About Centurions Worldwide
About us
Centurions Worldwide - who we are...
The Centurions, as race walkers, began in 1911 in the UK and now, well over 100 years later, there are several countries around the world which hold their own 100 mile race and have formed their own Centurion association for athletes who complete 100 miles within 24 hours in a judged race walk.The Centurions Worldwide Community website brings together all Centurions from across the globe with a common interest in long diistance walking, but we hope that many race walkers and long distance walkers and runners will aspire to join this unique community. We have provided plenty of tips from experienced racewalkers for those who have never walked a 100 miles before and want to join us!
And not least of all, the website aims to pull together results from the many races over the years to form an "athletic archive" of ultra distance race walking.
The definition of a Centurion
The "Centurion" status orginated in the UK in 1911 and the "official" (British) definition is....
“A Centurion is one, as an amateur, has walked 100 miles within 24 hours in the United Kingdom in a judged competition held under race-walking rules in an event approved by the Centurions.”
Of course, British Centurions are rightly proud of their heritage and hope that their standards can be be applied by other Centurion organisations.
Whilst the definition hasn't changed, there is now an agreed criteria which the Centurions expect of any organisers of a 100 mile/24 hour race and which should be approved by each and everyone one of the Centurion organisations.
The rules governing race walking are set by World Atletics (previoiusly IAAF - International Amateur Athletics Federation) and national athletic bodies.
Whichever country a Centurion race is held in, our Centurion aims are the same: to foster and encourage 100 mile racewalking events. And of course, maintain close contact with each other.
Our philosophy is: that all our walkers should aspire to realise their mental and physical potential through long distance walking. See our page > Why Walk?
Usually there is only one Centurion qualifying race held each year in each country and some walks are held in conjunction with a 24 hour running race - but there should always be someone on hand to judge the racewalkers. If there are no race walking judges present, then any performance should not qualify as a Centurion performance, nor a race walking record.
Many Centurions do like to take the opportunity to qualify as a Centurion in each country!
To date (2019) Sandra Brown has managed to gain a Centurion number in all the Centurion overseas races. As the Malaysian race is no longer organised, Sandra's position is unassailable!
The latest addition to the "family" is Africa which held their inaugural race in October 2016.
Centurion Vereniging Nederland - Dutch Centurion Association (CVN)
The Centurion Vereniging Nederland (C.V.N.) was founded on the 12th February 1966 and is comprised of Dutch and Belgian walkers who have qualified as British Centurions (and not to be confused with the Continental Centurions)
It's aim is to stay in contact with each other and to represent the Dutch and Belgian contingent of Centurions. Each year they hold a reunion meal to which all Centurions are invited. > read more about the CVN
Choose your race!
Where the Centurion races are held:
- Africa
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- New Zealand
- USA
- Continental Centurions - Europe (held in the Netherlands)
Centurions in numbers....
- British Centurions 1209
- Continental Centurions 484
- United States Centurions 94
- Australian Centurions 80
- African Centurions 39
- Malaysian Centurions 28
- New Zealand Centurions 27
- Total number of Centurion badges awarded 1961
- Centurions with multiple badges=315 ie 20.4% of the Centurion family
- Number of unique Centurions =1542
updated October 2019 - courtesy of Rob Robertson
Latest list of multi Centurions
other pages to watch: