Athletics of To-Day 1929

94 Athletics of To-day championships in I88g, taking the English four miles in 20 mins. 3It secs. and the ten miles in 5I mins. 3Ii secs., and the U.S.A. title at ten miles in 53 mins. 58! secs., and won, in all, one four miles and four ten miles titles. In I893, however, he was beaten at an open meeting by Willers and Pearce, the former making a new four miles record of I9 mins. 33! secs., and again in the A.A.A. championship four miles at Northamp– ton by Pearce, in the comparatively slow time of 20 mins. I2i secs. We come now to the halcyon days of Alfred Shrubb (No. 7, Plate I2). Many people say there never was, and others believe there never will be, another distance runner like him ; for, although better suited at the longer distances, he was a good enough miler to win the English hampionship in I903 and I904, in which latter year, unfortunat ly, no British team was sent over to America for the Olympic Games at t. Louis. From I90I to I904 he held both four and ten miles track titles and the National ross-Country Championship without a break, and in the last two years of his amateur career broke practically ev ry possible record from 2 ,ooo yards in 5 mins. 7 s cs., to I I miles in 56 mins. 23t secs. His great two miles world's record of 9 mins. 9! secs. was broken in I926 by E. Wide, Sweden, who r turned 9 min. If secs., but hrubb's figures from six miles in 29 mins. 59! secs. to ten miles in 50 mins. 40! secs. still stand officially, although urmi has applied for a new ten miles record of 50 mins. I5 secs. The accident of a stack of straw catching fire was responsible for starting Shrubb on his amazing running career. He was living in th pretty Sussex village of Horsham at the time, and one evening the clanging of the firebell brought him out of doors to see what was happening. The man to whom he directed his enquiry chanced to be F. J. Spenc r, of the Hor– sham Blue Star Harri rs. pencer answered hrubb's question and sugg sted that they should run together to Southwater, three miles away, to see the fire. This se m d rather a tall order to Shrubb, who had spent the day carrying bricks up a thirty-rung ladder, but, despite working clothes and heavy