One of the founding members of Otley Athletic Club has died at the age of 90.

Eric Smith, who was also the club’s honorary life vice-president, had a strong running record at local, national and international level.

His death was announced “with great sadness” this week on the athletic club’s website.

Born in 1922, Mr Smith began running while seconded to the RAF during the Second World War, and represented his unit at cross-country.

In 1952, aged 30, he joined Leeds Harehills Harriers, and was competing alongside several county and international runners. This team won Yorkshire and Northern Cross-Country Championship medals during the decade.

Mr Smith also represented Yorkshire in the Inter-County Cross-Country Championships and at the National Cross-Country Championships.

He competed in marathons at a time when there were only four a year in the UK.

Mr Smith also competed in international marathons, running in the 1954 European Championships in Bern, Switzerland, the 1956 Kosice Peace Marathon in Slovakia, finishing third, and the 1958 Empire Games in Cardiff.

Retiring from competitive running aged 37, he returned to the sport in 1978, and at the age of 58 in 1980, ran the Three Peaks course ahead of the actual race in a time of three hours and 42 minutes.

He became the Yorkshire Veterans mv60 Champion in 1983, and completed the challenging Bradford Marathon in 2.58.05, finishing 75th overall and first mv60.

In the same year, he became one of the founders of Otley Athletic Club.

In 1984, aged 62, Mr Smith won the Yorkshire, Northern and British mv60 Cross-Country titles.

On its website, the club says: “Since the beginning of Otley Athletic Club, Eric has always been an enthusiastic and highly-supportive member of the club and its runners.

“There will be many current and former members who can remember how Eric with his late wife, Joyce, and in recent years Sylvia, have been there at races to give a cheer at the most opportune moments, generally at the tops of hills.”