Eric, 75, just keeps on walking

As a sickly child Eric Horwill spent a lot of time indoors, looking out of the window at other children playing in the street.

"I had poor health as a child and was a bit of a weakling until I got to 15 years old and with my new found strength I took the opportunity to get into any kind of sport," says Eric, aged 75.

"At the time I was a pupil at King Edward School in Stourbridge and that was when I got involved in running.

"Sport was more difficult to take part in at that time because of the war but running and walking were easily organised because no equipment was needed.

"While I was at Birmingham University studying chemistry I joined the Stourbridge and Wordsley Harriers and focussed on cross-country running.

"I eventually met my wife Pam through the club who got involved in race walking.

"In 1960, four of us decided to have a go at the eight-mile open walking race, and I have been race walking ever since."

Eric Horwill of Enville Road, Wall Heath used to be a teacher at Halesowen College and helped to introduce students to race walking.

"We set up a walk from Halesowen to Worcester and back, which a lot of the students took part in," says Eric.

"Some of the first races I did were fitness walks which took place over 50 miles, and then in 1966 I became a centurion, which means I walked 100 miles in 24 hours under proper race conditions.

"It was 31 years later in 1997 when I did my next centurion walk and I hold a record with the Centurion Club for the most years between each 100-mile walk."

Eric has also walked from Manchester to Blackpool, London to Brighton and is famous for his walk from Wall Heath, near Dudley to Bremen in Germany in 1997.

"Dudley had just been twinned with Bremen and so I walked more than 400 miles in 23 days taking the ferry from Harwich to Holland," says Eric, who has two daughters Jennifer and Katherine and one granddaughter, Claudia.

"I enjoy getting out for a walk because we have such lovely countryside around Wall Heath. My latest walk was on November 24 to campaign against the plans for a huge sand and gravel quarry in Wall Heath. There is already a quarry in Wall Heath, which is due to be closed in 2013 and proposals went to the county council in Stafford for a huge area to be turned into a new quarry.

"Meanwhile, Pam and I will both carry on walking and while we may both eventually wear out, at least we won't rust," says Eric.