Sporting and Athletic Records

2 l 6 RUNNING Distance Time Name Nationality Yards S, 12a c ii s / s H. Gent (P.) British iSi'/jrf I2 9 / s H. Hutchcns (P.) ,, w 150 * 14V, 200 / ig'/i J.Applett (P.) „ 220 g 2i , /s J- Wefers (A.) American 250 g 24 8 / 5 W. T. Macpherson (A.) Colonial Place Sheffield Sidney N.S.W. Parkes New York Auckland N.Z. Date 31 May '87 ai Feb. '82 2 Mar. *87 4 Mar. '76 30 May *96 7 Feb. '91 300 30 H. Hutchens (P.) British Edinburgh 2 Jan. '84 350 sG'/s L. E. Myers (A.) American Stenton, Pa. 15 Oct. '81 400 h 43 s / s H. C. L. Tindall (A.) British London 29 Jun. '89 the scratch line (hence theterm double scratches)and between those two marks, some 21 feet, the runners might dance about at their own sweet will, provided that they were not actually over the true scratch line before- thereport of the pistol. Besides the cases where a runner would get a few feet the betterof the pistol,there was always the chance of a flying start. Records made under the possibility of these conditions are not worth much. c At a Sheffield Handicap. Gent must have run the 120 yards about a yard inside of n'/is. d At a Sheffield Handicap. Hutchkns had 7i'/ ( yards start in a 203yards race. This is probably the fastest bit of running ever done by a human being. Assuming that Hutchens covered the last 31'/' yards at the rate of io'/j yardsa second, or in 3s., this would mean that he must have run the hundred yards in Even assuming, that he ran the last 3i 1 /tyards at n yards a second, this would give a speed for the 100 3'ards of about two feet inside of 9 s /«s., a long way in front of world's authentic records. H. M. Johnson (P.) is credited with 130 yards in ij'/iS. at Pittsburg, Pa., U.S.A., on 12 July 1886, but this is, of course, slower tkan Hutchens ' time. e The following is quoted from Mr. W. B. Curtis ' review of amateur athletic records in the New York Spirit of the Times previously referred to. " It has been published in several French newspapers, but it is not likely that any sane person believes tho fable, that at Limousin, France, in November 1891, Henri Fabrk an 150 meters (164 yards i'/» inches) in iss." _/ G. Seward ,British Professional, is also credited with 200 yards in ig'/as., at Barnet on22 March 1847, but this was in the age of double scratches. See above, Note b. g Straightaway. For distances up to and including250 yards the records given are for straightaway runs. For 300 yards and over the figures relate to records made on a curved path. The best time for the 220 yards on a curved track is 2i 4 /«s. by J. V. Crum ,American Amateur, at Chicago, 111.,31 Aug. 1895. h On a banked-up track, straightaway, W. C. Downs , American Amateur, covered the 400 yards in 43s. at Boston, Mass., on 9 July 1890.