Guest Old Canny Street Kid Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Anyone interested in the old sport of pedestrianism, which peaked in the Victorian era. In those days Sheffield had one of the greatest "peds" of all time, George Littlewood, who held the six-day world record for about 90 years! Will explain more later, but, hopefully, someone will have some info on the subject. Here is a pix of Littlewood, who was born at Rawmarsh but lived most of his life in Attercliffe and Darnall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general...Popup&ino=2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general...amp-720226.html George Littlewood has been a British record-holder for quite a while longer - for 111 years and five months, in fact. He has been dead for 88 years, but his phenomenal six- day record lives on. And so does his name. The George Littlewood Six-Hour Track Challenge, organised by the Steel City Striders, took place from 6pm to midnight last night at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield - a short jog from the King's Head pub Littlewood bought with the $6,000 he earned for his quite literally staggering run in New York in 1888. At the end of the fifth day of the six-day world championship race at Madison Square Garden a match was deliberately dropped into the alcohol bath in which Littlewood was soaking his aching feet. The culprit, presumed to be a disgruntled backer of one of his rivals, was never caught. Neither was Littlewood. His feet and legs were badly burned but he carried on, hobbling at times, to complete 85 miles on the final day. In total, he covered 623 miles 1,320 yards - a feat described in 1966 by the physiologist B B Lloyd as "probably about the maximum sustained output of which the human frame is capable". Two of the 36 runners who took up the George Littlewood Track Challenge might care to reflect on that assessment as they follow their six-hour stint by running in the Sheffield Marathon, which takes place this morning. "Apparently, they see our race as just a warm-up for the marathon," Roy Kitson of the Steel City Striders said. The history man It has become clear that the original "marathon" was run after a warm-up of quite considerable length. Legend has it that the military messenger Pheidippides ran 26 miles from the Plain of Marathon to Athens to break news of the Athenian victory over the Persians in 490BC - and that he died of exhaustion after gasping his story. Greek historians have, however, established that Pheid-ippides' most notable long- distance feat was actually running 280 miles, from Athens to Sparta and back, in a vain request for help in the Battle of Mara-thon. The Athenians, as it happened, prevailed on the field without Spartan assistance, and it was then that Pheidippides raced from Marathon to Athens, a distance of 26 miles - to warn of an imminent invasion by the Persian fleet. He quite possibly dropped dead of accumulated exhaustion at that point. Like George Littlewood, though, he was not forgotten. One of the walls of the Acropolis was named after him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 http://www.thestar.co.uk/diary/By-George-h...lyer.4383872.jp http://www.inthewinningzone.com/wz/article...&articleid= http://www.king-of-the-peds.net/ http://www.kingofthepeds.com/ http://www.kingofthepeds.com/page04.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 George Littlewood bought the King's Head at 709 Attercliffe Road (formerly 319 High Street) with the $6,000 prize money he won at Madison Square Garden, NY. However, he nearly didn't make it ... Sporting East End states George had the tenancy from 1898-1909 and states it was known as The Champion's Rest". http://www.sheffieldrecordsonline.org.uk/ however allows us to extend this date range : George Littlewood, Beer retailer, 709 Attercliffe Road (Kelly's 1893) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Additional information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/a-legen...ei-1365573.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 http://www.ultralegends.com/george-littlewood/ http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/...9649D946396D6CF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 The Record is Broken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 "Pedestrians" http://rmhh.co.uk/occup/files/pedestrians.wri Competitive walking of man against man appeared sometime late in the 16th century or early in the 17th. It became the custom in that period for members of the English aristocracy to employ 'footmen' to accompany them during their travels across country by coach. These were in effect servants whose duties included the carrying of messages and documents, hastening ahead of the family coach to make arrangements at inns for an evening's food, drink, and sleep, or advising the country house staff of the imminence of the family's arrival. Heavy wagering being a part of the excesses practiced by the nobility at that time, it was inevitable that masters began to match their footmen against one another in races. With sizeable sums at stake these noblemen increasingly sought footmen who could demonstrate speed and stamina. They were then trained as 'gladiators' to compete in matches arranged over varying distances. Thus it was that a class of professional pedestrians evolved on the British scene. There seems to have been no serious attempt to define the rules by which these competing footmen were to vie against one another, custom decreeing that footmen keep pace with their master's carriages without actually running. Sometimes the expression 'fair heel and toe' was used in an attempt to delimit the footmen's mode of progression. It was commonly understood, however, that they were 'allowed to trot, as necessary, to ward off cramp'. Competition between footmen gave way during the second half of the 18th century to men racing against time over long distances. "Pedestrians" (as the walkers were called) could win a very handsome fee for walking dozens -- or even hundreds -- of miles within a proscribed time. Side bets were, of course, very welcome. One of the more popular goals involved covering at least 100 miles in less than 24 hours. Those meeting this goal were (and still are) called "Centurions." Another goal involved covering one mile in each of 1,000 successive hours (more than 41 days). The early 19th century saw the return of races between men. Town-to-town events, supported by gambling, became quite the rage -- even becoming the most popular sport in England for a while. George Littlewood of Sheffield set an astonishing record in 1888 of 623 miles in 6 days. NOTE: This article was written by Phil Howell, and first appeared in "Walk Talk", based on a 308-page dissertation by Dr. William Gordon Wallace. _________________________________________________ From the ENG-SHEFFIELD archives: "GREAT FOOT RACE FOR ONE HUNDRED GUINEAS [notes] Townshend vs Mountjoy [young man vs seasoned veteran] Mountjoy is 'the veteran pedestrian'. The race took place on a road in St John's Wood (London). summary of tasks: walk 20 miles run 1 mile walk 1 mile walk 1 mile backwards run a hoop 1 mile wheel a barrow 1 mile pick up 40 stones, 1 yd apart, with their mouths." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 http://www.centurions1911.org.uk/History/History.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 11, 2009 Share Posted August 11, 2009 Remember the Diary's story of heel to toe racer George Littlewood - the international sporting star Sheffield has forgotten - last year? Well, George's great, great nephew Paul Marshall has managed to get an exhibition on him at the Central Library, Surrey Street. Details : here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 27th January 1890 George Littlewood enters the lions' den at Wombwell's Menagerie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 More from Paul ... Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gina Posted September 4, 2010 Share Posted September 4, 2010 Hello All Desperately trying to find information on my grt grt grandfather John Mountjoy, who was a pedestrian in the 1800s...born 1800 Southampton died 1878 Somers Town, London, I have found loads of articles in the Era and also some personal information in other newspapers but to date cannot find a picture of him and really would love to find one. Because of my interest now in this subject I have purchased King of Peds which I have found fascinating but my John Mountjoy was at the end of his career so not within the book. John Mountjoy walked all over the country and I have found stories about him in Newcastle, Birmingham, Norwich, and alot of wallking around Hampshire. Just wondered if he walked in Sheffield at any stage, appreciate any help....Thanks Gina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted September 6, 2010 Share Posted September 6, 2010 Hello All Desperately trying to find information on my grt grt grandfather John Mountjoy, who was a pedestrian in the 1800s...born 1800 Southampton died 1878 Somers Town, London, I have found loads of articles in the Era and also some personal information in other newspapers but to date cannot find a picture of him and really would love to find one. Because of my interest now in this subject I have purchased King of Peds which I have found fascinating but my John Mountjoy was at the end of his career so not within the book. John Mountjoy walked all over the country and I have found stories about him in Newcastle, Birmingham, Norwich, and alot of wallking around Hampshire. Just wondered if he walked in Sheffield at any stage, appreciate any help....Thanks Gina Nothing to do with Sheffield, but, at least we are looking .... Another child athlete, thirteen-year-old Mountjoy, Jr., followed in the footsteps of his celebrated pedestrian father by twice undertaking a sixty-four-mile return trip between Swansea and Neath within the space of a few days in March 1844. During the challenge he managed one forty-five-minute period of running half-a-mile forwards, walking three-quarters-of-a-mile backwards, running and hopping 100 yards each, picking up a hundred eggs with his mouth, and, finally, clearing twenty hurdles at 2 feet 4.5inches high.20 Evidently unaffected by such exertions, Mountjoy maintained his fitness well into the 1860s, completing a forty-mile walk around Swansea and Mumbles inside eight hours in April 1869. Source Mad as a box of frogs the lot of 'em ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gina Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Nothing to do with Sheffield, but, at least we are looking .... Another child athlete, thirteen-year-old Mountjoy, Jr., followed in the footsteps of his celebrated pedestrian father by twice undertaking a sixty-four-mile return trip between Swansea and Neath within the space of a few days in March 1844. During the challenge he managed one forty-five-minute period of running half-a-mile forwards, walking three-quarters-of-a-mile backwards, running and hopping 100 yards each, picking up a hundred eggs with his mouth, and, finally, clearing twenty hurdles at 2 feet 4.5inches high.20 Evidently unaffected by such exertions, Mountjoy maintained his fitness well into the 1860s, completing a forty-mile walk around Swansea and Mumbles inside eight hours in April 1869. Source Mad as a box of frogs the lot of 'em ! Thank you very much Mr. Sheffield :-).....you are right....well mad lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Hello All Desperately trying to find information on my grt grt grandfather John Mountjoy, who was a pedestrian in the 1800s...born 1800 Southampton died 1878 Somers Town, London, I have found loads of articles in the Era and also some personal information in other newspapers but to date cannot find a picture of him and really would love to find one. Because of my interest now in this subject I have purchased King of Peds which I have found fascinating but my John Mountjoy was at the end of his career so not within the book. John Mountjoy walked all over the country and I have found stories about him in Newcastle, Birmingham, Norwich, and alot of wallking around Hampshire. Just wondered if he walked in Sheffield at any stage, appreciate any help....Thanks Gina 1865 he's still plodding on ... in Chertsey 5th August 1865, J mountjoy mentioned in Over 65, Chertsey, Pedestrianism. I think you can order the original atricle from http://www.newspaperdetectives.co.uk/master1865M7.htm; press the Home button to read theordering process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 He did Leeds/Bradford, several times, in fact. Maybe he got his braces caught on a lamp post ? Anyway, 1843 ... is this "yer Man" or the son ?? http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZGWS18430527.2.4.4&l=mi&e=-------10--1----0-all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gina Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 lol....thank you so much....this is the dad....crazy man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gina Posted September 13, 2010 Share Posted September 13, 2010 1865 he's still plodding on ... in Chertsey 5th August 1865, J mountjoy mentioned in Over 65, Chertsey, Pedestrianism. I think you can order the original atricle from http://www.newspaperdetectives.co.uk/master1865M7.htm; press the Home button to read theordering process. Thanks again for this info, I have managed to purchase this article and it gives me more information on another great feat he carried out in Chertsey at the age of 65...not bad...220 miles in four successive days :-) Cheers Gina Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jaxsgame Posted June 18, 2011 Share Posted June 18, 2011 My GGG Grandfather was James Edward Smith from Walthamstow, England, born in March, 1841, who also a heel to walker. He came to the US in 1867 to continue his races and settled down eventually in Shenandoah, PA, having 11 children from 1875-1899. I would love to find a picture of him. He is mentioned in Paul Marshall's "The King of the Peds" and I've read about him in the New York Times. He worked with PT Barnum for a time. He died in 1905, and his race- walking was mentioned in his obituary, also when he was elected Burgess of Shenandoah in 1893. I'm always looking for more information about him, and wish I could find the family in London he left behind (also mentioned in his obituary). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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