The 100-miler - Part 5 (1902-1926) London to Brighton and Back

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:29 — 41.9MB)

By Davy Crockett

For at least 150 years, running or walking 100 miles within 24 hours has been an impressive feat sought after by thousands.

Part 4 of this 100-miler series covered the history of 100-mile races held in America in the early 1900s before World War I. But during this period, there were 100-mile races held in other places around the world, especially in England. During the early 1900s a remarkable shift occurred. In the late 1800s, America was the home for ultra-distance walking competitions. But as pedestrian competitions fell out of favor and outlawed in the U.S., ultrawalking ceased for a time. The shift went back to the old country and 100-mile amateur walking competitions eventually became very popular in England.

On ultrarunninghistory.com, each article/episode takes about 30 hours of effort to research, write, script, edit, publish and publicize. Each month more there are more than 100,000 downloads of these history stories.

Help is needed to continue this effort. Please consider becoming a patreon member of ultrarunning history. You can become part of the effort to preserve and document this history by signing up to contribute a few dollars each month. Visit https://ultrarunninghistory.com/member

London to Brighton

More than 100 years ago, there are a few venues and courses that had a significant impact on the history of ultrarunning, 100-mile races, and endurance sports in general. These include Madison Square Garden in New York City, Agricultural Hall in London, and above them all, the London to Brighton route (52+ miles) in England.

For many decades, whether on foot, on bike, on horse, or in an automobile, the road to Brighton was the place to race, including 100 miles on foot. Eventually many ultrarunning legends would complete on the Brighton Road including Don Ritchie, Cavin Woodward, Ted Corbitt, Eleanor Robinson, Sandra Kiddy, Donna Hudson, Alastair Wood, Bruce Fordyce. Park Barner, Stu Mittleman, Jim King, Ruth Anderson, and Frank Bozanich. London to Brighton was traditionally a one-way race of 52-55 miles, but in the first half of 20th century, it was also used to compete 100 miles by walking or running a double London to Brighton.

Brighton Road

In the mid-1800s, the seafront affluent resort city of Brighton became very popular as the railroad was built from London about 52 miles away. Prior to that, people came by horse coaches that made the trip multiple times per day with ever-increasing speed.

Brighton was a city of the upper class and featured an Aquarium which opened in 1872. It included marine exhibits, a 100,000-gallon tank, sea lions, an octopus, and a distinctive clock tower and gateway. It was also the site for organ recitals, concerts, lectures, and exhibitions. Day trips to Brighton became popular and railroad speed records were boasted about for the route.

The road to Brighton was measured from the Big Ben clock tower north of Westminister Bridge in London to the Aquarium in Brighton. The clock tower was completed in 1859 and at the time was the largest and most accurate four-facing striking and chiming clock in the world. The tower stands 315 feet and is found on the north end of the Palace of Westminster. London to Brighton ran across River Thames on Westminster Bridge which was originally completed in 1750, and replaced in 1862, the oldest bridge still crossing the Thames.

The original course went through the towns of Croydon, Redhill, Horley, Crawley, and Cuckfield. Over the years the route competed increased in distance somewhat with the creation of modern roads and more towns to go through.

Early Cycling London to Brighton

Participants in the new sport of cycling started to ride along the route. This would soon prompt runners and walkers to also give it a try.

As early as 1869. John Mayall Jr. was the first person to reach Brighton from London by velocipede. He accomplished it in 12 hours, in time for dinner and then he attended the second half of a concert in the Grand Hall. Soon afterwards, C. A. Booth pressed harder to better the fastest known time to 9:30.

In 1870 T. Moon, “an expert bicyclist” set the first fastest known road cycling time on the route of 5:40. A few days later he accomplished a double Brighton Road, 104 miles in 15 hours. He stopped for breakfast, a lengthy lunch, and breaks for tea along the way. A couple years later, the Amateur Bicycle Club promoted a cycling race, which was won in 5 hours, 25 minutes.

Early London to Brighton on Foot

Traveling on Brighton Road on foot obviously occurred for centuries. In July 1803 Captain Robertson walked from Brighton to London and back in 45 hours, more than 100 miles, and repeated the feat in November of that year, covering the first 53 miles from Brighton to Westminster Bridge in 14 hours. In December 1825, a Mr. Tomlinson ran 9:50 from Brighton to London.

Racing on foot from London to Brighton started early, even before cycling races. The first known running race was conducted on January 30th, 1837, when two professional runners, John Townsend and Jack Berry competed. Townsend, 45, known as the “The Veteran” won in 8:37. Berry quit with four miles to go.

Years passed but more attention was given to pedestrian feats on the road when Benjamin Trench of Oxford University accomplished a sub-24-hour 100+-miler in 1868 by accomplishing a double. He walked from Kennington St. Mark’s Church to Brighton and back in 23 hours for a heavy wager.

In 1869, W. M. Chinnery and H. J. Chinnery, two well-known amateur runners, members of the London Athletic Club, walked London to Brighton in 11:25. It was written, “This feat is almost unparalleled in the recorded feats of modern amateur pedestrianism.”

By 1876, wagers began to influence accomplishments by foot on the famed road. Sir John Lynton was offered 1,000 guineas on a challenge to wheel a barrow from London to Brighton in 15 hours. He carried out the bumpy trip easily, wheeled a bamboo barrow with handles six feet long, and dressed in a “running costume.”

In 1878, P. J. Burt claimed the official fastest known time on foot with 10:52, using a starting point at the clock tower on the north side of Westminster Bridge (Big Ben) in London to the Aquarium in Brighton which turned into the standard start and stop point.

More matches took place. In 1885, C. L. O’Malley, an accomplished athlete, walked against a competitor and lowered the record by more than an hour. A barefoot competition was conducted on the Brighton road in 1882. The furthest competitor with bloodied feet, almost made it, but fainted in pain with four miles to go.

By 1897 large foot races were held from London to Brighton organized by the Polytechnic Harriers. That year there were 37 starters. The winner, Edward “Teddy” Knott, (later the founder of the Surrey Walking Club) finished in 8:56:44. At that time, he was credited as the first to cover the distance on foot in less than nine hours. “Go as you please” walking or running races began on the course in 1899 with 14 starters at Big Ben. The winning time was 6:58:18. In 1902, cyclists showed off, and demonstrated that they could ride the course to Brighton and back, 104 miles, in a shorter time than runners could do one trip. They succeeded in 5:50.

Horses and Automobiles

Even horses got into the game in 1888 when “Ginger” was driven at a trot to Brighton in 4:16:30. Automobiles started to compete along the route in 1896 as the speed limit on the road was increased to 14 mph. The race was called “The Emancipation Run” to celebrate the passing into law of the “Locomotives and Highways Act“ of 1895 which removed slow speed limits and abolished the requirement for these vehicles to be preceded by a man on foot waving flag. That year 33 motorist started from London and 17 arrived at Brighton. About 10,000 cyclists also joined in.

1902 London to Brighton and Back – 104 miles

The Surrey Walking Club was established in 1899 by Edward “Teddy” Knott (1859-1929) of Kensington, known as “the father of road walking.” Knott was an exceptional athlete excelling in boxing, swimming, running, and cycling. The club was the first athletics club in the United Kingdom that specialized in walking and accelerated the popularity of the sport. Members took part in racewalking events and country strolls. Their club headquarters was located at the “Swan and Sugar Loaf” in South Croydon, south of London, a popular refreshment stop on the Brighton Road. The landlord, John Brown was a generous supporter and host of the club.

The Surrey Walking club stepped into 100-miler history on October 31, 1902 when they held the first “London to Brighton and Back” walking competition, with a distance of about 104 miles. Instead of using the traditional starting point at Big Ben, the race started and ended at the club headquarters, about ten miles to the south, in South Croydon. With the different starting point, the route still covered the entire London to Brighton Course twice for 104 miles.

A crowd of several thousand people turned out to see the historic start. It was reported, “One of the most important affairs in road walking contests was the London to Brighton and back race of the Surrey Walking Club. Ten hardy ‘walkists’ turned out. The start took place at South Croydon, from whence the walkers had to pass by Westminster clock tower, thence to Brighton Aquarium and back the same route.” Jack Butler won, with an impressive time of 21:36:27. Two others finished in less than 24 hours, G. H. Schofield and W. J. Taylor.

Thus, a new 100-mile standard was set and more walkers in England wanted to demonstrate their abilities reaching 100 miles going from London to Brighton and back. A couple weeks after the initial race, L. Novelli, a hotel owner at Brighton wanted to prove that he could accomplish it in less than 24 hours. “Accompanied by an automobile and a couple of friends, the walkist started off at a brisk pace. Nothing of note happened until the pedestrian ran into a dense fog and the chauffeur had to go on in front and climb the finger posts to find out the way. This state of affairs continued for three miles, when on trying to jump out of the way of a passing auto, Novelli slipped on the roadside and fell.” He sprained his ankle but tried to walk it off. The fog grew worse, forcing him to stop for a while. He eventually made it to Brighton, four minutes over, in 24:04. The story about his attempt was published as far away as Canada and the United States.

1903 Stock Exchange London to Brighton

A historic race took place in May 1903 that truly brought “London to Brighton” into the public spotlight. Early in 1903, William Bramson, a member of the London Stock Exchange decided to try his own walk from London to Brighton. He accomplished it in 12:30. This sparked the idea of organizing a company-wide walk.

The Stock Exchange had been suffering through a slow economic time with poor morale. Company executives decided that a walk would help the situation. Entry into the 52-mile race was free, but monetary awards could be won. The press gave the event intense attention. Entrants started furiously training. Some people even employed professional trainers. Members were seen striding through the countryside roads on the weekends. Large wagers were made.

One reporter wrote, “Their refreshments, I am told, will consist chiefly of beef-tea and the like, stimulants only being employed to restore suspended animation. I am also given to understand that all the starters were to be sent off in one batch, presumably with their attendants mounted on bicycles in following at the distance of one yard.”

The race was held on May 1, 1903, (May Day, a bank holiday) with eighty-seven starters, who began from Big Ben at 6:34 a.m. Most of them were young stockbroker’s clerks.

“Half of London seemed to be abroad on foot or awheel to be present at the start. At a very low estimate there must have been 30,000 people in the immediate neighbourhood of Westminster, the bridge itself being covered with them as closely packed as they could stand. The 87 competitors went first, headed and surrounded by very necessary mounted police, who had a hard struggle to protect them from the admiring throng. The nine official cars followed in a long string, then the unattached motorists and last of all a confused mob of bicycles and pedestrians struggling forward in the rear.”

Advertisers took advantage of the situation and motored through the crowd with signs such as, “Why walk, when you can buy a bicycle for next to nothing?” Many refreshment vans also went through the crowd. The weather was good, but the road was muddy from a deluge the night before. “Crowds stood four to five deep upon the pavement the whole way to Kennington. At first the walkers kept fairly close together, with the exception of some few unfortunates who got swallowed up in the following throng.”

Every crossroad was alive with people all along the route. It seemed like a public festival was being held. Flags were put up across the road. “The remaining seven miles to the winning post became more and more of a popular ovation. Horsemen, motors, and innumerable cyclists poured out of Brighton in a continual stream to meet the on-comers.”

The finish line was located near the entrance to the Brighton Aquarium and the square was overflowing with people. A large police force tried to manage the crowd. A smart advertiser caused a false alarm as an imposter dressed in running clothes came down the road with a placard pasted on his back telling the crowd where to dine.

The true winner, E. F. Broad, struggled through the mob of admirers and reached the winning post in 9:30:01. Seventy-three finished within the 13-hour limit for the 52 miles. “Some of the men, especially among the later arrivals were terribly exhausted by their long task. One or two of them absolutely collapsed and had to be carried from the ground.”

This event truly started a walking craze on the road to Brighton and was a historic milestone event for the future of ultrarunning.

1903 London to Brighton and Back

On November 6, 1903 the double Brighton was again held, establishing a long 100-mile British tradition for decades. America noticed. “Road walking still continues to hold popular attention in and around London. Events given by the Surrey Walking Club are always productive of something rare, but this one recently from London to Brighton and back revealed the most astounding bit of road tramping ever seen in England and incidentally lowered the record by a big margin.”

The 1903 start was again located at South Croydon. The walkers started at 9:22 p.m. The leader, F. J. Wakefield, covered the course’s out-and-back to London’s Big Ben (21 miles) in 3:52. Thick fog was experienced at Southam Bottom. But after a little tea at the Temperance Hotel, the walkers forged ahead.

In the morning, a large crowd was gathered at the turnaround point at the Brighton Aquarium. Harry W. Horton, a member of the Herne Hill Harriers, arrived first followed 15 minutes later by Wakefield. The leaders time for the 100 km distance was 12:08. Horton, seeing how far he was in the lead, pushed on hard, reaching 76 miles in 14:50, and 94 miles in 18:23, well ahead of Butler’s course record. With just a mile to go, Horton was struggling, but a glass of champagne revived him. He finished the 104 miles in 20:31:53. A total of five walkers beat 24 hours.

Cyclist vs. Walker

A friendly rivalry existed on the Brighton Road between cyclists and bikers. In 1903, a “curious match” was put together on the road between a Mr. Bellingham (a walker) and a Mr. Young, a cyclist. Bellingham was to walk 41 miles from Croydon to Brighton while Young had to cycle from Brighton to London and back, 104 miles. Huge wagers were bet on the race. Both competitors were crewed by friends in automobiles.

Both started at the exact same time at 4:30 a.m. The two met near Horley, mile 15 for Bellingham and 28 for Young. They shouted friendly encouragement to each other. Young reached Big Ben, his halfway point in 3:35. He had fallen, hurt his arm, and had two flat tires along the way. He also had to battle automobile traffic. With five miles to go, Young on his bike overtook Bellingham, finishing his double Brighton in 6:48. Bellingham finished his 41 miles is 7:48. “The cyclist had thus traveled at a rate of over fifteen miles an hour and the walker at the good rate of over five miles an hour. It was a capital race and showed that people had accurate notions of the relative speeds of cycling and walking.”

Thomas Hammond

Thomas “Tommy” Edgar Hammond (1878-1945), was a London stockbroker. He was a tall lanky walker, more than six feet tall. He broke into prominence in the sport when he placed 3^rd at the inaugural Stock Exchange London to Brighton walk held in 1903. He continued to improve and the following year won the London to Brighton 52-mile version with a record time of 8:26:57. Hammond joined the Surrey Walking Club and became very involved in the sport. In 1907 he progressed to being recognized as a “world’s best” ultra-distance walker when he won London to Oxford (55 miles) in 8:51:14. His walking style was described as “a striking combination of ease and efficiency one could hardly imagine.”

The 1907 Double Brighton 100-miler

After a four-year absence, London to Brighton and Back was held again on June 21, 1907, with six competitors. Only members of the Surrey Walking Club were eligible for the race. Those who finished in under 22 hours would be awarded a gold medal, a gold centre for those 22-24 hours, and a silver medal for those 24-26 hours.

Hammond was the obvious favorite going into the race. Despite not being invited, a member of the Manchester Athletic Club, A. R. Edwards, ran the race “bandit” with his own staff of timers and “two automobiles full of edibles of all descriptions, including beef, chicken, eggs and jellies and liquor from champagne down to aerated waters and there was a spirit lamp too, to boil the kettle if it was wanted.” The other runners only had a solitary cyclist carrying refreshments for support.

The start was again at the “Swan and Sugar Loaf” at South Croydon. In the evening, at 9:04 p.m., after the word “Go” was yelled, Edwards jumped into the lead going at a great pace. “The course for nearly three miles was by tram lines, and the cars, automobiles and spectators who ran in front made the going difficult for the walkers.” Edwards was pressed hard by Bill Brown. After a mile Edward’s crew pleaded with him to back off, that the race was for 100 miles, not one mile. But he ignored them and kept “pegging away.” Brown and Edwards traded the lead for the first few miles.

“Nearing Westminster Bridge, the traffic was much congested, and when Big Ben came in sight, Brown’s lead had reduced considerably. The clock tower marked 10.5 miles of the journey.” Brown reached there at 1:35:24, Edwards at 1:23:55, and T. E. Hammond at 1:38:07. “As they reached the Canterbury Music Hall, Edwards dashed ahead and quickly took a big lead, and seemed to draw away from his opponents as every stride.”

Surrey walking team. Sitting middle, Tommy Hammond with Bill Brown to the right

At the 21-mile point Hammond finally took the lead and never looked back. Edwards did not worry and said, “He’ll have his bad time shortly. He’s a long way from home.” “Lamps were lighted as a few spots of rain came down. The moon was covered with a mist, and it looked as if the walkers were in for a drenching, but in a short time the weather cleared.” Others caught up to Edwards. After pushing forward in great pain he finally quit after being on the road for eight hours.

“The roads, although rough in places, were on the whole good, and a stiffish breeze tempered the rays of sun.” Hammond held to lead at 50 miles, reaching that point in 8:26. “Hammond put in some fine walking at this point, and although a strong wind blew against him his time was truly remarkable. Keeping up the pace, he swung around the official timekeeper at Brighton Aquarium (100 km) in 10:30:36.” He had a 90 minute lead on the others.

“Hammond started on the homeward tack. The going was frightful on account of the dust kicked up by automobiles and cyclists. At every mile Hammond increased his lead and with victory in sight he again reeled off more than five and a half miles to the hour. Hammond passed the winning post wonderfully fresh and well. He got a great ovation from the crowd present.”

Hammond finished the 100+ miles in 18:13:37, crushing the fastest known time. He reached the 100-mile mark at 17:25. It was called, “The most remarkable walking feat of this or any other generation.”

“The secrets of Hammond’s success are his perfectly natural style of walking. A pace of six miles an hour is to him apparently an ordinarily easy rate of progression. Standing 5 ft. 11 inches high and of comparatively slender build, Hammond gets a long stride without seeming to do in owing to his rapid leg movement. His age is still well on the right side of thirty, so further honours in the record-breaking way doubtless await him.”

1908 Middlesex Walking Club 24-hour race

On September 11, 1908, the Middlesex Walking Club’s 24-hour track walking race was held with 39 walkers at the White City Stadium in London, England. Judges were in place to make sure walking was enforced. It was thought to be the first 24-hour track race in 20^th century England. (There were others held earlier in America). Hammond again was the clear favorite. The race started at 5:10 p.m.

Bill Brown took the early lead walking the first mile in 8:26. “Hammond exercised great self-control in the matter of keeping down his pace in the early stages of the journey.” Jack Butler, also an elite walker who had held records also contended for the lead.

Finally at around the 50 km (31 miles) mark, Hammond took the lead with a time of 5:11:47. From that point he increased his lead over his opponents. He reached 50 miles in 8:36:31 with a mile lead and passed 100 miles at 18:08:50. He continued on with his strong swinging gait and won with an astonishing 131 miles which was a world’s walking best and he smashed other walking records along the way. (The professional record, running allowed, was held by Charles Rowell of England, with 150 miles set in 1882 at Madison Square Garden.)

At this race, Seventeen walkers achieved 100 miles in 24 hours or less.

“Those who knew best the record-breakers capabilities had predicted a remarkable performance and were not disappointed, as, although Hammond had more than one bad time, his superb courage and dogged determination enabled him to absolutely smash the then existing records.”

Tom Payne

Thomas Payne (1882-1966) was born in South Shields, Durham, England. His father was a laborer at the Iron Foundry. By 1901, at the age of 19, Tom was a professional violinist, playing in the orchestra of Newcastle theatre. He would walk 14 miles from his home in South Shields to work in order to save money. In 1906 he entered his first walking race, a 24-miler and finished in second place.

Payne was a small man, 5 feet, 4 inches and only 112 pounds. He said, “Nature did not bless me with either undue length of body or length of limb, nor strength out of the ordinary, yet by hard, continuous training, I was able to overcome and defeat opponents who were much better gifted than me as regards build and strength.”

Payne competed in more races and in 1907 started to win, beating established champions such as Jack Butler. Payne competed in the 1908 24-hour race in London and finished sixth with 108 miles, reaching 100 miles for the first time.

1909 Blackheath Harriers’ 24 Hours race

On September 17, 1909 another highly competitive 24-hour race was held at White City Stadium in London, England, open to all clubs. The entrant field was huge, with fifty walkers who started at 5 p.m. in perfect weather. Payne competed along with the previous year’s champion and world record holder, Thomas Hammond. Current and previous London to Brighton winners were also in the field. The early leaders included Jack Butler, Bill Brown, and A. R. Edwards.

During the third hour, H. V. L. Ross, the current London to Brighton champion and record holder put on a furious pace of more than seven mph and rapidly caught the leaders. “But he soon paid the penalty, for shortly before completing 25 miles he had to give up.” Butler and Hammond also dropped out early before 40 miles. “It was a curious coincidence that all of these competitors complained of cramp in the stomach.” The leader, J. Iles, reached 51 miles is record time but “had shot his bolt” and after the next lap retired for more than an hour. He twice tried to get going again but it didn’t work and he quit.

Brown took the lead and kept going at a steady gait. At twelve hours he reached 68 miels and was ahead of Hammond’s 1908 record pace. But Payne had the fastest pace on the track and during the 16^th hour took the lead.

Payne reached 100 miles in 18:08:55. He eventually won the race with 127 miles. An impressive 25 walkers reached 100 miles in less than 24 hours, the most in history up to that time in a single race.

In 1910 Payne went on to win a 12-hour race held at Stamford Bridge Ground, winning with a distance of 72 miles. It was thought to be a world record and perhaps was for a walking amateur. (The world best with running allowed was 87 miles established by Charlie Rowell of England in 1882, at Madison Square Garden.) Payne would later win the first two post-war London to Brighton races in 1919 and 1920.

Sadly in 1921 Payne performed a musical act where he burst through a large screen depicting the finish line at London to Brighton, dressed in a singlet and shorts, playing his violin. The AAA ruled that he broke amateur laws and he was suspended from amateur racing for the next ten years. Past his prime he did do some racing in the 1930s and kept it up further until he was 77 years old. He died at the age of 84 in 1968.

The 1911 Centurion Club

The Surrey Walking Club’s London to Brighton and back 100-miler expanded the popularization of reaching 100 miles within 24 hours in England. E. R. “Bob” Gillespie proposed that a society should be established to recognize the accomplishment. On May 11, 1911, at the Ship and Turtle public house in London, the “Brotherhood of Centurions” was established to recognize amateur walkers who had completed 100 miles in 24 hours.

James Edwin Fowler-Dixon who was present at the organization meeting was elected president, honored for his 100-mile walk in 1877. He was given the Centurion number of 1. Each Centurion received a number in order of the completion of the qualifying walk entered into the minute book. They tried to go back in history a few years and award those who were believed to have achieved the milestone in the 1900s. Many were missed who succeeded in the late 1800s and professionals were not eligible.

London to Brighton and Back legend, Tommy Hammond was appointed the first secretary/treasurer of the organization and was club captain for the next 36 years.

1912 London to Brighton and Back

The first race to qualify new members of the “Centurion Club” was the 1912 London to Brighton and back race held in September. A. C. St. Norman of South Africa entered. He had competed in the Olympic 10 km walking race (disqualified) and the Olympic marathon at the 1912 Olympic Games. There were only five walkers who started the 1912 Brighton double race. Three of them successfully qualified for the Centurions. “St. Norman showed fine judgement and he is evidently suited by a long journey on the road. After allowing the leaders to force the pace, he came up at the 38^th mile to lead.” At the 100 km turn-around in Brighton, with 12:17:12, he had a 23-minute lead. He went on to win by more than an hour over the others with a time of 21:18:45 and was the first new member of the Centurions since it had been established.

1914 London to Brighton and Back

The classic 100+ miler, the double Brighton was again held in 1914. The Surrey Walking Club finally decided to open up the race to non-members. “The Surrey Walking Club can certainly claim to be doing its best to further distance walking in as unselfish a manner as possible. For the first time in the sport’s history, every walker an opportunity of testing his ability at the double journey without the necessity of previously becoming enrolled as a member.” The 1914 race was won by E. F. Broad in 19:57:57 with the second best time ever and won the “Hammond-Neville Trophy.” This was the same man who one the first Stock Exchange London to Brighton walk in 1903. A veteran’s division was held for those 45 and older. George Hesketh of Manchester Walking Club, age 48 won with 23:41:28.

1921, 1926, and 1929 London to Brighton and Back

The London to Brighton and Back was not staged post-World War I until 1921. “Races over the double journey are not so frequent.” But there was plenty of interest in its return. Veteran, Tommy Payne took the lead until the 100 km mark at the turnaround in Brighton. The heat crushed him and he dropped out. Edgar C. Horton took that lead at that point and went on to win in 19:50:41. There were only two other finishers. Nine had dropped out along the way.

W. Baker was an engineer who worked nights and had very recently taken up walking. He had an accident while cycling, and after recovering from a broken leg decided to instead take up walking. He joined the Queens Park Harriers Club.

In 1926, Baker won London to Brighton and Back in 18:05:51, setting a new course record, breaking Hammond’s record that stood for twenty years. Horton placed second. Baker reached 100 miles in 17:27:15.

For the 1929 edition, twenty-five walkers started. Baker went out fast and had the early lead at Big Ben (10 miles). He held onto that lead and won again with a time of 18:38:07, the third fastest time ever. He was “somewhat distressed” at the finish but recovered. Fourteen others reach 100 miles in under 24 hours and qualified as Centurions.

London to Brighton and Back was held again a few more time in the next decades and held for the last time in 1967. A total of 19 London to Brighton and Back races had been held since 1902. A majority of the early British Centurions became members by virtue of completing this event, By 1930 there were 89 British Centurions and there were 302 by 1959. Yes, reaching 100 miles in less than 24 hours was alive and active during the first half of the 20^th century, a historical fact that has been largely ignored or lost by the modern ultrarunner. For those keeping count, there were likely at least 500 individuals who had accomplished 100 miles in less than 24 hours by the time the Great Depression arrived.

In 1951, the London to Brighton running race was established by the Road Runners Club (RRC). By 1953 the race got the attention of leading long distances runners from other areas of the world including America. Ultrarunning would largely be reestablished in America after World War II because long-distance runners, including Ted Corbitt wanted to run London to Brighton. The London to Brighton race, including its 100-mile version has a hallowed place in ultrarunning history. It was discontinued in 2005 because of increased road traffic and difficulties finding enough volunteers.

The parts of this 100-mile series:

Sources:

150th Anniversary of the First London to Brighton Bike Ride
The London to Brighton Bike Ride
History of the London to Brighton
Sandra Brown, Unbroken Contact: One Hundred Years of Walking with Surrey Walking Club
Belfast News-Letter (Northern, Ireland), Mar 16-1869
Charles G. Harper, The Brighton Road: The Classic Highway to the South
The Pittsburgh Press (Pennsylvania), Nov 23, 1902
The Times (London, England), Nov 1, 1902, Sep 14, 1908
The Gazette (Montreal, Canada), Dec 1, 1902
The Fall River Daily Herald (Massachusetts), Dec 1, 1902
The Guardian (London, England), May 2, 1903, Jun 5, 1903, Jun 24, 1907, Sep 14, 1908, Jun 21, 1926, Jun 22, 24, 1929
The Sun (New York City), July 21, 1907
The Observer (London, England), Jun 23, 1907, Sep 19, 1909, Sep 1, 1912, Jun 23, 1929
1908 Thomas Hammond, the Record Walker
Surrey Walking Club Gazette (No, 3, Vol I, 1908)
E. (Tommy) Hammond, “World’s Best”
The Gazette (Montreal, Canada), Sep 6, 1909, Jul 5, 1912, Jul 16, 1921
The Centurions Walking Club
Centurions History
List of British Centurions 1911
Surrey Walking Club Handbook
Stock Exchange Athletic Club History
The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News, Jun 29, 1907
Tom Payne – Walker and Musician Extraordinaire
Tom Payne: The World-Famous Musician-Athlete
79^th Walk London to Brighton Centenary Race
The Boston Globe (Massachusetts), Aug 3, 1914
The Province (Vancouver, Canada), Sep 15, 1929

58: The 100-miler – Part 5 (1902-1926) London to Brighton and Back

By Davy Crockett

Leave a Reply