Athletics and Football (extract)

xxii INTRODUCTION to the extraordinary improvement in times and per­ formances which has taken place during the last twenty years. This has, no doubtb, een to a certain extent dutoe a circumstanceto which I have already referred—namely, the inaccuracy of the old records both as tdoistances and times ; but, allowing forunwarranted conclusionsbased on comparison, therecan be little doubt that five-and- twenty yearsago thenumber of menwho in ordinary con­ dition could run a mile in five minutes was exceedingly few, so much so that anything under fiveminutes was supposed to be good time for amateurs, whereasat the present time 4min. 30 sec. may be taken to be below the standard of first-class performances, and,as the follow­ ing pages will show, the mile has been run by undoubted amateurs under 4 min2.5 sec. The improvement in the quarter-mile is quiteas remarkable, although it was more speedily attained, being due to improvement in style. Between 1865 and 1872 the standard time was reduced from 55 seconds to 50 and 51 ; the time of the other distances—as, for instance, half-mile and three miles— has correspondingly improved. In the hurdles it is ex­ ceedingly difficult to make out any comparison ; nor do I think there hasbeen the same improvement in pace, although the number of first-class performers has in­ creased enormously. Probably the most remarkable instance is the im­ provement in jumping, both in height and length. It is not many years ago that o clear six feet wasconsidered beyond human powers, and to cover 22 ft. 6 in. and23 ft. little short of an impossibility, andyet both these feats