Reading Athletic Club, based in Reading, Berkshire

Reading, Berkshire

Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....

, is one of the oldest and longest established athletic club

Athletic club

An athletic club may be*A private club which provides sports facilities to members.*A sports club dedicated to athletics, often professional and fielding competitive teams...

s in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. They officially formed in November 1881, however records show that they were one of the inaugural clubs that formed the governing body of athletics at that time, the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) in 1880.

Reading Athletic Club has had a long and distinguished history in the world of athletics and have produced notable national and world champions, including Britain's first female gold medalist over 800m, Ann Packer

Ann Packer

Ann Elizabeth Packer MBE is a former British sprinter, hurdler and long jumper. She won a gold medal in the 800 metres at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo....

. Britain's fastest ever female sprinter - Kathy Smallwood-Cook, as well as household names such as Gerry Stevens and Nigel Spratley.