Peter Chaplin, C&C Founder, passes away
Peter Chaplin 1930-2019
It is with sadness that we announce the death of Peter Chaplin. Peter was a founder member of the club and a member of one of the two clubs from which C&C was formed, Cambridge City Athletic Club. He was a marathon runner long before marathon running became fashionable, good at middle distance events and a big fan of cross country running. Peter last ran a parkrun in August 2014, aged 83, but, as a Vet 80, in 2011 he ran 45 of them. After 2014 he could often be found walking the parkrun but, in his own inimitable style, he walked them backwards because he didn’t think he should bother the timekeepers. In 2007 as a Vet 75 he ran the European masters non-stadia 10k finishing 7th in his age category and he still holds the club 1500m records for M60, M70 and M75 and the 800m record for M70.
Peter supported C&C magnificently. He was a member of the club committee virtually from inception and acted as club secretary for many years during the 1980s and 1990s. This was at a time when the club secretary took on virtually all the administrative work of the club and before computer assistance became widespread, though Peter was an early adopter of computing and set up the club’s first electronic membership database. He was also instrumental, with others, in establishing the (then) new track at Wilberforce Road and C&C’s use of it. His last formal role at the club was as cross-country secretary which he held from the late 1990s until the early 2000s. Peter also played a large part in the Eastern Veterans Athletic Club (now Eastern Masters AC) as organiser of road races over all the standard distances up to half marathon and a regular annual road relay event.
Peter had a heart of gold. He had wide interests outside athletics as, for example, a local councillor and classical music lover. He would help anyone and work behind the scenes tirelessly to keep the show on the road. He had a great sense of humour and though he could sometimes come across as a bit grumpy, he was always warm and welcoming. He and Anne, his wife who predeceased him, made entry into C&C a real pleasure for many of us and set the open and inclusive approach we try to maintain.