Richard Frank YORKE

After leaving school, Richard Yorke trained as a bank clerk but also showed promise as a fine athlete and in October 1903 joined the Blackheath Harriers club. He became one of the finest all-round amateur athletes in Britain at the turn of the 20th century, covering distances from sprint, up to 10 miles, and even cross-country. He later ran for London AC and Surrey AC. He won the LAC two miles steeplechase title in 1908 and 1909 when he also finished third in the AAA mile. He took part in the steeplechase at the 1908 Olympics but was disqualified in his heat. Four years later he competed in the 800 and 1500 metres but was eliminated in his opening heat both times. He won the 880 yards during the coveted Kinnaird Inter-club Cup 880 in 1913.

Yorke enlisted into the 7th Middlesex Volunteer Rifle Corps (London Scottish) in 1906 and represented his regiment in cross-country events, notably in being the joint winner of the six-mile race against the Gordon Highlanders at Aldershot in 1910. Yorke won the Territorial One Mile Championship at Stamford Bridge in June 1913 and in November that year won the one mile race when representing London Scottish against Cambridge University Freshmen. Just over a year later Yorke was killed in action near Ypres, when he was shot in the head by a German sniper who was hiding in a nearby haystack while Yorke was setting up his machine gun.

Personal Bests: 880y – 1:59.4 (1913); 1500 – 4:07.2 (1912); Mile – 4:28.0 (1912).