CLUBMAN OF THE YEAR :
Steve Burton
Steve has recently taken a backward step from running the club after nearly 40 years of involvement with the Clarion in the Wakefield area. He has had considerable success in competition and been an ever present as event organiser and a lynch pin of the club. He has already been rewarded with Life membership of the National Clarion and Calder Clarion. Although he hasn’t achieved anything specific in 2015 (apart from his normal contributions to the club as listed below!) the club felt that his overall lifetime achievements merited consideration for the National Clarion clubman of the year.
Steve Burton started cycling in the late 50’s with the Ossett and Horbury Clarion and when that club folded he joined the then Wakefield Clarion in the early 60’s. It became the Calder Clarion when the other Clarions in the Calder Valley folded so the club took the name Calder instead of Wakefield. He rode Time Trials in the summer, mostly 10 miles,in the winter he was a prolific and outstanding Cyclo-Cross rider. He rode his first Three Peaks race in 1965 in 4hr 8min 3sec. He went on to ride 22 Three Peaks with just four DNFs. His best time, 3:08:01 was in 1977 when he finished 8th. In 1983 the course changed to 50K, Steve finished this one, 19th in 3:36:22.
In his senior career as a cyclo-cross rider he won 6 events was 2nd 17 times and 3rd in 22 events. As a Vet from 1965 to 1992, he took 20 wins and was part of the successful Calder Clarion Team which won 61 events. In 1982 he was 3rd (Bronze Medal) in The Yorkshire championships at Knaresborough and became Northern vets champion at Hambleton in the same year. The following year he won the prestigious Vets National Trophy series, winning the National Trophy League Final at Crystal Palace. He also took Bronze in the North of England Champs held in Thornes Park, Wakefield. In 1985 he won the Northern vets chapionships in Sunderland.
Over the years he has helped his wife Jean, to organize the clubs presentation night events. He has been chairman of the club twice. He has acted as marshall in numerous events over the years and is a time keeper for the club.
For many years Steve was also Club Runs Captain organising the Sunday runs.