User:Harry Hutchens/sandbox

<!-- EDIT BELOW THIS LINE

Harry Hutchens (born Henry Hutchins) was a professional runner born in Putney, London in 1858. He died in Catford on January 2, 1939. Hutchens was 5’11” and weighed 177 pounds.

Athletic career
Many regard Hutchens as the greatest sprinter of the 19th century. Hutchens always ran from a standing start and set nine professional world records in all. His New York Times obituary in 1939 claimed that he went unbeaten for 15 years. As a professional sprinter Hutchens often tried to conceal his form, from bookmaker as well as handicappers. He rarely ran flat-out. Hutchens was timed at 9.75 seconds for 100y in 1887. He ran 131.25 yards (120 meters) in 12.2 seconds in 1879 (the equivalent of 10.3 for meters). Hutchens ran 140 yards in 13.5 seconds in 1885. He ran 150 yards in 14.5 Seconds in 1887. In 1885 he ran 350 yards (320 meters) in 38.4 Seconds.

On 2 January, 1884, Hutchens clocked 30.0 seconds for 300 yards (274 meters) on the grass track at the Powderhall meet in Edinburgh, easing up. Dougie Walker the 1998 European 200 meter champion tried to beat Hutchen’s time in 1999 in a January race in Edinburgh and managed to run 30.05 seconds. According to Edward Seldon Sears, Hutchens ran a time-trial in 29.5 seconds before the Powderhall race.

Sam Mussabini, who coached three Olympic champions believed that Hutchens was capable of running 29 seconds for 300 yards if he had specially trained for the event. The 300 yards distance is now rarely run, but it was until the 1980s a popular indoor distance in the US. The men’s indoor world best is 29.27 set by Terron Wright, United States on February 7, 1981.

In 1887 Hutchens was due to compete in the "The Race of the Century", as the newspapers of the day billed the 120 yards world championship race between himself and Henry Gent. The Lillie Bridge stadium in London was packed with 15,000 spectators. The race did not take place because the bookmakers feared they would lose money. The two runners were bundled out of a side-entrance. When their non-appearance was announced, the crowd set fire to the stadium. This was the end of professional sprinting. The bookmakers had discovered that Gent was secretly injured in training. "They stood over me in the dressing-room with open knives and bottles," Hutchens told The Sporting Life. "They swore they would murder me if I tried to run."

Contemporary Views on Hutchens
Guy Butler won a gold medal in the 4x400 m relay at the 1920 Summer Olympics. He also won Olympic silver and bronze medals in the individual 400 meters. Butler set an amateur world best record of 30.6 seconds for 300 yards in 1926. He claimed in his book Athletics and Training (1938) that Hutchens was the equal of Jessie Owens.

C.G. Wood who was held the amateur records for 150 yards and 300 yards in the 1880s stated in 1905 that “I consider that Harry Hutchens of Putney was the best sprinter of all time. Only men who could run and had run with Hutchens could understand what a marvel he was. I have been doing 10.2 for 100 yards but when running with Hutchens I am lost altogether. He could do 9.5 easily, and could smother L.E. Myers in the quarter-mile. “ L.E. Myers (Lon Myers) who held the American record for 100 yards at 10.0 seconds sometimes trained with Hutchens. In his biography Myers claimed that Hutchens was at least 6 yards faster over 100 yards, which would indicate a best of 9.4 seconds.

James S. Mitchel claimed in 1901 that some people thought Hutchens could run 9.2 seconds. Hutchens was described by Harold Abrahams, the 1924 Olympic 100m champion as "the Jesse Owens of his day". Hutchens and Reggie Walker, the 1908 Olympic 100 meters champion shared a coach in Sam Wisdom. Walker described Hutchens as the “greatest phenomenal sprinter of all time.