A fascinating film showing a road walking championship in Macclesfield has been released online.

The video clip from 1951 is one of 85,000 films released on YouTube by British Pathe, which produced newsreels until 1970 documenting some of the most significant moments of last century.

It’s uploaded its entire archive of movies to its YouTube channel to make it more accessible to viewers all over the world.

Among the films is a clip showing a 10-mile road walking championship in Macclesfield in 1951, with dozens of competitors taking part.

The film shows competitors lined up at the start and spectators with umbrellas looking on.

The starting pistol is fired before the cameras follow the competitors racing through the town's streets and country lanes.

The commentator explains that race rules state walkers must have one foot on the ground at all times.

The film focuses on contestant no 134 L Allen of Sheffield United Harriers passing contestant no 141 named ‘Hardy’ of Sheffield Harriers, before winning the race for the third year running.

A crowd of press photographers and reporters forms to speak to the winner.

Alastair White, general manager of British Pathe, said:  “Our hope is that everyone, everywhere who has a computer will see these films and enjoy them.  This archive is a treasure trove unrivalled in historical and cultural significance that should never be forgotten. Uploading the films to YouTube seemed like the best way to make sure of that.”

 

The British Pathe films were shown in cinemas before households had TVs, and are said to have helped create today's modern television news format.

Spanning the years from 1896 to 1976, the collection includes footage from Britain and around the globe of major events, famous faces, fashion trends, travel, sport and culture, with extensive coverage of the First and Second World Wars.

Mr White said: “Whether you’re looking for coverage of the Royal Family, the Titanic, the destruction of the Hindenburg, or quirky stories about British pastimes, it’ll be there on our channel. You can lose yourself for hours.”