The first bicycle racing at the ground was at the West Norfolk Athletic Sports on Friday July 6th 1877, "in a field on the right bank of the Gaywood river, within a short distance of Lynn." The weather was very poor with heavy rain for the first hour. In the two miles bicycle handicap race for Norfolk residents, the scratch man WEN Coston overhauled all the field except JF Darrell (off 200 yards) who took the victory by fifty yards and won a gold Maltese Cross, value five guineas. The four miles open bicycle race was run on the road, presumably because of the poor ground condition. The handicapper was Mr Walter Platt of The Field and music was provided by the Norwich 5th Lancers.
The West Norfolk sports meeting on Whit Monday 1878 was held in better weather and attracted over 3,000 spectators. The Sporting Gazette reported that the sports "took place in a field in the occupation of Mr Fiddaman on the Gaywood Road." There was a two miles bicycle handicap race won by J Clark from F Cox and G Reddie, then a four miles handicap won by WEN Coston of Southampton.
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News gives a brief report of the King's Lynn and West Norfolk sports on July 2nd 1879 where HL Cortis** won the three miles bicycle handicap race from scratch.
King's Lynn Bicycle Club held a sports meeting on Friday evening July 4th 1879, The Field carried an article about the event. There were two bicycle races, a two miles handicap which was won by CW Partridge off 200 yards and a three miles race for the captaincy of the club. In this race, Partridge took the lead closely followed by J Clark and the two rode together until the last lap "when Clark went past his opponent like a shot and won by thirty yards."
There was a general athletics meeting on September 17th 1879 in which there were three bicycle handicap races over two and three miles handicaps and a two miles race for members of King's Lynn BC. The club captain, Clark won the three miles, but in the club race he was beaten by RA Green off 150 yards.
King's Lynn BC held their annual sports again on August 17th 1881, a tricycle handicap race was included and WEN Coston was victorious. WD Ward won the 2 miles club handicap, the 2 miles open handicap and the three miles race for the club captaincy. The 3rd Norfolk Rifle Volunteers played at the meeting.
Before the Whit Monday sports were held on the ground in 1882, Mr Lowe advertised in the Lynn Advertiser "Wanted from 400 to 500 sheep to feed off the grass at the Kings Lynn Athletic Grounds before Whitsun Sports. 1/ per score."
The Kin's Lynn and West Norfolk athletic sports were on Whit Monday 1882, there were four running races, three bicycle races, donkey and pony races, a tug of war and tilting at the ring for bicycles.++ Admission cost one shilling, sixpence in advance. In the evening there were rural sports followed by a fireworks display.
The following notice appeared in the Lynn Advertiser on May 12th 1883 "King's Lynn Athletic Grounds. The entire Plant. For sale, consisting of grand and band stands, dressing, reporters and cloak-rooms, glasses tables and other things requisite for Sports and Catering: and 1000 yards of double width Canvas."
There was a sports meeting on Monday September 24th 1883, but the weather was very wet, making the course very heavy, which badly affected the racing. The bicycle events were one and three miles open handicap races both won by GMB Brown of Fakenham and a three miles race for the championship of King's Lynn Bicycle Club won by HS Potter. This was probably the last bicycle racing at the ground.
** HL Cortis was a medical student and a member of the Wanderers Bicycle Club, he had a short but brilliant career as a bicyclist, being one of the best riders in the country. In the four years that he rode, he won National Championships, was the fastest rider in the world over 1 mile and broke the world hour record four times, eventually achieving over 20 miles in the hour. Cortis must have been tall as he rode a very large wheeled ordinary, which was pictured when he was featured on the Players cigarette card cycling series. Cortis emigrated to Australia in 1883 to pursue his career as a doctor and he died there on 28th December 1885 aged only 28.
++ Tilting the ring was a sport adapted from jousting where a bicycle rider holding a long stick (in place of a lance) tried to spear small suspended rings as he cycled past.
