An interesting story in Athletics Weekly about how the 2 hour world record still survives from 1964.
Left at home as an alternate for the British Olympic team, Alder ran nearly 95 laps (94.985 laps) on the track in 2 hrs - still the WR today.
http://www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/geronimo-jim-alder-15924/
Why didn't he hang on for the marathon on a track world record?
rojo wrote:
An interesting story in Athletics Weekly about how the 2 hour world record still survives from 1964.
What a fantastic historic picture!!
100's have run faster, just not on the track. This is only in the 2:13 marathon range.
Addias ruled the shoe world then. Puma was a long second as these were about the only players in the shoe wars.
Magna C*m Laude wrote:
The Brits should really re-think their use of c*m in the everyday language.
Brickie- c*m world record breaker makes Alder sound like a porn star that can ejaculate baked clay.
Americans should really re-think their education system.
First to predict
Ryan Hall-DNS
and a strong Teg Don't Run No Two Hour Run!! movement
“I’ll tell you what,” Alder said, after the half-century mark duly arrived last October. “If I was a top-distance runner today, it would gall me that a 74-year-old man living in Northumberland holds that world record.”
Read more at
http://www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/geronimo-jim-alder-15924/#yhO4yaRwbEiJP7pq.99
All the USA Marathoners that don't make the Rio team should be available to try duplicating the "missed the OGs but raced a WR instead" thing. Perhaps NBC/Boston OGLOC could partner up to broadcast this race as part of the bid.
I knew about Alder's record. And it's a great story. But what caught my attention was this: 200m hurdles?? I thought I pretty much knew all of T&F WR trivia, but, I have to admit I didn't know about the 200m hurdles WR. 22.5?!?!
Does anyone know if the hurdles were spaced the same distance apart as the 400m hurdles? In any case, even if the guy only had to clear 2 hurdles in that 200 m, that's an incredible WR. No wonder it's the oldest!
USA! USA! wrote:
Magna C*m Laude wrote:The Brits should really re-think their use of c*m in the everyday language.
Brickie- c*m world record breaker makes Alder sound like a porn star that can ejaculate baked clay.
Americans should really re-think their education system.
Certainly, but I am British and it's time to end this "proper" talk, what?
Kind of interesting article, but it seems a bit silly to talk about how the record still stands. Of course it does. It is probably literally never contested.
Ritz would have probably went for it if he hadn't made the 10k team in 2012..
His legs would have exploded though.
2:45 track WR holder wrote:
Kind of interesting article, but it seems a bit silly to talk about how the record still stands. Of course it does. It is probably literally never contested.
Probably literally?
c*mming bricks wrote:
Ritz would have probably went for it if he hadn't made the 10k team in 2012..
His legs would have exploded though.
It's "would have probably gone".
Your welcome.
I'm sorry, who?
dgwergw wrote:
c*mming bricks wrote:Ritz would have probably went for it if he hadn't made the 10k team in 2012..
His legs would have exploded though.
It's "would have probably gone".
Your welcome.
Went for it sounds better from a running perspective. Poetic license.
Your pretty smart.
Interesting that for such an obscure runner, a biography of him was published in 1981 ("Marathon and Chips") . It's so rare now that copies go for $100-$200. Three of the other marathon runners in the photo (none of whom won an Olympic medal in the event) also wrote autobiographies, Ron Hill, Bill Adcocks and Jim Hogan. Seems to reflect the great public interest in marathon runners that arose in the 70s.
comprehensive 2 hour+ audio interview by Jim here
http://sounds.bl.uk/Oral-history/Sport/021M-C0790X0042XX-0100V0
Some video of the Alder and Adcocks finish near fiasco in the 1966 Commonwealth Games (about 2:10 into clip):
I, too, had not heard of the 200m World Best hurdle time - 22.5! Most impressive. That would be a record worth attacking for today´s 110m or 400m hurdle specialists.
Jesse Owens ran 22.6, but on a 200m straight with no bend
http://www.woodhurdles.com/200meterLowHurdles/1.html
the event used to be part of US T + F Champs until early 60s
A proper runner and, like Bill Adcocks, still involved in the sport as I understand.
I was driving my son and 2 friends home from cubs, they were about 7. They had been playing statues and one of them said "You couldn't have won if you were the fastest man in the world." So I said "OK, who of them is the fastest man in the world" to see if they knew Usain Bolt and one of them said "I don't know but I think my Grandad used to be." "Who's you Grandad then?" "Jim Alder!"
It was a huge long shot I knew who he was but great for Jim's grandson I did, and thought he was a legend. If he was that good and played football he would be a household name.
PV runner wrote:
Interesting that for such an obscure runner, a biography of him was published in 1981 ("Marathon and Chips") . It's so rare now that copies go for $100-$200. Three of the other marathon runners in the photo (none of whom won an Olympic medal in the event) also wrote autobiographies, Ron Hill, Bill Adcocks and Jim Hogan. Seems to reflect the great public interest in marathon runners that arose in the 70s.
British distance runners seem to have a penchant for writing autobiographies. In addition to the four you mention here, Charlie Spedding, Don MacGregor, John Tarrant, Roy Fowler, Stan Eldon, and Arthur Keilly all have autobiographies out. Some of the latter names are probably recognizable to a fairly limited audience now.