Len Hurst
| Len Hurst | |
|---|---|
Len Hurst wins 1896 Paris Marathon. Depicted on the front page of Le Petit Journal, 2 August 1896.
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| Born |
28 December 1871 Kent, |
| Died |
22 November 1937 (aged 65) Kent |
| Cause of death | Cirrhosis of the liver |
| Residence | Kent |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Brick-maker, Athlete |
| Known for | 1896, 1900, 1901 – Paris marathon winner, 1901 – 25-mile World Champion, 1903 – 25-mile World record, 1900 – (probable) 50 km world record. |
Len Hurst (28 December 1871 – 22 November 1937) was renowned as a British long-distance athlete, both running and pedestrianism, although he started life as a brick-maker, and spent his last 29 years as a pub landlord.
Hurst won his first adult race in 1887 at the age of 15, whereby the prize of £10 qualified him as 'professional'. In 1896 he won the inaugural Paris Marathon and went on to repeat the victory in both 1900 and 1901.
In 1901 he won the professional 25-mile (40 km) world championships in London, and in 1903 he broke the world 25-mile (40 km) record.
Len Hurst was born in Kent, England, where he trained as a brick-maker. Hurst won his first adult race in 1887 at the age of 15. The prize of £10 for the 6 km (3.7 mi) race qualified him as 'professional'. At the beginning of his career, Hurst ran shorter races; however, switching to longer distances in 1893, Hurst covered 294 km (183 mi) during a four-day event.
His brother Joe was also a runner, finishing sixth in the 1896 Paris Marathon and acting as team-mate with Len in the English team at the Madison Square Garden Six Day Walk in 1902. The New York Times reported both Len and Joe as residents of Edmonton, London in 1902.
On 18 July 1896 the inaugural Paris Marathon was organised by Pierre Giffard on behalf of Le Petit Journal. The event followed on from the success of the marathon in the 1896 inaugural Olympics in Athens. Giffard started the race before a large crowd at Porte Maillot, and it followed a course to Versailles and finished in front of 2,000 spectators on the bridge over the river Seine in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, an approximate distance of 40 km (25 mi). During the race his refreshments reportedly included orange-juice and a glass of champagne. Hurst earned the 200-franc prize in a winning time of 2:31:30; 27 minutes faster than the mark of 2:58:50 set by Spiridon Louis of Greece three months earlier at the first Olympic marathon in Athens, Greece on 10 April 1896. Set on courses shorter than the now-standardized distance of 42,195 km (26 miles 385 yards), the performances of Louis and Hurst were never officially recognised as world records in the marathon.
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