Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

A.A.A. JUBILEE SOUVENIR was available, and the Meeting took place on Saturday, July r 6th, r 88r, with the ro Miles Championship on Monday afternoon. Champion– ship winners received silver medals and runners-up bronze medals; while special silver medals were offered for record performances, and bronze medals to those who reached the appointed standards. This Champion– ship Meeting was notable for the appearance for the first time ofAmerican athletes. L. E. Myers, the wonderful runner, and E. E. Merrill, who was a good walker, had come to England to compete against our best athletes. They competed at Aston Lower Grounds at the Moseley H. Sports on the previous Saturday, when Myers ran 440 yards in 49 sec., winning easily ; but the crowd of r 2,000 people disgraced themselves as regards Merrill, stopping his race, betting being alleged as the reason. What effect would this have on the Championship Meeting ? Scandalous though this behaviour was, it had no effect on the Champion– ship attendance, which reached ro,ooo, and the Americans' reception was most enthusiastic. Myers was beaten in the first heat of the roo yards, but he won the ¼ mile in 48¾ sec., a best on record, and J. W. Raby, a Yorkshireman, of whom some astounding stories were told, was the only one to finish in the 7 miles walk, Merrill swooning just after half distance had been passed. There were r,500 spectators to see G. A. Dunning win the ro miles on the Monday in 54 min. 34 sec., which was r 5 sec. inside the record, and the Midland Association had distinguished itself by the excellence of its arrangements and the sporting and financial success of the meeting. The second A.A.A. Championship held in the Midlands was in June, r 884, and was just as successful as that held three years previously on the same ground. It was notable for the fact that W. G. George won the ½ mile, mile, and 4 mile races on the Saturday, as well as the r o miles on the Monday. The outstanding performance was that great runner's r mile record of 4 min. r 8¾ sec., which staggered athletes at that time, and stood for so many years. An American, W. H. Meek, of New York, won the 7 miles walk in scrupulously fair style. There have been other A.A.A. Championships in the Midlands, but none to equal those earlier ones. Meanwhile, the Midland Association had widely extended its sphere of influence, and some athletic meetings were marred by entries without fees and under-value prizes; impersonation-not only in men's races, but also in boys' events ; non-payment of club subscriptions ; and instances where speculative sports meetings had been held, at which the prizes were owing for as long as two years. All these things provided endless work. District officials to represent the Association in various parts of the con– trolled area were appointed, and generally there was a widening interest in the control of athletics. Handicapping anomalies, however, caused a good deal of heart-burning, with not a little amusement among those who could look at this delicate matter impersonally, and soon came a 70