7 January 1937 . 20 . National Library of Australia.
  9. Web site: The Golden Book of Cycling – citation for Walter Greaves . Archive maintained by 'The Pedal Club'.
  10. News: Cycling. . . 18 January 1938 . 16 . National Library of Australia.
  11. News: Australia regains world's cycling record . . Sydney, NSW . 6 January 1938 . 20 . National Library of Australia.
  12. Web site: Barter. Dave. Billie Fleming: Happy 100th birthday. Cycling Weekly. 15 June 2014. 6 May 2014.
  13. Web site: Pedal Club archives – Citation for Thomas Edward Godwin. Archive maintained by 'The Pedal Club'.
  14. News: Kajsa Tylen: Cyclist's 32,000-mile ride smashes world record. BBC News. 31 December 2016.
  15. News: Greatest distance cycled in a year (UMCA). Guinness World Records. 20 April 2017. en-GB.
  16. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/making_history/making_history_20080520.shtml BBC Radio 4 – Making History. Site includes Information, Pictures and Audio
  17. http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2005/09/20/sport_news_archive_2005_1_feature.shtml BBC Stoke – Sports News Archive – 2005