Originally a member of the Warwickshire Road Club, Jack Middleton was runner-up in the Coventry Alliance 50-mile race at the age of 19 in 1925 and, two years later, after joining the North Road CC, won the prestigious Manchester Wheelers “50”. By the end of 1927, Middleton was regarded as one of the best 50-milers in the country, and after retaining his Manchester 50 title in 1928, was selected for the Great Britain team at the Amsterdam Olympics. Although he finished 26th in the individual road race, he won a silver medal in the team event.
Middleton set several distance records, including the Midlands 50- and 100-mile records, and he twice broke the record for the Liverpool-London run. In 1932 he became the first person to complete the distance in under 10 hours. He also established a national 50-mile tandem record with Stanley Artaud in 1927. Middleton’s brother Sidney was also a fine rider and, in the 1932 Leamington 100-mile time trial, the brothers finished first and second, with Jack taking the honours. The two men were members of the Midland Cycle & Athletic Club at the time. Jack, who opened a cycle accessory shop in Coventry in 1929, was later appointed a vice-president of the Coventry Road Club.
Great Britain