Athletics and Football (extract)

RUNNING AND RUNNERS 107 onwards until he left the path in 1877 Sladewas never beaten at the mile. Slade, as we have said before, wasa tall man, about six feet in height and weighingover eleven stone whenin strict training, and he ran heavily,crunching the cinders as he sped over the path. In 1874he loweredthe amateur mile record to 4 min. 26 sec. whenhe wonfrom scratch the Open Mileat the CivilService Sports in this time. The Strangers' Open Mileat these sports has always,indeed, been one of the classichandicaps of the year. In 1868 Chinnery won this race in 4 min. 29 sec., then a record ; after Slade's time W. G. George,the nowfamousprofes­ sional, won the same race from scratch in 4 min. 19?-sec., and the year afterwardsW. Snook won the same race from scratch in 4 min. 20 sec. In 1875 Slade eclipsed his previous per­ formance by coveringhis mile in 4 min. 24^sec. a t a meeting of the L.A.C. at Stamford Bridgein a celebrated race when he met H. A. Brydenand L. U. Burt, both the others being, like him­ self, tallmen. Bryden,whoran in beautiful style,had, however, little dash, or he might, perhaps, have loweredSlade's colours; while L. U. Burt was too tall and heavy to hold his own in such company, unless very highly trained. On this occasion of lowering the record, all three covered the distance within 4 min. 30 sec. Another contemporaryof Slade's deservesnotice for his mile performances. This was W. H. Seary, who, at the time of his zenith on the path, wasan Oxfordscout, and if report be true, used to utilise, for training purposes,his journeysacross ' Tom ' and £ Peck' quads, and stride across the gravel in great style. Any wayhe wasa superb runner, with a long stride and light of foot. His entry was, webelieve, refused at the championship meetings and in London, but he oftenfigured at the pro­ vincial gatherings,and had he met Slade would have had a good deal of moneyput on him by the Northern enthusiasts. On the only occasion when he and Slade were entered together, at Widnes, the meeting was postponed on account of wet weather,and at the adjourned meeting Slade was unable to be