The Club was formed on the 21st of November 1977 and was originally called
“Massey Ferguson (Coventry) Road Runners and Joggers Club”.
It was conceived by Terry Lawson who gathered together runners from the Massey Ferguson Company, forming a team to race against other firms in the Coventry region. Runners who competed in these races represented the companies for which they worked, rather than any running club that they may have belonged to.
To enable the Club to compete in an official capacity, it had to be registered and have its own running vest/colours. The MF vest was designed by Terry Brown who chose the now famous “Red & White Quarters” as it was totally different from the usual hoops and/or stripes of the other clubs. This made it easy to spot a Massey runner, both at the start and throughout a race.
The Club entered the Birmingham Invitation Cross Country League in 1980. This is the strongest League in the UK with clubs like Tipton, Birchfield and Coventry Godiva Harriers competing four times a year, throughout the winter season. Additionally, the Club has taken part in the Warwickshire, Midland and National Championships.
On the 7th of October 1981 the Club changed its name to Massey Ferguson Runners Club and thrived for the next two decades with membership peaking at around 220 male and female runners.
Our ladies section was formed on the 5th of January 1984 by Pat Pell and Suzzanne Henley and it ran independently of the mens section and not only had its own sponsorship support but they also organised their own race, The Running Racquet 5 which was a yearly event from September 1984 until 1989 when it unfortunately ceased due to no longer being financially viable. In 1992, it was suggested to amalgamate the ladies section and our youth section with the mens section to form one club, this was trialled for three months but the ladies section stayed independent until the committee stepped down at the AGM on the 7th of February 1995 and the clubs were then merged into one.
Training took place on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings and it was not unusual to have a pack of between 50 and 80 runners training together. All this training was not without reward and the Club has a great record of results, both for individual and team events. It can also boast some fine athletes who have appeared in the Red & White Quarters over the years, including some who represented their countries: e.g. John Peavoy – Ireland , Graham Patton – England, and Dave Long who competed in two Olympic Marathons and the 1991 Marathon World Championships in Tokyo.
As mentioned above Terry Lawson, supported by his wife Linda, was the founder of the Club over 40 years ago and he set up a committee which met on a monthly basis. Over this time the Club has seen many changes and weathered many a storm, including the loss of the Sports Pavilion through fire and the closure of the Coventry Plant.
Despite these setbacks, the committee still meet every month. Club members train and compete in races on a regular basis and MFRC hosts three well-supported races every year.
