Raymond Charles Booty (3 September 1932 – 25 August 2012),[1] sometimes nicknamed "The Boot", was an English road bicycle racer.

In 1956 he was the first man to beat four hours for the 100 miles (160 km) individual time trial.

The course was west of Reading, through Theale, Pangbourne, Wallingford, Shillingford, Abingdon and back down the A4 to finish near where it started.

The Daily Herald reported the record, speaking of 'Booty the incomparable', and the News Chronicle said: 'Rider crashes four-hour barrier'[5] He was awarded the F. T. Bidlake Memorial Prize in 1956.

The citation read:[6] Raymond Charles Booty For his superlative ride of 3 hrs.

These allowed him to take advantage of tailwinds and gradient drop (time trials in the UK must be on out-and-back courses).

Booty won the gold medal in the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games road race in Cardiff.

[2] He won a bronze medal in the national championship road race in the same year.

Booty was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2012 and died in August of that year.

[9] The cycling wholesaler and patron Ron Kitching said of Booty:[10] He was an iron man.

I think the fact that Ray dropped right out of the sport proves that his interest didn't go deep enough.