It was founded in 1887 [1][better source needed] by seven aspiring cross-country runners who used the 'Peels' coffee house in Richmond Road, West London as a base for their training runs.
The 1908 Olympics at nearby White City Stadium increased the club's profile and a first Olympian was secured in 1936 when George Traynor competed in the long jump alongside Jesse Owens.
TVH was a founding member of the British Athletics League in 1969 and enjoyed great success over the next two decades, winning the title three times and finishing in the top three on a total of 14 occasions, as well as achieving multiple wins in the Southern road relays and cross country championships.
This success provided the momentum for the club to build a new clubhouse at the West London Stadium by Wormwood Scrubs, which was completed in 1979.
From this platform emerged TVH's greatest ever athlete – Linford Christie - who claimed a haul of international sprint medals including 1992 Olympic 100m gold in Barcelona.