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Thanks to Andy Milroy and Ian Cornelious

1858 Allen McKean accomplished 1000 miles in 1000 hours at Ballarat.

1878 Edwards walked 111 miles in 21 hours at Bathurst. [Could be 24 hours - poor copy]

1881 120.75 miles by Clifford in 24 Hours in Adelaide. Go As You Please*

1882 506.5 miles by Clifford in 6 days at Geelong [elsewhere shown as 506 miles 16 laps - which suggests 32 laps to the mile!]

*GAYP = walking or running as desired.

Walking

1880

113.5 miles W.Baker {NSW} 24 hours

Baker beat Taylor in a 24 hour match `easily' [different event.]

1881

50 miles Rayner 8 hours 44 minutes 26 seconds.

112 miles in 24 hours Hagarty NZL

50 mile match J. Assenheim beat Weanor .

48 Hour match W. Swan beat W. Edwards for a £200 prize.

1882

J.Assenheim won a 48 hour match doing 174 miles in Sydney

Edwards won a 6 day tournament with 432 miles in Melbourne

Assenheim beat Wright £30 to £20 in a 12 hour match NSW

Miss Phillips beat Mrs Wallace in 6 days doing 281 miles for a £200 prize

W. Swan beat Miss Phillips, giving her 30 miles start, in a six days go as you please , 12 hours a day - 321 miles 6 laps to her 321 miles.

1883

W. Edwards beat Daniel O'Leary in a six day match for £400 in Sydney.

W.Edwards beats three men in 6 days match, doing 472 miles in New Zealand

5 October 1883 Scott NZL beat Edwards in a 24 hour match by 7 miles at Wellington, NZL

Scott beat Edwards in a 48 hour match by 1.5 miles, covering 192.5 miles.

This is probably just the highlights of the pedestrian scene in Australia in the 1880s. If the leading newspapers have an index, then checking up, using these as markers, should not be difficult.

Australian Etiquette - Appendix D Pages 612-619 People's PublishingMelbourne 1885

A facsimile copy was published by J.M.Dent Melbourne 1980

Feb 1879 W. Edwards 110 miles in 23hrs 54 min at Melbourne Cricket Gd,

6 day race at the Hippodrome, Melbourne - ending 4th Dec 1880. Baker

[Sydney] 307 m 1 lap, Swan [NZL] 306m 10 laps, Seymour [NSW] 286m 3 laps

48 hours at the Exhibition Grds, Adelaide 2-4 Dec 1880 Edwards 172m 2 laps

8/9 Sep 1882 J. C. Williams (AUS) walked 100 miles in 22:32:53 and 110 miles in 25:01:02 at Sayers Court, Deptford, London, ENG at close on 50 years of age.

Week ending Mar 19 1883 Alfred Park, Sydney 6 day walk W.Edwards 373.5 miles, Daniel O'Leary USA 350.5 miles [totally unfit]

1884 A veteran ped, C. Williams, 54, is alleged to have recently walked 1500 miles in 1060 hours in Sydney, Australia under most disadvantageous circumstances, flooded out of his tent 3 times and walking for days on a sloppy track, 42 laps to the mile. Somtimes takes as much as 6 quarts of Ale per day, and latterly one bottle of rum per day.

In the NZ Runner in 1979 there was an article New Zealand's First World Champion Athlete - Joe Scott and the Era of Pedestrianism by Scott A.G.M. Crawford.

From this:

June 1887 6 day in Melbourne June 1887 Raynor just held off Hackford to win by one mile - 365 miles to 364.

May 1887 `the famous Scott and Captain Cotton, whose fine performance of 100 miles in 23 hours attracted so much attention in New Zealand" were matched, Cotton to be given a 10 mile start. Match to begin 27th May at the Tuam Street Hall..

Weather seems to have postponed the match until June. Cotton won 119 miles to Scott's 117 miles, Scott making up 8 of the 10 miles handicap.

In a re-match in the Garrison Hall, Dunedin, Scott covered 109 miles, and had made up 10.5 miles on an unfit Cotton.

In 1888 Scott appears in England, where in 72 hours - 14-19 May - he

covered 363 miles 1510 yards winning by 26 miles. This was apparently a new world record, the former record was 333 miles set in the USA. There is a photograph of Joe Scott and apparently the silver belt he won in the Early Settlers Museum in Dunedin. Joe Scott was 25 at the time of his 72 hour victory. The photo shows him with hair slicked back and a heavy, pointed moustache.

In a Six day two man team race 9-14 Feb 1902 an Australian team of Matthew Diehl and August T. Horst entered. On the 10th Horst, after putting up a good fight to remain in the race with a bad ankle and badly blistered foot, fainted on the track and had to be carried tohis dressing room. His partner Diehl took over at once, but since each runner had to run for a total of 12 hours each day, they did not figure among the leading performers from then on.

Almost certainly Alf Robinson 1931 Syd-Melb. 563m Hume Highway run would have been inspired by the reports of the Trans-Continentals in 1928 and 29 - and perhaps of McNamara and Hedeman.

These marks come form the Road Runners Club newsletter

26 May 1968 George Perdon's splits in his 60 mile Portsea to Melcbourne run:

40 miles - 4:17:42, 50 miles - 5:22:55

Ultra Races

1973 Adelaide 60km track Alan Gibson 4:20:15 [60th anniversary of Adelaide Harriers or AC]

1975 Tom Gillis 50 miles 6:21:11 only finisher Penrith to Richmond road

1976 First ultra in Western Australia 40 miles Mundaring to York Brian Marland 4:02:45

1976 Tom Gillis 50 miles 6:06:44

1/Oct/78 Sydney H. Dearnley 5:38:37

26/May 1979 100 miles track Cherrywood Village, NSW Do Keyssecker 16:09:48

1980 50 miles Melbourne University Track Ian Rands 5:49:21, George Perdon 5:55:21.

Solo

Point Lonsdale to Portsea 135 miles Bob Bruner 20:23

Best,

Andy

Incidentally the book records that in 1961 Arthur Lydiard had insisted that Barry Magee run in the two man relay from Auckland to Hamilton 82 miles. He wanted Barry to be a marathon runner. Magee was subsequently an Olympic medalist in the marathon. Lydiard's influence can be clearly seen in the book.

From : Tear along the dotted line by Roger Alcorn

15 April 1978 GILLIS 5:44:32 2, KEYSSECKER 5:51:30 3

New Brighton 50 miles. Merv Austin 1st 5:36:10

4 Nov 1978 Keyssecker 7:42:33 3 Port Hills 100km

4 Nov 1978 Gillis 8:02:29 4

Port Hills 100km

Roger Alcorn won in 7:16:33

31 March 1979 Gillis 5:37:02 1 Keyssecker 4 5:51:00 New Brighton

1980 Inaugural Sydney to Wollongong 84 km Wayne Rouse NZ 5:53:11

28 Aug 1980 Keyssecker [Sydney] 2

Christchurch 100km track

25 Oct 1980 Gillis 1 7:42:36

Port Hills 100km

4 Apr 1981 Gillis [Sydney] 1 5:33:26

New Brighton 50 miles

24 Oct 1981 Keith Swift [Sydney] 7:46:43 1

Port Hills 100km

28 Aug 1982 Tom Gillis 7:55:21 2

Christchurch 100km track

However, I have found another article on Joe Scott.

In 1877 WILLIAM Edwards visited Dunedin and walked 100 miles in 24 hours. Scott then walked 100 miles in 23h53m Edwards then challenged Scott, but lost races over 60, 20 and 7 miles. Scott was born 3rd June 1863 and was only FOURTEEN or so years old, and was less than 5 feet/1.52 metres tall even when a fully grown adult! He was then to beat Edwards in the New Zealand 100 miles championships.

In 1886 he won the Australian 100 miles title beating C. Harriman. This is almost certainly Charles A. Harriman, a former top US pedestrian, who was at his most competitive up until 1881 or so. The article was published in Contact in Dec 1995 - I assume Contact is a Walking magazine or newsletter.and written by Joseph Romanos. Dudley Harris, the NZ walking writer may be the source.

I have just found one of his letters. He found an M.J.McNamara who competed in Sydney as a walker and runner in the early 1920s - but it was not clear if this was `our' Mike McNamara.

The first ladies 24 hour was held in Sydney in 1879. There were 8 starters, including reputedly competitors from France. The race was won by a Madame Ozelle with 76.25 miles, from Miss Goodwin 72.75 miles and Miss Wallace 41.25. There was also mentioned a Miss Douglass, which is a different spelling from the earlier pedestrian who competed at the Alhambara.

I sent the Australian material to Peter Lovesey who is an expert on the period - and wrote the thriller `Wobble to Death' set in a Victorian 6 day race. He has come up with the following marks.

17.09.64 Madame Douglas "undersized lady from the Diggings" has been stopped at the Alhambra from continuing her 1000m in 1000hrs by the lessee. Litigation involved.

18.09.1871 Brisbane Courier mentioned a large crowd at the walking match between two Brisbane residents from the city to Sandgate, the winner doing 4 1/2 hours.

Sept 1878. Edwards attempted 110 miles in 24hrs, but managed only 102miles 2 laps in the Guildhall, Castlereagh Street (Sydney?). Lap was only 73y 1ft.

1879 First ladies 24 hours was at Exhibition Building, NSW (presumably Sydney) 19/20 Dec

Percy Wells Cerutty (1895-1975)

Record of Ultra-Distances – All efforts beyond marathon distance (measured, against clock)

Source: Up the back of Percy’s own night school exercise book, recording in precise detail every competitive race in his life from 1914 ...

“Trial 100m. 24 hrs

23.11.45

From Cann River to Orbost (55m) to Lakes Entrance and 8 beyond

23hrs 45 min”

(See book for details in news clipping of the day)

Trial 30 mile

29.12.45

(Percy has here continued on from marathon distance up to the 30 mile).

Marathon in 3hrs 2min 20sec.

30m in 3hr 34min 6sec.”

Run around circuit at Albert Park, Melbourne.

“Portsea-Melbourne 60 MILER

23/11/46

8hrs 28min

“Remarks: 50m. 7hr 00min 15sec”

50 mile attempt 17.10.47 – “Actually failed at 22m. Completed 26m”

Second source: another exercise book titled: “Malvern Harriers Distance Handicaps 1942-46 and other records”

Percy records world record for the 30 mile by Fred Howe in 2:48.6 (“checked”)

No date – no other details.

He records a VMC (Victorian Marathon Club) 50 miler, Melbourne-Geelong 25/8/63

1. Geoff Watt, 5hrs 37: 39.8

2. Bill Stacey 5hrs 42: 45.2

3. Jim Crawford 6.12.18

4. Dennis Vinall (??) 6.54.43.6

5. Keith Brid (??) 7.03:51.8

11 starters

(Note: Stacey confirms this run in interview with author)

Separate page (Percy eyeing ultra distance records)

1. Alf Robinson Syd-Melb. 563m Hume Highway

12 days 13hrs 43mins – 1931

Best single day 61 miles 0ver 41 miles per day

Syd-Melb 557 miles 11 days 23hrs 25min. Brian Pilbeam May 1967

Over 46 ½ m.p.d

(Percy planning to better this record in 1965, at age 70 – but never eventuated)

________________________________________________________

Another note:

“Claimed world record John Macy USA 50m 5:29. Feb ‘63”

Clipping in book

EXTRA LONG RUN

Houston (Texas)

John Macy claimed a world record 50-mile run of 5hrs 29min today. He was paced by Australians Laurie Elliott and Alan Irwin. – AAP

**Note – Laurie is Herb’s brother. Feel that Percy is “claiming” this record because of his association with Laurie.

____________________________________________________________

Another loose note written on envelope:

“Consider Melbourne-Sydney run during 1964. Requires better than over 45m per day. Have to beat 12 days. Requires 51m per day.