Manual of British Rural Sports by Stonehenge 17th Edition

C30 PEDESTRIANISM. *1 Myers won a scrat.cli 1000-yards race on the Polo Grounds, New York, on Oct. 8, 1881, very easily. The winner's time for the half-mile was1 min. &5| sees., and he ran what was afterwards proved to be 1000 yards 2 feet in 2 min.13 sees. Best English record, 2 min. lessees., W. G. George, Bimingham Aug. 5,1882. 18 In the mile open handicap at the Civil Service Sports, W. G. George won from scratch in 4 min. 19f sees., or sees, fasterthan it had been previously done by an amateur (George himself). His time for three-quarters of a mile also proved superior to all other performances at the distance, and has never been beaten. 19 Snook, at the Woodstock F.C. sports, ran from scratch in the 1500-yards open handicap and finished a dead heat with A. Chapman, South Suburban A.C., 120 yards start. Snook's time beat all existing records.He repeated the performance at Birmingham, on June 16,18S4. 20 George, in themile at the amateur championship sports of 1884, won after a very fmc race, for the greater part of the way, with W. Snook. George ran 1500 yards in 3 min. 44f sees., and the remainder of the journey in 33 f sees. 21 George, in a two-miles open handicap at the liondon Midland A.C. meeting, ran from scratch and finished second to H. W.Crosse, who had 385 yards start.George's times from one mile to the finish beat all previous records. They were as follows: 2000 yards, 5 min. 10| sees.;IJ miles, 5 min. 44 se"s., 1J miles, 6 min.57f sees. ; 8000 yards, 7 min. 58J sees., 1J miles, 8 min. 11|sees., 2 miles, 9imu. 25J sees. 22 George won a two-miles handicap at the London Athletic Clubmeeting of April 26, 1884, and succeeded in upsetting his previous best times for Ijj miles andtwo miles. He won easily from J. T. Wills, to whom he was conceding 145 yards. George also, at the Blackhcath Harriers meeting of 1884, did two miles on grass in 9 min. 30| sees. 23 George,in a four-miles handicap at a London athletic meeting, ran second to Carter, but his third and fourth miles were done in faster time than has ever been recorded for an amateur. George endeavoured to beat the famous one hour's run accredited to L. Bennett (" Deerfoot"), of II miles 970 yards. He failed by thirty-eight yards, but ran the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and eleventh miles in the fastest times yet done by an amateur. George, in a ten mile handicap at the London Athletic Club meeting of April 7, 1874, won from scratch by more than a quarter of a mile, and beat all previous times for the ninth and tenth miles. 26 See note 2 4. 27 Dunning won a twenty-miles handicap at the London Athletic Club ground, on Jan. 1, 1881. He started from scratch. 28 These times were accomplished by Dunning in the London Athletic Clubs' fifty-miles race at Stamford Bridge on Dec.26, 1881. F. W. Firminger was thewinner, and his time—6h.3;Sm. 41s.— stood as the bestuntil the end of 1884. Dunning did 21 miles in 2h. 6m. 0s. ; 22 miles 2h. 12in. 4Ss.; 23 miles, 2h. 19m. 50s. ; 24 miles, 2 h. 27m. 5s. ; 25 miles, 2h. S3m. 44s. 29 Squires,in a thirty-miles match with O. A. Chalon, S.L.H., beathis fellow clubman easily, and from 26 to 30 miles surpassed all previous amateur records. His 27th mile time was 2h. 54m. 2Cs.; 28tli, 3h. 2m. lis. ; and 29th, 8h. 2m. 51s. 30 Squires, in theSouth London Harriers fifty-miles race, broke down after covering 37 miles 860 yards in 4h. 30m. 45s., but from 31 to 36 miles his times are the fastest on record. lie did32 miles in 3h. 38m. 56s. ; 33 miles, 3h. 48m. 2. l )s.; 34 miles, 3h.56m. 39Js. ; 35 miles, 4h.4m. 50s. 31 In the Birohfield Harriers fifty-miles race at Birmingham, a victory was easily gained over thirteen opponents by J.E. Dixon. His times from 37 miles to 42 miles, and also that for the 46th mile, are the best ever accomplished—viz., 37miles, 4h. 21m. 12Js.; 38 miles,4h. 29m. 18Js. ; 39 miles, 4h.37m. 20js.; 40 miles, 4h. 46m.54s. ; 41 miles, 4h.58m. 8Js. ; 42 miles, 6h.7in. 12s. ; 46 miles, 5h.43m. 13s. 32 On April 11, 1885,Dixon won the South London Harriers fifty-miles race. He took the lead in the 38th mile, andcompleted thedistance in the fastest time on record. Dixon's times for seven of the last eight miles were better thanhad ever before been accomplished. They were as under;—43rd, 5h. 17m. 18s. ; 44th, 5h. 26m. 19s. ; 45th, 5h. 35m. 10s.; 47th,6h. 53m. Ojs. ; 48th, 6h.2m. 15js.; 49tli, 6h. 10m. 55is.; 50th, 6h. ISm. 2GJs. See note 3 1 . 33 See note 3 1 . 34 See note 32 . 35 Davies, in a twelve-hours' competition at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, on Sept. 9,1880, won, an made the following times:—51 miles, 6h. 57m. 50s. ; 52 miles, 7h.13m. Is. ; 53 miles, 7h. 21m. 34s.; 54 miles, 7h. 30m.10s.; 55 miles,7h. 39m. 10s. ; 56 miles, 7h.47m. 40s. ; 57 miles, 7h.56m. 18s. ; 68 miles, 8h. 5m. 5s. ; 59 miles, 8h.14m. 13s. ; 60 miles, 8h. 23m. 30s. ; 61 miles, 8h. 34m. 46s. ; 62 miles, 8h. 43m. 5s. ; 63 miles,!8h. 53m.30s. ; 64 miles, 9h. 3m. 52s. ; 65 miles, 9h. 20ni. 51s.; 66miles, 9h.30m. 25s.; 67 miles, 9h.40m. 7s.: 68 miles, 9h.50m. Is.; 69 miles,lOh. 0m. 5s. ; 70 miles, lOh. 9m. 25s,; 71 miles, lOh. 18m. 20s. : 72 miles, lOh. 28ra. 20s. ; 73 miles, lOh. 37m. 38s. ; 74 miles, lOh. 47m. 52s; 75 miles, lOh. 57m. 33s. ; 76 miles, llh, 7m. 25s. ; 77 miles, llh. 17m. 20s. ; 78 miles, llh. 27m. 2s.; 79 miles, llh. 37m.40s, ; 80 miles, llh.45m. 40s. ; 81 miles, 12h. 0m. Os. 36 Sinclair attempted to beat the 100-miles record—17h. 36m. 149.—of J. Saunders (see note 37 ), and although he failed, his times from 82 to 91 miles inclusive, proved better thanany that hadbeen done previously. They are appended:—82 miles,12h. 49m. 50s. ; 83 miles, 18h. 8ni. 0s. ; 84 miles, 13h. 13m. 20s.; 85 miles, 13h. 45m. 20s. ; 86 miles, 14h. 0m. 0s. ; 87 miles, 14h. 15m. 0s. ; 88 miles, Hh, 29m. 0s. ; 89 miles, 14h.44ra. 0s. ; 90 miles, 15h. 0m. 0s.; 91 miles,15h. 7m. 20s. 37 Saunders, at theAmerican Institute,New York, on Feb 22, 1882, won a twenty-four hours' race easily, the affair terminatingjust before the completionof the twenty-third hour. His times fromand including 92 miles follow :—92 miles, 15h. 51m. 5s.; 93miles, 16h. 4m. 0s.; 94miles, 16h.Mm. 20s ; 95 miles, 16h.27m. 20s. ; 96 miles, 16h. 41m. 40s. ; 97 miles, 17h. 0m. 15s. : 98 miles, 17h. 11m. 40s.; P9miles, 17h.25m 0s, ; 100 miles, 17h. 36m. 14s. ; 101 mih-s, 17h. 48m. 15s. ; 102 miles, 18h. 2m. 10s.; 103 miles, 18h. 14m. 15s. ; 104 miles, 18h. 26m. 55s. ; 105 miles, 18h. 45m. 208. ; 106 miles, 18h. 59m. Os.; 107 miles, 19h.15m. 25s. ; 108 miles, 19h. 42m. 40s. ; 109 miles, 19h.51m. 5 b . ; 110 miles, 20h.13m, Ms.: iii miles, 20h. 28m. 20s. ; 112 miles, 20h. 45m. 50s. ; 113 miles,21h. 0m. 42s. ; 114 miles, 21h. 17m.20s.; 115 miles, 21h. 82m. fis, ; 116 miles, 210. 46m. 50s. ; 117 miles, 22h. 1m. 28 b . ; 118 miles, 22h. 19m. 24s.; 119 miles, 22h.85m. 29s. ; 120 miles, 22h.47m. 23s. Greatest Distance Perfoiimance. The greatest distance nm in one hour is 11 miles 932 yards by W. G. George, at StamfordBridge, July 28,18S4, in an attemptto beat the celebrated " Deerfoot" record.