Last night I watched The Real Chariots of Fire, with Nigel Havers waxing lyrically about Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. Not the most taxing of viewing (you can see it again on STV Player), but it did prompt me to look out this programme from 1925, the SAAA annual championship at Hampden Park, where Liddell ran his last race.
It was a day of extraordinary performances. The programme opened with him winning his heat in the 100 yards, followed almost immediately by a record-equalling ten second time in the final. Next came the 220 yards, with a walkover in his heat and a winning time of 22 1/5 seconds in the final. In the 440 yards, his third cup of the day, breasting the tape in 49 1/5 seconds. And to round off the day, he ran the final leg of the one mile relay for the Edinburgh University team, another victory. Four races, four victories.
Two days later, Liddell left Edinburgh for the first leg of his journey to China, and never returned.
Postscript: it has been pointed out to me that Liddell continued running (and setting records) in China, so this was his last race in the UK.
It was a day of extraordinary performances. The programme opened with him winning his heat in the 100 yards, followed almost immediately by a record-equalling ten second time in the final. Next came the 220 yards, with a walkover in his heat and a winning time of 22 1/5 seconds in the final. In the 440 yards, his third cup of the day, breasting the tape in 49 1/5 seconds. And to round off the day, he ran the final leg of the one mile relay for the Edinburgh University team, another victory. Four races, four victories.
Two days later, Liddell left Edinburgh for the first leg of his journey to China, and never returned.
Postscript: it has been pointed out to me that Liddell continued running (and setting records) in China, so this was his last race in the UK.
 |  |
RSS Feed