John Mayall Presented with The Annual Joe Salt Award

15th December 2025

Each year, Rochdale Harriers & A.C. presents the Joe Salt Award to a member whose contribution to the Club has been truly outstanding. The award commemorates the Club’s late President, a tremendous athlete who is fondly remembered and greatly missed.

In 2025, the Joe Salt Award was presented to John Mayall. John is probably best known to newer members as the driving force behind the Club’s major relay events — including the epic 280-mile Pennine Way Relay in 2024 and the equally formidable 192-mile Coast-to-Coast Relay in 2025. He also organises our teams for at least three competitive fell relays each year and, this year, successfully revived the Club’s Juniors’ Running Championship for the first time in over a decade.

Much of what John does for the Club happens behind the scenes and may go unnoticed by most. For 19 years, he has been a key member of the organising committee for the Run the Moors Fell Grand Prix — an inter-club championship involving eight local athletics clubs — where he proudly represents Rochdale.

Before becoming Club Secretary, John overhauled the Club’s governance and structure to achieve a perfect 100% score in England Athletics Club Standards.
Navigating the EA ‘red tape’ was no small task and took many months of determined effort. This achievement proved particularly timely, as from 2026 England Athletics will require all clubs to comply in order to affiliate.

John receiving the annual Joe Salt award from Chair Nick Barton

On the IT front, John has modernised the way the Club operates. This includes introducing contactless payments, launching an online Club Shop for kit purchases, and streamlining membership through online forms and automated notifications.

An EA- and FRA-qualified Fell and Mountain Run Leader, John is naturally drawn to the hills and has competed in countless races both nationally and internationally. This year, he completed his 214th Wainwright in the Lake District — no small achievement. He also takes the lead role in the Club’s first-aid provision.

Our congratulations and sincere thanks go to John.

And, somehow, he also managed to win the coveted Coast-to-Coast Relay Baton on Saturday night — a result he assures us definitely, 100% was not ‘a fix’. The raffle for this prized item raised £280 which will be donated to Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue.