{{Short description|British racewalker (1928–2023)}} {{Use British English|date=July 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Beryl Randle<br>née Beryl Day | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|12|16|df=y}} | birth_place = Tamworth, England | death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|11|28|1928|12|16|df=y}} | death_place = | nationality = British (English) | sport = [[Sport of Athletics|Athletics]] | event = Race walking | club = [[Birchfield Harriers]] }}

'''Beryl E. M. Randle''' née '''Beryl Day''' (16 December 1928 – 28 November 2023) was a British [[Racewalking|race walker]] and an athletics administrator.<ref name="Bowen">{{cite journal |last=Bowen |first=Amy |date=14 March 2014 |title=Race walker Beryl 'gobsmacked' to receive top achievement award |journal=Great Barr Observer |url=http://www.suttoncoldfieldobserver.co.uk/Beryl-moved-tears-receiving-lifetime-honour/story-20811070-detail/story.html |access-date=18 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714221928/http://www.suttoncoldfieldobserver.co.uk/Beryl-moved-tears-receiving-lifetime-honour/story-20811070-detail/story.html |archive-date=14 July 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="RWUK">{{cite web|url=http://www.racewalkuk.com/AthleteDetails.asp?id=2127|title=Athlete – Beryl Randle|work=Racewalk UK|accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="Morris">{{cite web|url=http://midlandmasters.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/the-long-walk.pdf|title=The Long Walk|last=Morris|first=Tom|date=September 2012|work=[[WordPress.com]]|publisher=Midland Masters Athletic Club|accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref>

== Biography == Day took up competitive walking in 1946, after coming last in a 100-metre sprint,<ref name="Bowen" /> and was coached by [[Doris Nelson Neal]].<ref name="Hancox">{{cite web|url=http://birchfieldharriers.net/2014/05/beryl-diane-celebrate-anniversary-of-their-record-breaking-performances/ |title=Beryl & Diane Celebrate Anniversary of Their Record Breaking Performances|last=Hancox|first=Kyle |first2=Tom |last2=McCook |date=29 May 2014 |publisher=[[Birchfield Harriers]] |accessdate=19 June 2014}}</ref> To train, she would walk from her home in [[Walsall]] to her workplace in [[Digbeth]], Birmingham, and back - {{convert|18|mi|km}} each day.<ref name="Morris" />

Day became the [[List of British champions in 3000 metres walk|national 1 mile walk champion]] after winning the British [[WAAA Championships]] title at the [[1952 WAAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004941/19520615/272/0010 |title=Dorothy Tyler changes style and shocks world champion |work=Sunday Express |date=15 June 1952 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=15 February 2025 }}</ref> Beryl Day married Ronald Randle in Birmingham during the latter part of 1952 and would compete under her married name of Randle thereafter.

Randle retained her 1 mile walk title at the [[1953 WAAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=15 February 2025}}</ref>

On 29 May 1954, she broke the world record for the one-mile walk, with a time of 7 minutes 49 seconds.<ref name="Hancox" /> On 19 June 1954, she shaved over ten seconds from her own record, at the [[White City Stadium]], with a time of 7 minutes 38.4 seconds.<ref name="Hancox" /> In doing so, she became the [[Women's Amateur Athletic Association]] Champion.<ref name="Morris" /> She was honoured for this achievement with a brooch depicting the stag logo of Birchfield Harriers in solid gold, commissioned by G.H. Alexander, then president of the club.<ref name="Hancox" /> She later said:<ref name="Hancox" />

{{blockquote|I remember finishing the walk with a last gasp supreme effort. I had no idea I was going to break the world record because Nelson our coach was the sort of person who would not give away any times in training which meant that I had no idea what sort of shape that I was in that day... I just went for it from the start.}}

Randle won her third and fourth 1 mile national titles, after winning the WAAA title at both the [[1954 WAAA Championships]] and the [[1955 WAAA Championships]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/waaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (women) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=15 February 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000729/19550703/184/0016 |title=Margaret Doubles To It - Loses Record |work=The People |date=3 July 1955 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 February 2025 }}</ref>

Randle was a six-time Midland mile track champion, and three-time Midland road-walking champion.<ref name="Morris" />

After winning £1,000 for coming in second in a 1960 [[John O'Groats]]–[[Land's End]] walk sponsored by [[Billy Butlin]] – she lost the lead to [[Wendy Lewis (athlete)|Wendy Lewis]] after twisting her ankle – she had to relinquish her amateur status, though it was later restored, and she resumed competing.<ref name="Bowen" /><ref name="Morris" /> During the 1980s, she coached Birchfield Harriers' girls' teams.<ref name="Bowen" />

At the age of 71, she broke the over-70s age group world record for the 3000-metres walk.<ref name="Bowen" />

Randle was Honorary General Secretary of the [[Race Walking Association]] from 1988 to 1991, and its president from 1996 to 1998.<ref name="RWA-PO">{{cite web |url=http://www.racewalkingassociation.org.uk/PastOfficers.html |title=Past officers |publisher=The Race Walking Association|accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref> She was subsequently made an Honorary Life Member,<ref name="RWA-PO" /> and was given their lifetime achievement award in 2014.<ref name="Bowen" />

In 2009, she was elected President of the [[Midland Counties Athletics Association]].<ref name="RWA-DS">{{cite web|url=http://www.racewalkingassociation.org.uk/DecSheets.html|title=Committee and A.G.M. decision sheets|publisher=The Race Walking Association|accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref>

Randle died on 28 November 2023, at the age of 94.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beryl Randle RIP – one of our sport’s great characters |url=https://lancswalkingclub.com/2023/12/17/beryl-randle-rip-one-of-our-sports-great-characters/ |website=Lancashire Walking Club |access-date=16 January 2024 |date=17 December 2023}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Randle, Beryl}} [[Category:1928 births]] [[Category:2023 deaths]] [[Category:Birchfield Harriers]] [[Category:English women race walkers]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Walsall]] [[Category:World record setters in the sport of athletics]] [[Category:World record holders in masters athletics]] [[Category:British women race walkers]] [[Category:Sport of athletics administrators]] [[Category:20th-century English sportswomen]]