Welcome to Harlow Athletic Club
Harlow Athletic Club is a thriving all-inclusive athletics club based at Mark Hall Sports Centre. Home to a number of Paralympic and Olympic athletes, as well as the Southern Mens’ League 2012 champions, we welcome new members of all abilities.Whether you’re a newcomer, youngster, veteran, or finely tuned athlete Harlow Athletic Club is the perfect place for you to improve your athletic ability or to just keep fit in a friendly, sociable environment.”
Our History
“Harlow AC has a rich history, dating back to its founding in 1963. The club originally had a cinder track located where Sainsbury’s stands today. Cecil Smith was our first director of coaching, and Harlow Council played a crucial role in funding the track, showing their commitment to supporting the community’s sporting needs.
The cinder track was uniquely built from ashes donated by the local people of Harlow from their fires. Our ground staff, coaches, parents, and committee members were incredibly supportive, and we received minor sponsorship from local businesses.
Over time, the original track was upgraded from cinder to an all-weather surface. This included modernizing the high jump and pole vault areas from sandpit landings to mats and introducing safety cages for throws.
We also hosted an annual international selection race for marathon runners, developed by Tom Brady. The old arena was a bustling venue for Essex schools and club championships, and we even shared the space with Harlow FC.
Harlow AC has always been a successful club with a deep pool of talent. We’ve hosted county and national level competitions, and some of our competitors still hold club records, despite changes in implement specifications and hurdle rules.
Our club has produced county champions, regional champions, English schools champions, international medalists, Olympians, and Paralympians. We’ve continued to produce champions, including an English Schools champion and international medalist, a European U23 gold medalist, a medal-winning, world-ranked wheelchair athlete, a Special Olympic medalist, several regional champions, and many county champions.
Today, our track is located next to Mark Hall School, continuing our legacy of excellence and community spirit.”
Wheelchair Racing
Harlow Wheelchair Racing Club was founded by Paralympian Richard
Chiassaro in 2010. Since 2010, the club has grown every year, and we currently have 35 members ranging from our youngest mini racer at 4 years old to senior racers. Within our club we have a huge range of athletes with varying classifications, needs and training goals. We have members who participate for recreational activity up to athletes competing at a Paralympic level.
All athletes are coached by Head Coach Richard Chiassaro, former Paralympian and double world medallist. Highlights of Richard’s racing career were winning 400m bronze at the London 2017 World Championships, pushing 44.39 400m, being the first athlete to break 1:31 800m and being a world record holder.
Within Harlow WCR Club we currently have athletes on the World Class Performance Programme (podium level), England Athletics Junior, Senior and Youth Talent Programme. In August 2024, Richard was appointed as the England Athletics National Wheelchair Racing Development Coach, this role will be instrumental in guiding the next generation of wheelchair racers towards the LA Paralympic Games in 2028. More recently Richard was part of the British Athletics Coaching team at the Paris Paralympics as well as the Team Mechanic.
Within his coaching role, Richard is very fortunate to be able to coach and meet aspiring athletes or individuals wanting to be involved in Para Sport.
