Beryl Burton OBE (12 May 1937 – 5 May 1996) was an English racing cyclist who dominated the women's sport, winning more than 90 domestic championships and seven world titles, and setting numerous national records.

On the track, she specialised in the individual pursuit, winning world championship medals almost every year across three decades.

She won the Road Time Trials Council's British Best All-Rounder Competition for 25 consecutive years from 1959 to 1983.

Her prowess led to the rare distinction, for a woman, of an invitation to compete in the Grand Prix des Nations in 1967.

In 1982, with her daughter Denise, Burton set a British 10-mile record for women riding a tandem bicycle: 21 minutes, 25 seconds.

[9] Burton won UK cycling's top accolade, the Bidlake Memorial Prize, a record three times, in 1959, 1960 and 1967.

[10] Despite receiving offers from sponsors, she remained an amateur throughout her career, working on a farm in the Rhubarb Triangle for much of her life.

[3] Her daughter, Denise Burton, was also a top cyclist, winning a bronze in the 1975 world individual pursuit championship.

[14] A Leeds Civic Trust plaque was added in 2014, unveiled by Maxine Peake who wrote a play about her (see below).

[19][20] This was adapted by Peake for the stage to coincide with the start of the 2014 Tour de France in Leeds,[21] and shown at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in June and July of that year, titled simply Beryl.

A biography, Beryl: In search of Britain's greatest athlete by Jeremy Wilson, was published in 2022 (Pursuit Books, ISBN 978-1788162920).