Harry Edward, Britain’s first black Olympic medalist, is set to be inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Birmingham this November. Edward will be honoured alongside prominent athletes including Mo Farah, former sprinter Sonia Lannaman, and hurdler Shirley Strong, among others.

Edward achieved significant success in the 1920s, winning two bronze medals in the 100 meters and 200 meters at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. He was also a multiple Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) champion, securing the 100-yard and 220-yard titles three times and, notably, winning the 100, 220, and 440-yard AAA championships within a single hour in 1922. His achievements garnered royal recognition when King George V came down from the stands to congratulate him. Despite these accomplishments, Edward’s legacy faded over time, and following his death in 1973, no British newspapers marked his passing.

Born and raised in Berlin, Edward’s early athletic promise was interrupted by World War I. His father, from the British colony of Dominica, provided Edward with British citizenship. During the war, Edward was arrested and interned due to his status. After the conflict, he moved to London, joined the Polytechnic Harriers athletics club, and competed for Britain in the Olympics. British sprinter Harold Abrahams, famously depicted in the film *Chariots of Fire*, regarded Edward as one of the greatest sprinters he had ever faced.

In 1923, Edward emigrated to the United States, where he focused on civil rights activism and led international initiatives to assist refugees and foster children. He wrote an autobiography titled *When I Passed the Statue of Liberty I Became Black*, which remained unpublished for many years until it was discovered in an archive in New Orleans and published in 2024, later becoming a finalist for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award. English Heritage plans to commemorate Edward with a blue plaque on his former London residence near Euston station in 2027.

Among this year’s other Hall of Fame inductees is Mo Farah, Britain’s most decorated athlete. Sonia Lannaman, a leading sprinter in the 1970s from Birmingham, will also be honoured. Lannaman was considered a strong medal contender for the 1976 Montreal Olympics but was hampered by injury. She nevertheless claimed the 100-meter gold at the 1978 Commonwealth Games and earned a bronze medal in the 4x100m relay at the 1980 Olympics. Shirley Strong, a hurdler who won silver at the 1984 Olympics and gold at the 1982 Commonwealth Games, is also included.

The ceremony will additionally recognize Stephen Miller, a triple Paralympic gold medalist; coach Mike Holmes, known for mentoring multi-event athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson early in her career; and Mark Shearman, a long-serving athletics photographer with more than six decades of experience covering major sports events.