Tommy Godwin (cyclist, born 1912)

Amateur career

After his initial time trial success he subsequently clocked inside 1 hour 2 minutes for 25 miles on four occasions, and covered 236 miles in 12 hours.^[2]

In 1933 he earned the seventh award in the 'Best All-rounder Road Riding Competition, open to all amateur cyclists in the United Kingdom. His average speed was 21.255 mph.^[2] His individual performances were :

• 50 miles, 2 hours 10 mins 12 secs, (23.077 mph)
• 100 miles, 4hrs, 40 mins, 6 secs, (21.428 mph)
• 12 hours – 231 5/8 miles. (19.25 mph)^[2]

Professional career

Godwin left his amateur status at Potteries CC to join Rickmansworth Cycling Club as a professional. After more than 200 road and time trial wins, the mileage record beckoned.^[1]

World endurance records

In 1911 the weekly magazine Cycling began a competition for the highest number of 100-mile rides or "centuries" in a single year.^[3] The winner was Marcel Planes with 332 centuries in which he covered 34,366 miles (55,307 km).^[3] The inspiration for the competition was said to be the efforts of Harry Long, a commercial traveller who rode a bicycle on his rounds covering every part of England and Scotland and who covered 25,376 miles (40,839 km) in 1910.^[3] The world record for distance cycled in a year began in an era when bicycle companies competed to show their machines were the most reliable. The record was officially established nine times up to 1939.^[4] A tenth claim in 1972, by the English rider Ken Webb, was later disallowed.^{[n 1]}

In January 2016 Godwin's very long-standing record was broken. The American Kurt Searvogel completed 76,076 miles (122,432 km) in one year, confirmed by the Ultramarathon Cycling Association, and this was later also recognised by the Guinness Book of Records.^[5][6]

World Endurance record for a single year

Year	Record holder	Country	Distance	Ref
1911	Marcel Planes	France	34,366 miles (55,307 km)	[7]
1932	Arthur Humbles	Great Britain	36,007 miles (57,948 km)	[7]
1933	Ossie Nicholson	Australia	43,966 miles (70,756 km)	[8]
1936	Walter Greaves	Great Britain	45,383 miles (73,037 km)	[9]
1937	Bernard Bennett	Great Britain	45,801 miles (73,710 km)
1937	René Menzies	France	61,561 miles (99,073 km)	[10]
1937	Ossie Nicholson	Australia	62,657 miles (100,837 km)	[11]
1938	Billie Dovey (female)	Great Britain	29,604 miles (47,643 km)	[12]
1939	Bernard Bennett	Great Britain	65,127 miles (104,812 km)
1939	Tommy Godwin	Great Britain	75,065 miles (120,805 km)	[2]
2015	Kurt Searvogel	United States	76,076 miles (122,432 km)	[6]
2016	Kajsa Tylen (female)	Great Britain	32,526 miles (52,346 km)	[13]
2017	Amanda Coker (female)	United States	86,573.2 miles (138,517.2 km)	[14]

In 1937 the Australian Ossie Nicholson had regained his record from Briton Walter Greaves by covering 62,657.6 mi (100,837.6 km). At 5 am on 1 January 1939 Godwin set out to bring the record home. He wasn't alone; two other British riders started that day, Edward Swann and Bernard Bennett. Swann crashed after 939.6 mi (1,512.1 km), but Bennett fought it out with Godwin for the rest of the year. In sportsmanship their support teams, which included pace-makers, stopped at 50,000 mi (80,000 km) to let the riders complete the attempt on personal merit. Godwin was sponsored by the Raleigh Bicycle Company and Sturmey-Archer.^[15]

Godwin's bike weighed more than 30 pounds (14 kg). As war came, he rode through blackouts, his lights taped to a glow. Silk knickers were substituted for chamois inserts and Godwin maintained his vegetarian diet. For the first two months, Godwin's mileage lagged 922 mi (1,484 km) behind Nicholson's schedule. Godwin increased his daily average beyond 200 mi (320 km) a day, and on 21 June 1939 completed 361 mi (581 km) in 18 hours, his longest ride of the record.

On 26 October 1939, Godwin rode into Trafalgar Square having completed 62,658 mi (100,838 km), gaining the record with two months to spare. He rode through the winter to complete 75,065 mi (120,805 km) in the year.

In May 1940 after 500 days' riding he secured the 100,000-mile (160,000 km) record as well. Godwin dismounted and spent weeks learning how to walk before going to war in the RAF.

Later career

Godwin returned to cycling in 1945, keen to race as an amateur. However, despite a petition by fellow cyclists, the governing bodies ruled that having ridden as a professional he was barred from amateur status. Godwin became trainer and mentor to the Stone Wheelers. Godwin died aged 63, returning from a ride to Tutbury Castle with friends.

Citation in the Golden Book

Godwin entered the Golden Book of Cycling on 31 December 1939. This recognised his record breaking exploits for averaging over 200 miles a day for a year.^[2]