Thomas Edgar Hammond (18 June 1878 – 18 December 1945) was a British track and field athlete who competed in the

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...

.''The Eagle'', The Magazine of Bedford Modern School, Vol. XXI, No.4, December 1937, p. 314 He was a founder member of the Brotherhood of Centurions (Centurion no.10) and is remembered primarily for his prowess as a long distance race walker.

Life

Hammond was born on 18 June 1878 in

Hitcham, Suffolk Hitcham is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, England. Located on the B1115 road, between Hadleigh and Stowmarket, it is part of Babergh district. The parish contains the hamlets of Bird Street, Cook's Green and Cross Green. The populatio ...

. He was educated at Bedford Modern School, and after school became a

stockbroker A stockbroker is a regulated broker, broker-dealer, or registered investment adviser (in the United States) who may provide financial advisory and investment management services and execute transactions such as the purchase or sale of stocks an ...

at the London Stock Exchange. In 1899, Hammond signed up for service in the Boer War, becoming cyclist orderly to Lord Kitchener. After war service he returned to stockbroking. In 1903 he came third in the Stock Exchange London-to-Brighton Walk. In 1904 he won the event in 8 hours, 26 minutes, 57 seconds which was then a record. In 1904 he joined the Surrey Walking Club, eventually becoming its President, and also became a member of the Southern Counties Road Walking Association Committee. Prior to his appearance in the Olympics, Hammond set a number of records including London-to-Oxford (1907), London-to-Brighton and back (1907) and London-to-Brighton (1908). In the 1908 Olympics in London he took part in the 10-mile walk event. In September 1908 he set a number of British records including the 24-hour when he covered 131 miles, 580 yards; his record stood at the time of his death in 1945. His time at 100 miles was 18-04:10.2. In 1914 he set the record for Norwich-to-Ipswich. Hammond signed up for war service during World War I. He held the post of D.A.D.O.S. in Northern Persia and left the army in 1920 with the rank of Major. In 1938 he was made President of the Old Bedford Modernians' Club. Hammond died in

Haywards Heath Haywards Heath is a town in West Sussex, England, south of London, north of Brighton, south of Gatwick Airport and northeast of the county town, Chichester. Nearby towns include Burgess Hill to the southwest, Horsham to the northwest, Crawl ...

, West Sussex on 18 December 1945.Tommy Hammond
Sports Reference. Retrieved 2015-01-22.

References

External links

T.E. (Tommy) Hammond, "World's Best"Profile from the Victoria Race Walking Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammond, Thomas 1878 births 1945 deaths British male racewalkers Olympic athletes for Great Britain Athletes (track and field) at the 1908 Summer Olympics People educated at Bedford Modern School