Lichfield Athletic Club spent some money on preparing the running track for their sports on 11th July 1896 and they include bicycle racing at the meeting, a one mile novices handicap for a Challenge Cup and half and one mile open races. Local rider FJ Lakin of Lichfield CC managed a win and two second places. There were 266 entries and over 2,000 spectators, the race committee invited all the children from the Lichfield workhouse to the meeting as a treat. The press reported that "the tracks, although somewhat rough at present, are more suitable than the old ones." This was the first time that there had been any bicycle racing at the Recreation Grounds, because most sports meetings in Lichfield, up until 1896, were held at the Cricket Ground on Chesterfield Road. The Lichfield City Cycling Club also held an evening meeting on 26th August 1896.
The Lichfield Athletic Club held their Easter Monday sports in 1900, and within these sports, the Lichfield CC advertised two races, a half mile handicap and a one mile Championship handicap, both of these were restricted to club members. Unfortunately there were insufficient entries and both races were not held. At the Lichfield AC's sports later in the year, the open bicycle races were well supported, both the half and one mile open handicap races had over thirty competitors. Lichfield City Cycling Club held their own sports on Wednesday 26th September 1900, attendance was quite poor because of the bad weather. The bicycle races were a half mile club handicap, a two lap ladies scratch race, a one mile open handicap and obstacle races and a Victoria Cross race, where riders had to pick up a dummy body and carry it off the field on their bicycle. The sports were followed by an illuminated cycle parade, with prizes for the best costumes.
Both the Athletic Club's Easter Monday annual sports and the summer sports organised by the Lichfield Bower Day** committee on August Bank Holiday continued until 1900. Unfortunately, because of the AAA/NCU dispute, several riders who rode in the Easter Monday meeting were suspended as the meeting was not considered to be registered.
The Athletic Club Easter Monday sports stopped after 1900, but the Bower Day sports continued and were usually held on Whit Monday. Bower Day was an important celebration in Lichfield and the sports, with cycle races, were well supported, there were 4,000 spectators in 1912.
At the start of the 1923 racing season, a good red cinder track was constructed at the Recreation Ground and this was the best track in the region. The first race on the cinder track was the Lichfield City Institute^^ Easter Monday 1923 sports and nearly 4,000 people went to see the new track. There were three running races and bicycle handicap races over half a mile for novices and half and one mile open races. The number of competitors was very large, thirteen heats were needed for the half mile handicap race. Both the half and one mile handicap races were won by Harry Wyld, who went on to win bronze medals in the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games.
The Bower Day sports on Whit Monday became the most important track cycling event in the area and attendances were high, there were 7,000 spectators at the 1938 meeting. For the next thirty years there was bicycle racing at Lichfield, but when the asphalt track at Cannock opened in 1951, local racing gradually moved there and the big annual Bower meeting remained as the only cycle racing at Lichfield. The Recreation Ground track was closed in 1955 when Beacon Park was re-developed and a new grass track was set up, which was known as Beacon Park track. The new track opened on Whit Monday 1955 with the Bower Day meeting and Roy Swinnerton, the National grass track champion, won two of the cycle races.
The last bicycle racing at the Beacon Park was the Lichfield Bower meeting on 30th May 1988, there were lots of bicycle races, the men's events were a devil take the hindmost, a 10km scratch and the Lichfield Grand Prix over 800m, the women's events were an 8 laps scratch and the National 800m grass track Championship.
Beacon Park extends to more than seventy acres of gardens and open space, with a boating lake and facilities for golf, tennis, bowls and basketball.
** The Lichfield Bower festival is held on Spring Bank Holiday Monday, it is celebrated with a carnival and a procession with floats, bands and Morris men. The event dates back to Henry II when there was no standing army in England and men of fighting age registered their names each year in case of war and as a reward, the men were provided with a feast at the Bower House.
^^ Lichfield City Institute was a men's club which was set up after the First World War in the old Corn Exchange, the Institute organised sports meetings.