Fred Appleby

Frederick "Fred" Appleby (30 October 1879 – 7 April 1956)[1] was a British long-distance runner. In 1902 Appleby set a world record for 15 miles and twice defeated the leading distance runner of the time, Alfred Shrubb. Appleby competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics as a marathoner, but failed to finish.

Career

Appleby had a number of top six finishes at the AAA (British) championships between 1900 and 1902, placing runner-up to defending champion Alfred Shrubb over 4 miles (6.44 km) in 1902.[1]

Appleby twice defeated Shrubb over 15 miles (24.14 km) that year.[1] The first of these races was held at Fallowfield on 19 April;[2] the field also included twelve other runners, including Albert Aldridge, who went on to win the British 10 mile championship in 1905 and 1906.[2][3] Shrubb was the world's best distance runner at the time,[4] and although he was better at shorter distances,[4] he still started the race as the favorite.[2] Shrubb did build a large lead early on, while Appleby started slow; however, he moved steadily up the field, catching and passing Shrubb, who had problems with his right leg, with one mile to go. Appleby won the race in 1:22:41, ahead of Aldridge, who also passed Shrubb in the final stages.[2]

The second race was held at Stamford Bridge on 21 July and ended in another victory for Appleby, whose time of 1:20:04.6 broke both Sid Thomas's amateur world record of 1:22:15.4 and William Howitt's professional record of 1:22:00.[5][6] This time Appleby led most of the way; Shrubb stayed with him until the last lap, and although he eventually lost by 11 seconds he was also well under the previous records.[5][7][8] Appleby's splits at 13 miles and 14 miles were also world records,[1][5] and his split at 12.5 miles (20.12 km) was a best both for that distance and the shorter 20 000 metres.[1][5][6]

After 1902 Appleby concentrated on his career as a dentist, although he continued competing in cross-country races.[9] He was selected for Britain's twelve-man marathon contingent for the 1908 Summer Olympics; the reasons for his selection are unclear, as he did compete in the main tryout race but failed to finish.[9] In the Olympic marathon he dropped out around 19 miles while among the leaders, having problems with his feet.[1][10]

Appleby briefly became a professional runner in 1909, running several races on the North American professional circuit.[1][9] He twice faced Paul Acoose, an upcoming Native Canadian runner, over 15 miles;[11] Acoose won the first race by a lap, running 1:22:22, an indoor world record for the distance,[11][12] while Appleby won the rematch after tacks were thrown on the track.[11][13] Appleby, with his thick rubber-soled shoes, was not inconvenienced by the tacks, while Acoose, who had been in the lead, used moccasins that they easily penetrated; he was forced to quit.[13] Gamblers backing Appleby were suspected, and all bets on the race were eventually declared void.[14]

Appleby represented the London club of Herne Hill Harriers.[1][9] He returned to dentistry after his short professional running career.[1][9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Fred Appleby Bio, Stats and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "A Sensational Race". The Star. 16 June 1902. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  3. ↑ "British Athletics Championships 1876-1914". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 Jukola, Martti (1935). Huippu-urheilun historia (in Finnish). Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Athletics". New Zealand Herald. 13 September 1902. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  6. 1 2 "World Record Progressions- Track". Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "Pedestrianism. New World's Records". The Mercury. 18 February 1911. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "Records Expected". The Winnipeg Tribune. 6 May 1911. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "The true value of the British runners in the 1908 Olympic marathon – selected on merit or influence?". Track Stats. August 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  10. ↑ Cook, Theodore Andrea (1908). The Fourth Olympiad: Being The Official Report. The British Olympic Association.
  11. 1 2 3 Warick, Jason (27 March 2010). "Paul Acoose". The StarPhoenix. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "Great Indian Runner In City" (PDF). Victoria Daily Colonist. 14 September 1909. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Tacks Thrown On Track". The Montreal Gazette. 25 May 1909. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "All Race Bets Declared Off". The Winnipeg Tribune. 25 May 1909. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
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