Les Lait
Athletics Biography
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Commencing athletics while still at school, Les showed early promise as a sprinter and after joining VPH in April 1937 at the age of 15, he stuck mainly to the dashes. Although placing 2nd in the 1938 Club Junior Long Jump Championship, he didn't improve with the sprints and began to try his hand (or legs) at the shorter middle distances, not, however, showing any exceptional ability.
After the outbreak of WWII, athletics still carried on and Les ran his best half-mile up to that time when assisting VPH to gain 3rd place in the Middlesex Junior Medley relay.
Joining the RAF soon afterwards, he naturally was unable to do much training during 1941 and 1942, but being posted to London the following year, soon began to make his name in various meetings and was placed in no fewer than 20 handicaps. In the "Holidays at Home Sports" (eventually becoming the London AA Championships), Les won the 880 yards in 2:02.2 and was hailed in the Evening News as the discovery of the year. Another write-up commended him for always wearing club colours in competition, an example many would do well to follow today.
When posted to Southern Rhodesia, he was fortunate to be able to continue with his running. Placed 3rd in the 1944 RAF Rhodesian Championships, he improved the next year to win the 440 yards in 53 seconds and to come 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Rhodesian 880 and 440 yards championships, clocking under 2:01 for the former. On the strength of this, he was chosen to represent Rhodesia against Transvaal.
Returning to the Park in 1947, after demobilisation, Les soon struck form and won the club Senior championship for the first time. He was also 3rd in the London AA 880 yards.
Opening the next season with a cracking race at Victoria Park against Hovell (of Finchley), Les was beaten by a yard in 1:58.6. This was the first time he had beaten 2 minutes.
The 1948 Middlesex Championships were held in atrocious weather at Uxbridge and Les became our first ever Senior County champion when winning the 880 title in 2:01.2. In July, he then excelled himself by reaching the AAA 880 final and finishing 5th behind Parlett, Harris, Wint, and White (all internationals) and returning a time inside 1:57.0.
In 1949, Les was three times chosen to represent the AAA. He was only beaten by inches in the 880 versus the UAU at White City and clocked 1:58.0. At Ipswich, he won the half mile in 1:57.4 and later accompanied a team to Huddersfield to run in the 440. At the end of this season, the London AA championships saw him set up new record figures when winning the 880 title in 1:57.2.
Injury laid Les up for most of the 1950 season, but 1951 saw him once again winning the Club Championship, again representing the AAA and still capable of turning out a regular sub-2 minute half mile.
Nowadays, Les is more inclined to take things easy and leave it to the younger chaps, but he still can, and does, give great service to the Club, for he is essentially a real club man, second to none, who always places VPH before himself, and can be relied upon to do his best.
Of nervous temperament and modest to extreme, Les gained his success through sheer hard work, and any young athlete wishing to emulate his achievements would do well to follow that example. VPH would seem a funny club without Les around. Let us hope it never reaches that position.