Sporting and Athletic Records

P R E F A C E ONE day it occurred to me that it would be well to reduce records in every field of sport to systematic and clearexpres­ sion, with a special view to setting out the best that had been done anywhere in different feats of strength, speed and endurance. In other words my idea was to tabulate World's Records and to arrange and systematize otherecords by the way. I confess that I started upon my enterprise with some confidence that I should attain my object within reasonable limits of time and work; I now recognize that that confidence was singularly rash. I say this because I am very well aware that the tables which follow fall short of that completeness which was my ideal and which may possibly be the reader's expectation. Having guardedmyself, so far as I may, against any charge of being undulysatisfied with my own shortcomings, I venture to claim one thing for this book, and that is that it is the first attempt that has ever been made to deal with the whole mass of Sporting Records on a comprehensive and scientific plan. Much, I know, is wanting that ought to be included, but a beginning had to be made, and all beginnings arenecessarily incomplete.