Need 2Know: Walking as a sport in 1878

Walking as a sport has been found in the Oxford Folk Ashmolean Museum, in the United Kingdom.

Englishman Charles Rowell was a walker, not a runner, but his ultra credentials were impeccable.

In 1882 he set world records for 100 miles (13:26), 24 Hours (150 miles) and 48 hours (258 miles/415 km), and 300 miles in 58:17:06.

His feats long predated the founding of @cieleathletics but we can easily imagine their designers producing a short-brimmed “Rowell” cap in robin’s egg blue and burgundy. ’

As the old saying goes, “If you can’t BE good, you may as well LOOK good.” Rowell was both. Happy Friday, everyone!

Charles Rowell became known as a champion pedestrian, because he could walk and run without stopping for a very long time.

At this time, the sport of pedestrianism was very popular and races were watched by thousands. Charles would have been a celebrity, with his picture in the newspaper and his face on advertisements.

His skill in long distance races was spotted by Sir John Astley a member of parliament know as the ‘Sporting Baron’.

Astely set up a series of six day races in 1878 known as the Astley Belt Races where contestant who goes furthest in six days, wins. The winner was given a silver belt and won 500 Pounds plus a percentage of the gate takings. Charles first won the belt in America in 1879 running 500 miles.

He earned around two million dollars for his races in total, but didn’t remain rich. His belt was later found in a pawn shop in Cambridge.