Thursday, December 31, 2020

First 100 mile race in Australia - Tasmania 1840

 Australia’s First Plus 100 Mile Race - Tasmania in 1840 – by Phil Essam The first recorded 100 mile plus race between two or more competitors in Australia can be traced early 1840 when Launceston Surveyor, Felix Wakefield and Launceston Solicitor, Edmund Stillwell raced from Launceston to David Solomon’s property over 60 miles away and return . The race took over forty hours and fifteen minutes with ten hours and eight minutes being deducted for a break.

It is not known what led to this race occurring, but it appeared that Wakefield was struggling with his Surveying work at that time and Had taken up gambling to make ends meet. Not much was known of Stillwell at the time, from my research he was appearing to be a fairly busy Solicitor with the work he was getting at the time. Perhaps they met in a Public House where Wakefield was boasting on what he could achieve and Stillwell thought he could beat him.

The race commenced at 3am on the Monday morning from Launceston and it was quite good to see the accurate timing for the stops on the way along the Midlands. The half way point was at David Solomon’s property and was reached in just over 20 hours. Stillwell retired from the race at Thornhills which is about the 100 mile mark and Wakefield went on to finish the effort in just over 40 hours and 15 minutes to a packed crowd waiting for him at the finish line.
It is not known how much money exchanged hands for this effort, but it is believed that another race was held a week later as Stillwell was not happy with the result and the same result was to occur with Wakefield winning in a very similar time and Stillwell withdrawing before the end. 100 pounds was exchanged over the result of this match. Betting and gambling was to become a familiar theme in Australian Pedestrian History.
What became of Wakefield and Stillwell ? Felix Wakefield was to leave Tasmania a few years later in disgrace and return to England before having his passage paid to New Zealand and it is believed that Stillwell became a pastoralist in Tasmania and passed away about two decades later.
Even though the walking rate was comparatively slow even for established pedestrian results of the time ( in England and America), these two are credited for staging the first known Ultra race on Australian soil


soil which was plus 100 miles as well.

Melbourne 50 mile track Fun Run - 1980

 



NSW 50 mile road race- 1978

 


NSW 50 mile road race- 1979

 


NSW 50 mile road race- 1977

 


NSW 50 mile road race - 1976

 


NSW 50 mile road race - 1975

 


NSW 50 mile Track race - 1971


 

Hurstville Oval!



50mile effort - Launceston . 1847

 Hurstville Oval




Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Victorian 50 mile Track and Road races - 1985

 





Victorian 50 mile Track race - 1988

 


Victorian 50mile road race - 1988

 


48hr race reporting - Brisbane 1990

 


50 mile Dance - Geelong 1928

 


World 50km rankings - 1986

 


Australian 48hr Track Rankings - March 1994

 




Pedestrian Snippets - July 1859

 


48hr Pedestrian Tournament - Sydney - 1879

 


40 Mile Walk in Van Diemens Land ( Tasmania ) - 1839

 


I believe this is the same Mr Gregson who later became a Premier of Tasmania!

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

1000 Miles in 1000 hours - March 1859

 


6 Day race in Melbourne - June 1888

 


Brisbane to Adelaide in 31 days - 1934

 


Go as you please tournament - December 1880

 


Melbourne Pedestrian Tournament Update - August 1883

 Edwards and OLeary do battle!




American Pedestrian in Sydney - March 1859


 

Female Pedestrian Tournament in Sydney - October 1881

 


Sydney 48hr race - November 1879