Walking Races
WALKING RACES, a form of athletic sports, either on road or track. Road walking is the older form of the sport. The records for the chief walking distances were as follows in 1910:
Distance.
Name.
Time.
Date.
Place.
hr. min. sec.
I mile A. T. Yeomans.
6 19! 1906 Bath 2 miles A. T. Yeomans.
12 53i 1906 Swansea J. W. Raby (profes- sional)
20 2l| 1883 Lillie Bridge 4 ., 5 G. E. Lamer . I. W. Raby .
27 14 35 10 1905 1883 Brighton Lillie Bridge J. W. Raby .
1 H 45 1883 Lillie Bridge 15 -, J. W. Raby .
i 55 56 1883 Lillie Bridge 20 ,, W. Perkins 2 39 57 1877 Lillie Bridge 3 ,.
J. Butler . .
4 29 52 1905 Putney 4 -- 50 IOO J. Butler . . J. Butler . . T. E. Hammond 6 ii 17 7 52 27 17 25 22 1905 1905 1907 Putney Putney London to Brighton and back The record distance walked in I hour was 8 m. 339 yds. by the English amateur G. E. Larner in 1905; in 8 hours, 50 m. 1190 yds. by another English amateur, J. Butler, in 1905; in 24 hours, 131 m. 58o| yds. by T. E. Hammond in 1908.
About the year 1875 there was a revival of interest in professional walking, which took the form of " go-as-you-please " competitions, extending over several days, usually six. These may be classed as walking contests, for, although running was allowed, it was seldom practised, excepting for a few moments at a time, for the purpose of relief from cramped muscles. The great difficulty in competitive walking is to keep within the rules. A " fair gait " is one in which one foot touches the ground before the other leaves it, only one leg being bent in stepping, namely, that which is being put forward.
Note - this article incorporates content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, (1910-1911)
