GB's first Olympic athletics champion remembered

Charles Bennett, a train driver from Dorset, was nicknamed the Shapwick Express

Great Britain and Northern Ireland have claimed dozens of Olympic gold medals in track and field events over the years - but only one man can claim to have been the first.

The modern games began in 1896 and Charles Bennett won gold in the men's 1500m at the Paris 1900 games - setting a world record and becoming Britain's first athletics Olympic champion.

He went on to win gold in the 5000m, racing under the banner of a combined GB/Australia team, and silver in the 4000m steeplechase at the same games.

Now, 124 years on from his success, a team of athletes are looking to emulate the achievements of the man nicknamed "the Shapwick Express".

Charles Bennett set a world record when he won gold in Paris in 1900

Bennett's nickname paid homage to the Dorset village where he was born and lived, as well as his job as a train driver.

His achievements were forgotten for almost a century - until his grandson, Chris, uncovered his abandoned and overgrown grave in a Bournemouth churchyard.

Bennett died in 1948 aged 77.

A race was held in Shapwick in 2000 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Bennett's Olympic success and is now an annual event.

Jeff Hinsley, of Wimborne Athletics Club, said: "I guess if it happened now, as an Olympian, he would have had a post box - but when it was over 100 years ago, those things didn't seem to happen.

"It was only with the village being involved and wanting to celebrate the centenary back in 2000, it carried on from then."

The Charles Bennett races are held annually in Shapwick

Ian Edwards, of Hamworthy Harriers, has taken part in the race every year since it began.

He said: "In those days, they would have been making up their own coaching - they didn't have coaching, they didn't have elite science.

"A 1500m run in 4 minutes 6.2 seconds - it's a really good time, especially in the kit they were wearing back in the day - woollen vests, flat plimsole-type things.

"None of your high-tech stuff that they have today.

"What he achieved back in the day was phenomenal."