The story of Sunderland's New Year's Eve tradition that hasn't been held for 50 years

But the target wasn’t to beat the opposition. It was to try and beat the Town Hall Clock.

Every New Year’s Eve, it was customary to attempt to run the full length of Fawcett Street, starting from Mackie’s Corner and ending at the Gas Office corner, before the Town Hall Clock completed its 12 chimes.

When did the race’s origins begin? It could be in 1890 with the opening of the new Town Hall in Fawcett Street. Because the event was never official, records are scarce on it.

There is also sufficient to suggest that the record was never broken but we do know that the tradition finally ended 50 years ago when the Town Hall Clock was removed.

It meant one last chance for runners to try and beat the clock. This time, the race was held in the summer of 1970 because of the forthcoming end for the clock.

The Sunderland Echo reported on it and we are revisiting the race with some help from Sunderland Antiquarian Society.

Top local athletes turned out for one last crack at the record.

There was Kevin Carr who made a last-minute decision to run. He had just been to the Commonwealth Games at Edinburgh and arrived home at Humbledon at about 11pm after driving back.

There was Rev W.J. Taylor, vicar of St Mark’s church in Millfield - at 41 he was thought to be the oldest man in the field.

There was Dr Alan Lillington, a former international runner, 13-year-old Stephen Maskell, accompanied by his 14-year-old sister Jacqueline who was the only female in the field.

Many of the runners were raising money for charity.

Traffic was stopped and as the clock struck midnight, the Mayor Coun WO Stephenson started the race.

The crowd cheered as the runners passed the Town Hall. And they were greeted by a blast from Professor Stanley Thompson, of the Scottish Academy of Music, on the trombone.

The cheers grew to a roar as the field reached the traffic lights and Burton Corner.

Paul Chapman, a 21-year-old hairdresser, was in the lead but Kevin was close behind in second. Dr Lillington was in third.

Paul was the winner and Kevin followed him home. And did they beat the clock?

Maybe we will never know. The roar of the crowd was so loud, no-one could hear the clock’s final strokes.

The Sunderland Echo report on the event, later concluded: "The attempt must go down as a failure. After a dubious start, the leading runners were assessed to be about 35 yards of the end of the street at the twelfth stroke.

"Indeed, had they been faster, they would have been unable to approach the true finish line because the last 15 yards of the course was occupied by the crowd."

Still, hundreds had turned out to watch it all.

Were you a part of that historic day? Were you racing or did you watch from the sidelines?

Tell us more. Email [email protected]. Let’s relive some great memories.

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