George Seward : America's first great runner / Edward S. Sears.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sears, Edward S. (Edward Seldon), 1943-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Seward, George, 1817-1883.

Seward, George.

Runners (Sports)--United States--Biography.

Runners (Sports).

United States.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xii, 229 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2008.

Summary:

On September 30, 1844, in Hammersmith, England, American George Seward ran 100 yards in 9 1/4 seconds, setting a record. This performance helped establish Seward as the most famous athlete in the world, and his feat remained unsurpassed for almost ninety years. However, in 1889, forty-five years after the run and six years after his death, Seward's achievement was declared invalid based on a doubtful eyewitness account of the race. Though this dubious version might have been fabricated to discredit Seward's record-because no runners of the time could approach it-the damage was done. After his record was invalidated, Seward fell into obscurity and within a few years became nearly forgotten.

In George Seward: America's First Great Runner, Edward S. Sears seeks to restore Seward's standing among the greats of track and field. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1817, George was late in getting started as a runner. His first recorded race did not occur until 1838 when he was twenty-one years old. Opportunities for a New England sprinter in the early 1840s were limited. There were no amateur sports in America and just a few professional footraces, so Seward engaged in wagers to display his skills. Within a few years, he established himself as a runner to beat, both in the States and across the Atlantic. Sears re-creates many of the races Seward undertook, not only with fellow runners but against men on bicycles and even horses.

Although this book concentrates on Seward, it also covers the history of professional sprinting from the early 1800s to the present. Sears illuminates the formative years of track and field, both in America and England, and much about the Victorian era of sports is covered here, including an emphasis on betting. More than the triumphs and misfortunes of a great athlete, this book examines the adoration of sports celebrities and the struggle between amateur and professional athletics. George Seward is a fascinating profile of an American sports original and should be of interest to not only runners but fans of all sports, as well as general readers.

Contents:

Chapter 1 The American Wonder's Last Race (1866) 1

Chapter 2 The Emergence of America's First Great Runner (1817-1843) 5

Chapter 3 Champion of England and America (1844-1845) 15

Chapter 4 The Seward-Jackson American Tour (1845-1846) 47

Chapter 5 George Seward in His Prime (1847-1848) 77

Chapter 6 Merely the Shadow of His Former Self (1849-1852) 99

Chapter 7 Sinking into Oblivion (1852-1883) 125

Chapter 8 The Fastest Runner the World Has Ever Seen? (1884-1905) 147

Chapter 9 The Seward Legacy 163

Chapter 10 A Brief History of Professional Sprinting 171

Appendix Known Performances of George Seward 203.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 213-215) and index.

ISBN:

9780810861336

081086133X

OCLC:

185095494