Rex Whitlock

Rex Whitlock joined the Metropolitan Walking Club in 1932. His older brother Harold was also a member of the Metropolitan, and was the Olympic 50 km champion in 1936. Rex could not emulate his brother by winning a medal, but finished fourth at Helsinki in 1952, with Harold in 11th place.

Rex won the British Road Walking Association 20 mile and 50 km titles in 1948, and was a four-time winner of the London-to-Brighton race (1947-49, 1950-51). His victory in 1951 came on Whitlock’s 41st birthday. He was leading by half-a-mile at the 25-mile mark while attempting to win it for the third consecutive year in 1952, when he was disqualified for “lifting”.

In 1952 Whitlock became the 174th member of the “Centurions” (athletes who completing a 100-mile walk in less than 24 hours), when he won the race from Bath-to-Chiswick in 17-44:0. In 1958, Whitlock founded the Whitlock Marine Steering Company, and they went on to become one of the leading designers of mechanical steering gear for small craft across Europe. In his retirement years, Whitlock enjoyed nothing more than painting water colours in and around the Luton countryside, where he lived.

Personal Best: 50kmW – 4-32:21 (1952).