The lingering mysteries of the old Greasbrough Monster Meet
IT had a big, bold name and attracted lots of runners in its heyday.
The Greasbrough Monster Meet took place regularly in the late 1800s and early 1900s, presumably turning the village into a hive of activity.
But more than a century on, very little information about the event remains and those who could remember are no longer around.
Rotherham Advertiser reader Alan Ramsden’s interest was pricked when he saw the Monster Meet mentioned in an old article.
The details, delivered in tiny print, fall frustratingly short of telling the full story of the Monster Meet and Alan wants to find out more.
"What we do know is that hundreds took part,” said Alan, who lives in Greasbrough.
"The Monster Meet was open to all the local athletics clubs like Rotherham Harriers, Hallamshire, Clowne Harriers, Barnsley and Doncaster.
"From what I can make out it was a six-mile cross country race and was an originator of the 10K race.
"Although it took place in and around Greasbrough, where it started and finished and what the exact route was I don’t know.”
Enquiries by the Advertiser have failed to shine any more light on the subject.
Rotherham Harriers haven’t heard of the Monster Meet and there doesn’t appear to be any mention of it in the club’s centenary book written by Eddie de Roeck and published back in 1987.
Harriers secretary Steve Gaines kindly sent us the picture above of Harriers who took part in the Doncaster to Rotherham Road Race in 1910 to give us a taste of what runners looked like in the era of the Monster Meet. Dating from a time when photographs were much scarcer than they are today, it’s a rare sporting document from the period.
Alan, a former runner himself, added: “I’ve been able to decipher that the Monster Meet of 1903 was postponed because the fields were too rutted and dangerous.
"Sadly, the person who would have known more about the race, my dad, is no longer with us.
"They were different times and in those days if runners ran professionally then they got banned. They weren’t allowed to run for money.
"In fact a relative of mine used to run under the pseudonym, Charlie Monk.”
The name, Monster Meet, implies that the event was no modest affair.
"It's strange,” said Alan. “The terminology, Monster Meet, is so modern.
“As someone interested in history, I’d love to know about more.
"Maybe this article could reach someone who does.”