Barth lays down the gauntlet (From Surrey Comet)

Challenge is set - can you beat a 70-year-old over 100 yards.....

8:00am Sunday 17th March 2013 in Sport By Tom Pollak

A former pupil at King's College School, Wimbledon, who was surprised to find the 100 yards record he set more than 50 years ago still stood, has thrown down a challenge to the current crop of students to beat his mark.

Tom Barth, now 70, set the time of 10.3 seconds on the school's grass track in 1961.

It remains unbeaten mainly because in subsequent years distances went metric and students now race over 100 metres.

Barth, a retired solicitor, is putting up a trophy which will be engraved with the names of any pupils who beat his time.

Barth said: "I often wondered if my 100 yards record had been broken since I set it in 1961.

"After 50 years, in 2011, I decided to enquire, and it looked as if it had not.

"So, I decided to throw down a challenge to anyone at KCS to try and beat it.

"Hence the run on 21 March, and hopefully annually thereafter, and a cup on which the names of anyone who can beat that record will be engraved."

The challenge takes place at the school on March 21 at 12.45pm.