Frank O’Reilly made history on 7 September 1960 when he became Ireland’s first competitor in Olympic race walking, finishing 20th in the 50 kilometres walk at the Rome Olympic Games in 4:54:40.

A Dubliner who emigrated to Birmingham in 1951 where he worked as a foundry worker alongside a furnace, O’Reilly became a specialist in ultra-distance walking with spectacular results. He won the Manchester to Blackpool classic (51.75 miles) in May 1958, finished second in the inaugural Leicester to Skegness 100-mile event that same year, won the annual London to Brighton and back 106-mile event in 1959, and on 2 July 1960 became the first athlete in history to walk 100 miles in under seventeen hours, winning the Leicester to Skegness race in 16:54:45, a performance that secured his Olympic selection.

His workmates at the foundry raised his half-share of the travel fare and had a further collection to cover his wages while he was away, paid directly to his wife to preserve his amateur status.