LAURENCE E. "LON" MYERS Sport: Track and Field Inducted: 1980 Country: United States Born: February 16, 1858 in Richmond, Virginia Died: February 1899 Lon Myers was the greatest sprinter of the nineteenth century. He was the first to run the quarter-mile in less than 50 seconds (49.2). From 1880 to 1888, Myers held World records for the 100-Yard, 440-Yard, and 880-Yard events.His best event was the Quarter-Mile, which he lowered from 50.4 to 48.8. At one time or another over a 21-year period, Myers held every American record for races 50 yards to one mile! He also held 10 Canadian and three British national championships. Myers ran more 880s under two minutes and more 440s under 50 seconds than the total run by all amateur and professional athletes of his era. In the 1879 National (U.S.) Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Championships, Myers won a triple victory (220, 440, 880), setting records in each event. In 1880, he won four titles in the AAUs— the 220, 440, and 880 events and the 100-Yard Dash—a feat he repeated one week later at the Canadian Nationals. Myers was the first and probably the only track and field athlete ever to capture eight National titles in one week.
Great post! I wish I could give your post more than one up vote. But since that's not possible, I'll do it the old fashioned way. 10/10.
How many up votes would you like to give his post? Would 100 be enough? Or not that many?
Great post! I wish I could give your post more than one up vote. But since that's not possible, I'll do it the old fashioned way. 10/10.
How many up votes would you like to give his post? Would 100 be enough? Or not that many?
What do you want from me? I said what I said and gave him a 10/10. And why do you care what I am/was thinking? It's none of your business. If you can't stay on thread topic, then start a new thread about me and my posting.
You and I just wasted valuable cyberspace. And what was gained? Nothing.
How many up votes would you like to give his post? Would 100 be enough? Or not that many?
What do you want from me? I said what I said and gave him a 10/10. And why do you care what I am/was thinking? It's none of your business. If you can't stay on thread topic, then start a new thread about me and my posting.
You and I just wasted valuable cyberspace. And what was gained? Nothing.
You said you wished you could give him more than one upvote. I asked how many you want to give him. You have no answer. That is all.
What do you want from me? I said what I said and gave him a 10/10. And why do you care what I am/was thinking? It's none of your business. If you can't stay on thread topic, then start a new thread about me and my posting.
You and I just wasted valuable cyberspace. And what was gained? Nothing.
You said you wished you could give him more than one upvote. I asked how many you want to give him. You have no answer. That is all.
Maybe 2 or 3. But I thought 10/10 would get the message across. Sorry for confusing you.
During his 21-year career, Myers held every American record for races 50 yards to one mile.[2][3] He won 15 United States national championships, 10 Canadian national championships, and 3 British national championships.[2][3][4] From 1880 to 1888, he held the world records in the 100-yard, 440-yard, and 880-yard races.[3] Myers began running competitively in 1878, for the Knickerbocker Yacht Club. He then ran for the bulk of his career for the Manhattan Athletic Club.[2][5][6] Myers was the first runner to run the quarter-mile in under 50 seconds (49.2), doing so in 1879.[3][7] On September 20, 1879, he ran the quarter-mile in 49.5 seconds despite running the final 120 yards without his right shoe, setting a world record.[8] At the 1879 U.S. Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championships, Myers won the 220 (22.75), 440 (49.2), and 880, setting records in each event.[2][3] In 1880, he won the AAU national championship 220, 440, and 880 races and the 100-yard dash, all in the same day.[2][3] He won the same four races three days later at the Canadian Nationals.[2][3][6] That year, he set an American record in the 100-yard dash (10.0 seconds; tying two others), and world records in the 250 (26.25 seconds), 300, 320 (35.125 seconds), 500 (58 seconds), 600 (1:11.4), 660 (1:22.0), 880 (1:56.125), 1,000 (2:18.25), and mile (4:29.50).[2][8] Unusual distances in some of the races were a product of the fact that tracks at the time varied in length.[2] In 1881, after a runner in England boasted as to how he would fare against Myers in a 440 race, Myers finished the race running sideways and asking the fellow whether he might not be able to run faster—before beating him by five yards, in 48.6 seconds.[2] That year he also lowered the world record in the 880 to 1:55.5 (beating his nearest competitor by 100 yards), and the world record in the 1,000 to 2:13.[2] In 1881 he also set the world record in the half mile (1:56); he lowered it to 1:55.4 in 1884.[7] He also set the world record in the 350, at 36.8 seconds, and 1,000 yards, at 2:13.0.[2]
How do you beat that
"How do you beat that"-----Easy run faster--oh wait they have run faster for the last 125+ years--any other questions?
During his 21-year career, Myers held every American record for races 50 yards to one mile.[2][3] He won 15 United States national championships, 10 Canadian national championships, and 3 British national championships.[2][3][4] From 1880 to 1888, he held the world records in the 100-yard, 440-yard, and 880-yard races.[3] Myers began running competitively in 1878, for the Knickerbocker Yacht Club. He then ran for the bulk of his career for the Manhattan Athletic Club.[2][5][6] Myers was the first runner to run the quarter-mile in under 50 seconds (49.2), doing so in 1879.[3][7] On September 20, 1879, he ran the quarter-mile in 49.5 seconds despite running the final 120 yards without his right shoe, setting a world record.[8] At the 1879 U.S. Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) national championships, Myers won the 220 (22.75), 440 (49.2), and 880, setting records in each event.[2][3] In 1880, he won the AAU national championship 220, 440, and 880 races and the 100-yard dash, all in the same day.[2][3] He won the same four races three days later at the Canadian Nationals.[2][3][6] That year, he set an American record in the 100-yard dash (10.0 seconds; tying two others), and world records in the 250 (26.25 seconds), 300, 320 (35.125 seconds), 500 (58 seconds), 600 (1:11.4), 660 (1:22.0), 880 (1:56.125), 1,000 (2:18.25), and mile (4:29.50).[2][8] Unusual distances in some of the races were a product of the fact that tracks at the time varied in length.[2] In 1881, after a runner in England boasted as to how he would fare against Myers in a 440 race, Myers finished the race running sideways and asking the fellow whether he might not be able to run faster—before beating him by five yards, in 48.6 seconds.[2] That year he also lowered the world record in the 880 to 1:55.5 (beating his nearest competitor by 100 yards), and the world record in the 1,000 to 2:13.[2] In 1881 he also set the world record in the half mile (1:56); he lowered it to 1:55.4 in 1884.[7] He also set the world record in the 350, at 36.8 seconds, and 1,000 yards, at 2:13.0.[2]
How do you beat that
"How do you beat that"-----Easy run faster--oh wait they have run faster for the last 125+ years--any other questions?
This has never been about running faster, this is about winning and making a huge impact on the sport. Like I mentioned there have been a half dozen Ohio State sprinters over the years that would smoke Jesse Owens, but he is a legend while nobody here can name any of those other Buckeyes, see how it works?
I checked out Tom Longboat. The people you've never heard of before. Wow! Thank you for the introduction. There must be other stories from days gone by that could be told. But if you never heard of someone, how can you keep their memory alive?
It's a heck of a thing isn't it. 150 years ago you were the best in the world. In 2022 almost nobody has ever even heard of your successes nor know your name. I find that not only sad for the athletes but for the sport also.
Why do you find it to be sad? Do you really think people will be discussing Kenenisa Bekele in 2172? This is the way of the world.
It has been 102 years since Nurmi won this first gold medal, and people are still talking about him. They will still be talking about him 50 years from now.
Why do you find it to be sad? Do you really think people will be discussing Kenenisa Bekele in 2172? This is the way of the world.
It has been 102 years since Nurmi won this first gold medal, and people are still talking about him. They will still be talking about him 50 years from now.
People aren’t talking much about Nurmi and 50 years from now his name will almost never come up. Almost nobody can tell you much about him. They don’t even know who Zatopek was and they sure don’t know much about Nurmi.
"How do you beat that"-----Easy run faster--oh wait they have run faster for the last 125+ years--any other questions?
This has never been about running faster, this is about winning and making a huge impact on the sport. Like I mentioned there have been a half dozen Ohio State sprinters over the years that would smoke Jesse Owens, but he is a legend while nobody here can name any of those other Buckeyes, see how it works?
How it works is that you think a Model Ford-T is the best car ever made because it was the best car in its era.
It has been 102 years since Nurmi won this first gold medal, and people are still talking about him. They will still be talking about him 50 years from now.
People aren’t talking much about Nurmi and 50 years from now his name will almost never come up. Almost nobody can tell you much about him. They don’t even know who Zatopek was and they sure don’t know much about Nurmi.
How many runners of today are being 'talked about' or known to the general public? Kipchoge and Usain Bolt. Mo Farah only in Britain. And that's with social media and 24 hour news etc. Very doubtful any of them will be 'talked about' in 50 years time.
A couple of years ago I walked into a London bookshop and there were TWO recently published biographies of Zatopek on display. And of course, he is still a national hero in the Czech Republic.
it appears that when Lon Myers did meet strong opposition, he lost;
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."
There was no tv, only newspapers and live events. these events were staggeringly popular, and the runners unbeleivably famous.
George won the mile record and it wasnt beaten for 30 years.
Respect to Coevett, WALTER GEORGE is the goat.
or roger, of course. Probably roger.
Bottom line is....
LAURENCE E. "LON" MYERS Sport: Track and Field Inducted: 1980 Country: United States Born: February 16, 1858 in Richmond, Virginia Died: February 1899 Lon Myers was the greatest sprinter of the nineteenth century. He was the first to run the quarter-mile in less than 50 seconds (49.2). From 1880 to 1888, Myers held World records for the 100-Yard, 440-Yard, and 880-Yard events.His best event was the Quarter-Mile, which he lowered from 50.4 to 48.8. At one time or another over a 21-year period, Myers held every American record for races 50 yards to one mile! He also held 10 Canadian and three British national championships. Myers ran more 880s under two minutes and more 440s under 50 seconds than the total run by all amateur and professional athletes of his era. In the 1879 National (U.S.) Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Championships, Myers won a triple victory (220, 440, 880), setting records in each event. In 1880, he won four titles in the AAUs— the 220, 440, and 880 events and the 100-Yard Dash—a feat he repeated one week later at the Canadian Nationals. Myers was the first and probably the only track and field athlete ever to capture eight National titles in one week.
oh, i didnt realise you meant american national runners running obscure distances that noone else ran.
you know the baseball world series isnt real, dont you?
The runner you refer to has simply vanished into the annals of history. Who today knows of him except you? So what was his impact? There are innumerable runners who have run faster and against better competition, won more prestigious titles and made a bigger mark on the sport, by becoming household names for generations. You have no objective criteria that in any measurable sense makes him "the best in history".
He was big in a pond in the sport's infancy. In the ocean it has become he is dwarfed by far bigger fish.
Yeah I agree. People barely even competed j sports back then. Now you have high schoolers in the US even crushing old barriers that stood forever. Hell look what erryion knighton just did. You're right the talent pool is inexplicably larger than it was in 1880. To say a guy from 150 years ago is the greatest of all time simply because he won all his races is nonsense.
No YOU don't get it. "best runner of all time"? It's like asking who's the "best thrower of all time". OK, so there are baseball pitchers, catchers, shortstops, etc., softball players with positions, bowlers, shot-putters, basketball players, bocce ball players, cricket, rugby, etc.