This Day in Track & Field–October 26
1941–Italy’s Adolfo Consolini threw the Discus 175-0 (53.34) in Milan to break the 4-month old World Record of
174-8 3/4 (53.25) that was set by American Archie Harris. He would set two more World Records during his career, win 15 Italian titles, and compete in 4 Olympics, winning the gold medal in 1948 and silver in 1952. At the 1960 Games in Rome, at the age of 43, he recited the Athlete’s Oath at the Opening Ceremony before finishing 17th in the discus.
WR Progression: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men%27s_discus_throw_world_record_progression
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/71922
Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_Consolini
1969—Ted Corbitt sets an American 100 Mile Track Record (From his son Gary)
On October 25 – 26, 1969, Ted Corbitt set an American Record for running 100 miles on the track. His time was 13:33:06 at age 50.
*The race was held at Walton-on-Thames in England.
*This race was 4 weeks after his 2nd place London-to-Brighton 52.5-mile effort
*Ted Corbitt finished 3rd in this race. The winner, Great Britain’s John Tarrant, set a World Record 12:31:10.
*The previous American Record held by an amateur was James Saunders February 21, 1882 at the American Institute Ring, New York indoors. His time was 17:36:14.
Ted Corbitt, a member of the National Hall of Fame, wrote the following about the race in a lengthy article that appeared in the December 1969 issue of Long Distance Log titled “The RRC Invitational 100 Mile Track Race for the Percy Cerutty Cup” here’s an excerpt:
“My 5-mile segments times through 50 miles were: 36:00, 1:12:07, 1:47:59, 2:24:26, 3:01:09, 3:38:02, 4:14:45, 4:52:49, 5:32:10 and 6:13:22 leaving me in 4 th place.
Fatigue manifestations will hit each man according to the way his body responds to the stress of running. Outwardly it is obvious that each runner gradually slows up. In this sense, fatigue is sneaky in such a race where breathlessness is not provoked to any great degree.
In my own fight to finish 100 miles, somewhere past 50 miles I became aware of a strange feeling encircling my knees, not pain but fatigued produced discomfort, a “beaten up” feeling. By 70 miles I had rubbed a lot of skin off the inner side of my thighs especially on the left side: due to friction of my shorts. This could have stopped me, but the alert refreshment team headed by Mrs. Peter Goodsell, who used to serve as…
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