About OUCCC

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OUCCC was founded as the Oxford University Hare and Hounds Club in 1876, four years before their Cambridge counterparts and the first University Race. From its earliest years it was a part of OUAC, although it has always appointed its own officers (in the early years just a President and Secretary and nowadays with an expanded Committee). The club's first President was Albert Goodwin (Jesus), who was a well-known three-miler at Iffley Road. After enjoying great popularity in its first two years, interest in the club began to wane due to a lack of external competition and internal tensions with the senior club, OUAC, who felt that cross-country running was detrimental to the production of good track men. With the establishment of the Cambridge University Hare and Hounds in 1880 and the arrival of the University Race in 1880, the club began to find firmer foundations. However, the tensions with OUAC continued to dog the club and, after having won the first race, held at Oxford on 2nd December, they embarked on a seven-match losing-run until 1888. It was William Pollock Hill’s arrival in 1886 that started to show the OUAC officers the value of cross-country. From here, the club started to make progress and by 1900 Half-Blue status had been secured. Five years later, the first Full Blue was awarded to Oliver Huyshe (Keble). With the recommencement of activities after the Great War, the links with OUAC strengthened and Blues and Half-Blues started to wear the OUAC blazer, rather than the old OUHHC blazer with its hunting horn crest. As these links became ever stronger, particularly after the Second World War, the term “Oxford University Hare and Hounds” slowly disappeared and the club became known as the OUAC Cross-Country section. The inter-war years were characterised by the club’s broadening perspective, with the establishment of the college league and the decision to start entering the Universities’ Athletic Union Cross-Country Championships in 1933, which they won in that first year. In terms of individuals, the period saw some fine talent, including Jerry Cornes (Corpus Christi), Arthur Robertson (Balliol), and, of course, Jack Lovelock (Exeter) – a more reluctant cross-country runner, who was joint first in the 1932 'Varsity Race. However, it was the 1940s and 1950s that were possibly the golden era of the club and included runners of the calibre of Roger Bannister (Exeter), Chris Chataway (Magdalen), Ian Boyd (Brasenose) and Tony Weeks-Pearson (St. Catherine’s) wearing the Dark Blue. It culminated in their winning eight of nine ‘Varsity Races from 1947 to 1955. The club continued to develop in the 1960s and 1970s, despite generally turbulent times for university sport. The most notable event of the period was the arrival of the ladies’ section of the club in 1975, with Lynne Wightman (LMH) being the first captain. The Ladies' 'Varsity Race started in 1976 and was held, as has always been the case since, in conjunction with the Gentlemen’s Race at Roehampton. Oxford got off to a flying start by whitewashing their Light Blue rivals. In 1990, the club emerged in its current format when now familiar OUCCC identity was established as separate from OUAC. However, close links with the sister club still endure. The club continues to flourish at all levels with seven teams fielded in the annual 'Varsity Races each November and December: Gentlemen's and Ladies' Blues, Tortoises (established in 1937), Snails (1951), IVths (1958), Turtles (1983) and Ladies' IIIrds (1987). There was also a Gentlemen's Vth team from 1966 to 2005. As of 2009, the score in the Gentlemen's Blues Race stands at 60 wins to Oxford and 59 to Cambridge, and the score in the ladies' race is 21 wins to Oxford and 13 to Cambridge. More details on OUCCC can be found on its website.