Walter George (athlete) - George's Amateur Career

George's Amateur Career

At 16, George was apprentice to a chemist and working long hours. Accordingly, he entered cycling and then walking races on weekends for exercise. Before turning 20 in 1878, he trained for three months and boasted, to his friends' amusement, that he would one day run a mile in 4:12. This was at a time when the amateur mile record was 4:24½ and the professional mile record was 4:17¼. He wrote in a notebook then the quarter-mile splits required to achieve such a time: 59s; 2:02; 3:08.

In his first race, he was given a 45-yard handicap and promptly won in 4:29, which caused the officials to withhold the prize money until they could determine whether he was a ringer. He never again was given a handicap.

His unorthodox training technique, necessitated by his apprenticeship, was to do what he called "100-up" which involved running in place with high knee lifts and springing, and to take baths in brine. He found quick success, winning the 1879 Amateur Championships of England in the mile (4:29) and in the four miles.

The next year, the first Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) championship was held and George won the mile in 4:283⁄₅ and the four miles. Then, on 16 August at Stamford Bridge, London, George held his "ideal" pace for one lap - 59s - then slowed to 2:04½ and 3:14. Though he was disappointed to finish in 4:231⁄₅, the time established a new amateur world record.

On the professional side of racing, William Cummings was also running impressive mile times, setting a professional record of 4:161⁄₅ in 1881 while George spent most of that year injured.

But George responded in 1882 and ran another amateur world record in the mile on 3 June in 4:192⁄₅, leaving only Cummings and two other professionals with faster performances. George applied to the AAA to race the professional Cummings, but was denied permission.

Travelling to America, George faced the top American miler Lon Myers over a series of three races in November 1882. A total of 130,000 attended these races at the Polo Grounds in New York City. In the first, Myers beat George 1:563⁄₅ to 1:57 in the 880 yards. The next week, George led all the way in defeating his rival 4:212⁄₅ to 4:273⁄₅ in the mile. In the final 3/4 mile showdown, 60,000 watched George and Myers battle on a cold day on a bad track. George led narrowly with a 612⁄₅ and 2:02¾ before Myers took the lead. But Myers staggered at the end and collapsed after crossing in 3:13 - behind George who won in 3:10½. Both fell unconscious after the race and George described it as "the most gruelling race I ever ran."

In 1883, George was ill and William Snook won the mile championship, though George recovered to lower his amateur record for 10 miles. The next year, George sought revenge on Snook, as they met on 21 June at the Astor Lower Grounds in Birmingham for the AAA championships. George prevailied in the race at 4:182⁄₅, setting his third amateur mile record in the process.

That same year he won titles over the 4-miles, 10-miles, the 880 yards and in cross country. He additionally set world amateur records in the 2 miles (9:172⁄₅), 3 miles (14:39), 6 miles (30:21½), 10 miles (51:20) and one hour (11 miles 932 yards).