Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service (wmurphy25@aol.com), used with permission.
This Day in Track & Field–May 26
1899–Penn’s Alvin Kraenzlein, who had transferred from Wisconsin after the 1897 season, set World Records of 24-4 ¼ (7.42) and 24-4 ½ (7.43) in the Long Jump at the IC4A Championships at Manhattan Field in NY City.
Known as the “father of the modern hurdling technique”, Kraenzlein won three IC4A titles in the 120y-Hurdles (1898-1900). He would win 4 individual gold medals at the 1900 Olympics-60m, 110-hurdles, 200-Hurdles, Long Jump. He’s a charter member of the National Hall of Fame.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Kraenzlein
1912-Abel Kiviat ran 3:59-1/5 at Celtic Park on NY’s Long Island to set a World Record for 1500-Meters. 2nd in the race was Mel Sheppard (4:01.2-estimated), the 1908 Olympic champion at 800 and 1500-Meters.
Sheppard, the last American to win the Olympic 1500 before Matthew Centrowitz won in 2016, would win the silver medal in the 800 at the Stockholm Olympics later in the year, while Kiviat won silver in the 1500.
Both men are members of the National Hall of Fame.
1925–Paavo Nurmi closes out his 55-race tour of the U.S.–loses to Allan Helffrich in a 1/2-mile race in Yankee Stadium. Helffrich would win his 3rd U.S. 880y title later in the year and was a gold medalist in the 4×400 relay at the 1924 Olympics.
From Time Magazine: “Two days later. Nurmi eluded a group of giggling women who desired to osculate his drawn cheek, waved farewell to a swarming pier-load of yelling Finnish-Americans, had his last pictures taken by U. S. cameramen, departed for Finland. On the same day, in answer to those scandal mongers who have averred that he padded his expense account, a list of his expenditures was published. He, who had been offered a professional contract of $3,000 a week, $60,000 by advertisers who wanted his endorsement, lived for six months on $1,190.”
1951-Seton Hall’s Andy Stanfield ran 20.6 at the IC4A Championships at Franklin Field in Philadelphia to set the first IAAF-ratified World Record for 220-yards on a turn.
The New Jersey native won a total of 8 IC4A sprint titles (Indoor 60y/1949-1951, 100y/1949-51, 220y/1949,1951) and went on to win Olympic gold in the 200 and 4×100 in 1952 and silver in the 200 in 1956.
1956-Jim Lea ran 45.8 for 440-yards at the California Relays in Modesto to break Herb McKenley’s 9-year old World Record of 46.0. (The record for 400-meters at the time was…
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