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There are so many really good photographs of Arthur Robertson during his meteoric career that it felt wrong to show only a few of them in the profile.

These photographs are all shown courtesy of Alex Wilson, Kevin Kelly and Wilf Morgan, Birchfield Harriers historian

 It was decided to have a separate page with the pictures in chronological order for interest and for information.   The first photograph is a news clipping though which tells of one of his cycling victories and seems to indicate that he was  more than a moderately successful racer on two wheels.   It is from the ‘Northampton Mercury’ of 6th August, 1897.

This next one is from the AAA Four Miles Championship in 1906: Robertson is Number 4

The AAA Mile championship at Fallowfield, Manchester, 1907

Above is the Birchfield Harriers team before the race against Racing Club in Paris in January 1908

Below is a picture from the race with Robertson in black behind the leader, Keyser

Above: Keyser finishing ahead of Robertson

Below: Robertson and E Green of Birchfield

English National champion, 1908

International Cross-Country Start, Paris, 1908

Below: Robertson, International Cross-Country Champion

Below: AAA’s Ten Miles Championships, 1908

British Three Miles Team at the 1908 Olympic Games

Olympic Steeplechase: 1.  Russell;  4.  Robertson

Olympic Steeplechase finish: Russell from Robertson

Below: Start of AAA’s 10 Miles, 1909.   Robertson marked with a cross plus report on the race

The original bicycle shop: he came from cycling, he returned to cycling – everything seems to go in cycles!

Arthur J Robertson

… and just for interest …

… his Birchfield membership card …

Winning the English National, 1908

Were you to ask a Scot who knows about distance running to name the Scotsman who won an Olympic gold medal, set a world record and won the individual international cross country championship, you might get a guess but more likely a blank look would be the result.   If you then said that he had never won either SCCU or SAAA title, nor had he ever represented Scotland, well I suspect that there would be total bafflement.   Who was this man?

Arthur James Robertson was born on 19 April 1879, at Harthill, Sheffield and died on 18th April 1957 at Peterborough.    The son of a Glasgow doctor, Robertson was educated at Kelvinside Academy, Glasgow, before moving to King’s School, Peterborough at the age of 14.  Keddie tells us that his father was a ‘golfer and a curler of Fife’ and had been born at Dalziel, near Motherwell.   A brilliant all-round sportsman, Arthur initially concentrated on cycling and only took up serious athletics at the age of 25, after a cycling injury.    Had it not been for the injuries sustained, he may have competed at the London Olympics as a cyclist – as his brother David did. 

He only took up running seriously in 1904 specialising in endurance running on the track and over the country.  His first racing was in August and September 1905 when he took part in three handicap races, all over a mile and won them all.   It is interesting to note that the times were all good and the handicaps were slashed after each of them.  At Ely on 2nd August he won in  4:19.6 off 130 yards, at Cambridge he won in 4:18.6 off 110 yards and at Leyton on 9th September the time was 4:21.2 off 80 yards.  

In 1906, representing Peterborough AC he ran in his first AAA’s championships on 7th July at Stamford Bridge.   It was over the Mile and he was fifth in the race in an estimated time of  4:21.6, with George Butterfield winning in 4:18.4 from Scotland’s John McGough in his fastest ever time of 4:19.2.   On 21st July he moved up to the Three Miles at Chelmsford where he finished second in an estimated time of 15:20.  Back to Ely for the mile handicap, he was second, off 42 yards, in 4:15 for the full distance.   His final race in 1906 was at Pershore on 23rd August where he won the Three Miles in 14:53.2.    These had been two outstanding seasons for Robertson with his mile time down to 4:21 and his Three Miles at 14:53.   Little wonder that at the end of that year, he signed for Birchfield Harriers and the higher level of competition which that would open up for him.

Robertson (4) makes his debut in the AAA’s Mile at Stamford Bridge in 1906

His first race on the track for Birchfield was at Abergavenny on 2nd April where he won the Three Miles team race – unfortunately there is no time available for this one as it would have given a useful benchmark against which to measure the remainder of his season.   Eleven days later, on 13th April, he ran in the AAA’s Ten Miles Championship at Fallowfield where he finished just out of the medals in fourth place 54:34.2, but on 4th May at Small Heath, Birmingham, he won the Midland Counties AAA Ten Miles in the slightly quicker time of 53:25.4.   Fourteen days later (18th May) at Derby he was back down at the Mile in the Midland Counties championships and finished third.   The races were now coming quickly and three days later he won a Two Miles at Cambridge in 9:47.2, followed after only four days by a victory in the Midland Counties Four Miles at Nottingham in 20:09.0.   This was a good win from British and English internationalist Adam Underwood by 20 yards.   After a short break he competed in not one, but two events in the AAA Championships at Stamford Bridge on 6th July: the Four Miles where he finished fourth and the Two Miles Steeplechase where he was second in 11:26.0.   On 20th July he ran in the Three Miles at Chelmsford and won but his time this year was 14:34.4 compared to his 15:20 of the previous year.   The strength of the man showed in the number of hard races fought out in relatively short periods of time – four races in 21 days including three in 7 days in May for instance.

Running only three One Mile races in 1905, a mere two years later he was racing over the Mile, the Three Miles, the Ten Miles and the Steeplechase and winning two Midland Counties titles with a second in the AAA championships too.   It was a remarkable start to his career in the sport but by any standards, 1908 would be quite amazing.

Robertson (8) in the AAA’s Mile in 1907 at Fallowfield, Manchester

1908 was to be his year of years with almost unbroken success at the very highest levels, it would be the kind of year that every runner dreams of.   Starting with a second and two firsts in cross country events, he went on to track success at Olympic level and ended with a triumphant tour of Scandinavia.   It is difficult to think of any Scot in any event who has had such a remarkable 12 months.

26th January, 1908: Racing Club de France v Birchfield Harriers, Paris 

Robertson was a very good cross-country runner – so good that he won the International Cross-Country Championship at  Colombes, outside Paris, at the end of March.   There was a snag from the Scottish point of view though.   Let Colin Shields tell the story:  

“A Scotsman won the Individual Title at Colombes!   But unfortunately he was not a member of the Scottish team.   Arthur J Robertson, an Anglo-Scot running for Birchfield Harriers who had earlier won the English National title, now won the international at his first and only attempt when competing for England.   ….  The most versatile and successful Scottish distance runner of the first decade of the century, Robertson started as a moderately successful racing cyclist  –  in a similar manner to James Flockhart almost thirty years later – before taking to track and cross-country racing.”   There it is – a Scot won an international championship but in English colours.  The first Scot to win the event, one of very few to win at the first attempt, he was not at all well known to the Scottish public at this time and the result may have been a bit of a surprise to them.

To those who were aware of the cross-country scene however, his win did not come as a surprise.   He had started the year taking part in a competition in Paris between Birchfield, Union St Gilloise of Belgium and Racing Club de France on 26th January.   It was to all intents and purposes a race between the English and French clubs as the Belgians were totally outclassed.  Several talented runners such as Adam Underwood (at that time the AAA’s 10 miles champion) fell and dropped out on the difficult and slippery course where Robertson finished second, one place behind Keyser the French Cross-Country Champion.   He proceeded to win the English national at Newbury in March before returning to Paris for the International.   It was a brilliant start to Olympic year.  

The 1908 International Cross-Country Starting Line: Robertson marked with the red cross

The international cross-country was held on 26th March and his next race was a Three Mile invitation team race at Stamford Bridge on 17th April where he emerged victorious in 15:02.2.   On the very next day he was fifth in the AAA’s Ten Miles Championships in 53:46.0.   He again won the Midlands Four Miles Championships in mid-May and on 23rd May he won an inter-club Two Miles Steeplechase at Manchester in 11:05.0, then on 26th May he was second in a Mile at Shepherd’s Bush to Joe Deakin who won by 6 yards in 4:29.8 with Robertson’s time being an estimated 4:30.   At Shepherd’s Bush on 30th May, he ran in the Five Miles Olympic Trial race.   In this, his third race in seven days, he was second in 25:26.6 to Emil Voigt who only won by half a yard in 25:26.5 after they had come through four miles in 20:29.4.    

Robertson ran in Scotland for the first time on 5th June, 1908, at Powderhall in the Edinburgh Harriers Sports.   ‘The Scotsman’ reported that “the best run of the day was that run by that noted long-distance man, AJ Robertson of the Birchfield Harriers, in winning the three miles handicap from scratch.   This was Robertson’s first appearance on an Edinburgh track.   His father was a native of Dalziel in Lanarkshire, so that Robertson is able to compete in the Scottish championships and it is hoped that he will do so.”  

Robertson’s time was 14:53.8 and his reputation had clearly gone before him as he was conceding 60 yards to Sam Stevenson who was an international cross-country and track runner who would join him in the British Five Miles team for the Olympic Games, but he won all the same with splits of 4 min 50 sec, 9 min 53 and 14:53.   It was not his only run at the meeting – he had turned out in the half-mile (which had 44 runners, while the three miles only had 38 starters for him to weave his way through!) but was unplaced.    On 20th June he turned out in anther Three Miles, at Crewe and finished third in an estimated 14:43 behind Emil Voigt.  

On 4th July he was back at Stamford Bridge in the AAA’s Four Miles where he was second in 19:52.8 behind his regular rival Emil Voight who had run 19:47.2 .   The report read: 

“Conway led off at a good pace, the first quarter (62.6) being only a fifth of a second slower than in the mile.   The order was Conway and Duncan, together, Wilson next.   Time 4 min 45 sec.   Robertson now passed Conway, then Svanberg went by; but at two miles Duncan led from Hefferon and Coates.   Time 9 minutes 50.4 sec.     Wilson had retired and Deakin was beginning to flag; Coates now forced the pace for a mile, and led at three miles (15 min 1.6 sec) with Robertson and Voigt next.   Now AE Wood took up the running, and the pace increased.   At the bell Voigt went by, and running the whole lap in grand style, lapping some of his opponents, he won by quite 30 yards from Robertson, who in turn beat Woods by 12 yards.”   The times were 19:47.4 for the winner, 19:52.8 for Robertson and Wood was ‘well inside 20 minutes’.   The breakdown at the finish was last lap in 64 seconds, and last half mile 2 min 11.2 sec.   

Olympic steeplechase final: 1  Russell, 4 Robertson

It was on to the Games Just nine days after the AAA’s championships.Most countries were allowed to enter up to twelve competitors in most events In the Olympic Games,but in the team events – the medley relay and the three miles team race, only one team was allowed per nation.   Robertson was entered for three events: the Three Miles team race, the Five Miles and the 3200 metres Steeplechase.   It was a lot but the timetabling was savage.   Even with his history of running three races in a week or four in a fortnight, it was a daunting task.  If we look at his time table it was as follows: 14th July: Three Miles Team Race Heats; 15th July: Three Miles Team Race Final  plus   5 Miles heats;  17th July: 3200m steeplechase heats;   18th July:  Steeplechase Final  plus  5 Miles Final.   Six races totalling 19 racing miles in five days.  How did Robertson fare then?  

First of all there were the Three Mile Team Race Heats.   The rules for this race stipulated that each country could run 5 athletes but only 3 of them would count.   The British team ran in the first heat and their top four men finished hand-in-hand: William Coales, Joe Deakin, Arthur Robertson and Harold Wilson were the men and the team total was 1 + 2 + 3 = 6 points.   

On the next day (15th) in the final of the Three Miles the first three finishers were Deakin (first in 14:39.6), Robertson (second in 14:41.0) and Coales (third in 14:41.6).   This was Robertson’s gold medal as part of the winning team, and set him up nicely for the heats of the Five Miles.   Robertson along with Sam Stevenson was in the fifth heat and qualifying was the heat winners and the four fastest runners-up.  Coales dropped out of the first heat and Svanberg (Sweden) won in 25:46.2 from Hefferon (South Africa); Voigt (GB) won the second heat (26:13.4); Landqvist (Sweden) won the third (27:00.2), Murphy (GB) the fourth heat in 27:59.2 and then in the fifth heat Robertson broke away after the first mile and won in 26:16.2 with Fitzgerald of Canada second.   Both qualified while Stevenson in third and not a runner-up, failed to qualify.   The sixth heat was won by Edward Owen (GB) in 26:12.0.  

After a day without races, the distance runners were out again on the 17th July in the heats for the 3200m steeplechase.   There were twenty four competitors for this one with no fewer than eleven coming from Britain.   There were six heats and Robertson won heat four in 11:10.4  – the second fastest qualifying time behind the 10:56.2 set by countryman Arthur Russell in the first heat.   On 18th July, there were two finals: the steeplechase and the 5 Miles.  Robertson  was out in the steeplechase with five other competitors.   Trailing for most of the race with Russell (GB) leading, Robertson only moved into second place at the bell but did not have enough left to catch his team mate.   It was a British 1-2 and a silver medal to add to his gold.   The 5 Miles was contested by a tired Arthur Robertson with Emil Voigt, his British rival throughout 1908 not having taken part in any other event at the meeting.   Also in the final were Owen (GB), Svanberg and Landqvist (Sweden), Hefferon (SA), Fitzgerald and Meadows (Canada)and Bellars of the United States.   Leaders at the successive mile points were Owen at one mile in 4:46, Hefferon at two miles in 9:54.2 (5:08.2) and three miles in 15:05.6 (5:11.6), Svanberg at four miles in 20:19.2 (5:07.6) before Britain’s Voigt sprinted into the lead and led all the way to the finish in an Olympic record of 25:11.2.   Owen was second in 25:24, Svanberg third in 25:37.2 and Robertson back in fifth in 26:13.0. 

It had been a good if strenuous Games for Robertson with one gold and one silver medal to show for it.   Given the year’s racing up to that point he could have been excused had he called it a day at the end of July.   But not a bit of it.   If anything he used the Olympics as a springboard for two more months of excellence.   Two weeks later, on 1st August, after the Games were over, he was back in Scotland competing at the Rangers Sports where he smashed McGough’s record for the Four Miles with a time of 19:45.2.    It was a magnificent meeting with many of the Olympic stars from several countries competing and although Robertson ran well, he could only finish second to   –   Emil Voigt again who won in 19:40.2.    The ‘Glasgow Herald’ commented “ER Voigt of Manchester AC   ran with superb judgment in the Four Miles finishing with a dazzling sprint of 300 yards amid a perfect hurricane of applause.   It was a brilliant piece of running and has not been surpassed in the city since A Shrubb charmed supporters of amateurism.   Voigt did the Four Miles in 19:40.2 and as conveying some idea of his speed resources we may note that the last quarter was done in 64.2.   Only one in the first flight of runners could do that.   JA Robertson (Birchfield Harriers) was second, 25 yards behind, his time being 19 min 45 sec.”  

McGough’s record had been 20:06.2 and had been set in August 1905 and also at the Rangers Sports.   Voigt incidentally was younger than Robertson (Date of Birth 31/1/83) and had been born in Manchester to German parents . His first big win had been in the AAA’s 4 Miles in 1908.   He won more AAA titles in 1909 and 1910 before emigrating to Australia in 1911.   His Olympic record still stands since the 5 Miles was not held again, being replaced by the 5000m and 10000m.   He was a considerably good athlete over a range of distances.   

Olympic Steeplechase Final:   Russell from Robertson 

Robertson started his run in to the Scandinavian trip with a Four Miles at Stoke on Trent on 3rd August which was won by Emil Voigt; this was followed by a Three Miles at Windsor on 19th August which he won in 14:27.2.   These were very goodtime, done on cinder tracks which cut up more with every lap that passed, many club runners in the early twenty first century would be reasonably happy with them.   The important thing though was that these two races led in to a series of 9 races in 15 days interspersed with travelling from city to city across Norway  and Sweden.  

The racing started on 28th August at Oslo (then Christiania) when he won a 1500m in 4:17, followed by a victory over 5000m the very next day in 15:35.8 and an 800m on 30th August where he won the handicap race in 2:02.0.   The longest race in Norway was a 10000m on 1st September where he single-handedly beat a five-man relay to set a world’s best time for the year of 31:52.0.   After travelling to Sweden, Robertson was second in a 1500m at Stockholm on 12th September in 4:07.2 behind four time Olympic gold medallist Jim Lightbody (4:06.4).   In the 5000m on 13th September he won in 15:01.2 from Svanberg, the local boy, beating him by 27 seconds in a world record for the distance.   This was 12.3 seconds better than the existing world record and, Arnold Black reminds us, 15 minutes was not beaten until Hannes Kohlemainen did so in the 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games final.   Not content with that, Robertson had a go at Shrubb’s world record for the hour.   He won the race with Svanberg second.   Shrubb’s record was  18742m, and Robertson’s run was 18479m with Svanberg 18276m.   It should be noted that this race was run on a banked concrete track.   It really was an exceptional run and it is reported that Robertson had difficulty walking for some days after because his feet and ankles were so sore.   We shouldn’t leave this race without pointing out that in the course of his hour’s work, he had set personal and Scottish bests of 30:26.0 for Six Miles and 31:30.4 for 10000m, not to mention obliterating Tom Jack’s   native ten miles record with an intermediate time of 51:44.8.

He finished his season at Stamford Bridge on 19th September with a 14:54.1 victory in a Three Miles race.   It had been a truly outstanding season whether you look at the times, at racing records or performances in the Olympic Games and in Scandinavia.   His race record (counting metric distances as their imperial equivalents) was 22 races with 15 wins, 7 seconds and one third.   Scottish records were set at one, four and ten miles distances  plus of course the world record set in Sweden.   Plus the English National and the International cross-country championships.  Plus Olympic gold and silver. 

The successes of 1908 would have been almost impossible for any athlete to follow.   Robertson had passed his twenty ninth birthday.    Younger men like Voigt were forcing the pace.   How would he do in 1909?  

1909 AAA’s Ten Miles: Robertson marked with the red cross

He started with a defence of his English Cross-Country title and finished second.   The race was run in a snowstorm and generally severe conditions with 163 runners starting the race.   It was over a ten miles course which was run in four laps and Coales led for the first lap followed by Robertson and Murphy of Hallamshire.   Murphy, the Northern champion, went to the front after three laps and held on to win in 62 minutes from Robertson by 20 yards with Coales 100 yards further back.   Robertson had some slight revenge when Birchfield won the team race from Hallamshire by 52 points.   He then did what all runners do as they advance in years and stepped up the distance and ran in the 15 miles road race at Cheltenham on 10th April where he finished second to Jack Price in 1:32:30.    Still heavy legged after his exploits at Cheltenham, he failed to finish in the AAA’s Ten Miles at Stamford Bridge the following weekend.  The ‘Sporting Life’ commented that he ‘was feeling the effects of his race on Easter Monday and could not get comfortable.’A month later, fully recovered, he travelled to Stoke for the Midland Counties 10 Miles track race which he won in 52:27.   This was not only faster than he had run when winning the same race two years earlier, but also 13 seconds quicker than the time posted by AAA’s Ten Miles Champion AE Wood at Stamford Bridge.    

He then at the end of May came back down to his normal track racing distances and on 22nd  May ran a Three Miles handicap at Manchester where he finished second to Voigt by 25 yards with the times being 14:37.6 and 14:43.0e.    He came back up to Scotland and ran at Powderhall on 5th June in another Three Miles handicap which he won from scratch in 14:53.8    This was at the Edinburgh Harriers Sports – the same meeting where he had first  run in Scotland in 1908 – and 38 ran.   Robertson’s splits were given as 4:50, 9:53 (5:03) and 14:53.8 (5:00.8).   As in the previous year he also turned out in the handicap half-mile: this time there were 44 runners and he was running from the 18 yards mark.   The report is that he “failed to make any headway and stopped in the finishing straight.”   At Crewe on 19th June he ran his third 3 miles in five weeks and was third in an estimated 14:42.0 with the winner again being Voigt who was timed in at 14:32.6 – 50 yards up on Robertson.   

The countdown to the AAA’s on 3rd July was now on and he stepped down another distance on 26th June to race over two miles at Wolverhampton where he won in 9:44.4.   His next meeting was the AAA’s championship where he would be racing in the Four Miles and Mile.   In the Four he finished second to ‘that man again’ Emil Voigt in 19:59 with the difference being only 5 yards, and in the Mile he was also second, this time to Eddie Owen in 4:23.4 with Owen winning by only half a yard.    Despite his wonderful record and marvellous career up to this point, Robertson had never won a AAA’s championship and that must be down to luck as much as the ability of others – for example to lose a Mile by only half a yard has as much to do with chance as with anything else.  

He went back up again to long distance on the road and raced in the 13 Miles marathon at Dorking which he won in 1:16:31.8.   The Essex Atalanta Cup was a trophy presented at the Essex cycling and athletics championships.   It was first presented in 1900 and the first winner of the ‘huge, new, 50 guinea Atalanta Cup’ for the Three Miles was Alf Shrubb.   It was to Essex that Robertson went on 17th July and he won in 15:07.6 from AE Wood.   It was maybe some consolation for the lack of AAA’s gold.  

On 24th July it was another ‘marathon’, this time over 10 miles on the road at Bristol and he won in 57:22.2.   Then he jumped back down a distance or four to the mile handicap at Pontypridd where he was second off the 5 yard mark before going back up to 10 miles handicap event at the same meeting which he won off scratch in 57:36.4.   Having run in England and Wales, he returned to Glasgow on 9th August to run in a 1.5 miles race.   Several of the big Scottish sports meetings had double sessions – there was the big Saturday meeting and then there was another supplementary session on the following Monday night and it was at the Monday session of the Rangers Sports that Robertson ran in the mile and a half race and broke Shrubb’s Scottish record in a time of 6:48.2.   It is of interest to note that this was a handicap race with Robertson finishing only third behind William Scott (Broughton Harriers) and Tom Jack of Edinburgh, both of whom had handicaps.   Then on 28th August 1909 he ran his last race.   It was, fittingly, with a victory.   The race was over Three Miles, run at Eastbourne, and he won in 14:34 defeating in the process the AAA Ten Miles champion, EA Wood, by half a lap. 

1908 Olympic Three Miles Team

He retired from athletics after 1909 season and returned to cycling. Later, together with his brother, he ran a sports shop in Peterborough, and then passed it over to his son.

Robertson was posthumously inducted into the Scottish Sporting Hall of Fame in 2004.   In January 2010, a new JD Wetherspoon pub in Perry Barr, Birmingham, (close to Perry Barr, Stadium, the former home of Birchfield Harriers) was named ‘The Arthur Robertson’ in his honour.  

The original cycle shop

 Thanks are due to Alex Wilson for lots of help with statistics and to Alex, Wilf Morgan and Kexin Kelly for the photographs.   All of the photographs received, including some not used in the profile, have been put up on a separate page which can be accessed  here .  Wilf also told Alex that he had made a mistake when writing the Birchfield Harriers history in saying that Robertson was called ‘Archie’, and error that has since been propagated by many historians including those employed by the BBC.   He was apparently called ‘Artie’ and not ‘Archie’.

There is an excellent three page article on Robertson in the BBC ‘A Sporting Nation’ archive at  http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/sportscotland/asportingnation/article/0016/

There is very good article on the first race for the Essex Atalanta Cup at

http://clappedoutrunner.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/shrubb-blossomed-in-chelmsford.html

Alex Duncan in AAA’s 4 Miles in 1907

Alex Duncan was born on April 24th, 1884 in Grayrigg, Kendal, Cumbria, worked in the family business (Minto Feet Nurseries, a market garden and florists) and died on January 21st, 1959 in Kendal at the age of 74, yet we are told that ‘by his own affirmation he “had not a drop of English blood in him.”    He stands out in group photographs of runners because of his height – he stood 5’11″+ (1.82m) and weighed 164 lb (82kg) when most distance runners are on the small side.

 Starting out in athletics as a track runner in 1902, on 26th July 1902, at Belle Vue, as a member of Kendal Welcome Harriers, Duncan won the mile handicap off 111 yards (running 1507m) in 4:22.8.  A year later on 6th June 1903, at Halifax, he covered 1674 yards (1530m) in 4:19.2 and in a two miles team race at Lancaster on 1st July,  he ran the  fastest time of 10:26.8.   In 1904 on 1st August at Barrow,  he covered 1691 yards (1546m) in 4:16.2, and returning to Lancaster on 24th May, he again had fastest time in the Two Miles team race this time 10:14.0.   He was in Lancaster again in 1905 (13th June) when he ran faster yet in the Two Miles team race – 10:09.6.

In 1906 he won the Four Mile race at Royton Sports on 1st August in 20:38.0 to win the Northern Counties AAA title for the distance and later that year joined Salford Harriers where he was a member until his membership lapsed in 1910.   A week later, at Fallowfield in Manchester on 7th August, Duncan ran the half-mile in an estimated 1:58.8 off 20 yards.

1907 Northern Counties Four Miles – Duncan won but look at the quality of runner there.

Having made his northern breakthrough in 1906, he came to the attention of the national athletics public when, in 1907 he ran second to Adam Underwood of Birchfield Harriers in the AAA 10 Miles at Fallowfield in Manchester in 54:06.1.     1907 was to be one of his best years ever.    He made a successful defence of his NCAAA Four Miles title on 18th May in 20:01.2.  Then at Ibrox Park on 27th May, Duncan ran in the Clydesdale Harriers Sports and, although he did not win the handicap Three Miles race, his running was very impressive.  Although he was already a very good runner and a Scot, he was almost unknown to the Glasgow athletics public.   The ‘Glasgow Herald’ reported on the race: “A Duncan (Kendal) who won the Northern Counties  four miles championship at Leeds the previous Saturday, was the guest of Clydesdale Harriers.   He put in some capital work in the Three Miles race but was unable to pull in R Patterson (Motherwell YMCA) and G Culbert (Motherwell Harriers).   The winner’s time was 14 min 50 2-5th sec and Duncan’s was 14 min 59 1-5th sec which shows that he gave of his best.   He is of Scottish extraction and will probably come North for the Championships next month, and if he does he will run under Clydesdale Harriers colours.”

Duncan did run in the SAAA Championships and despite what they had said about his club affiliation, the ‘Glasgow Herald’ said in its report of 24th June:   “All the six entrants turned out.   Stevenson led for the first mile.   Duncan, the Kendal runner, went to the front in the second mile.   In the third mile Duncan spurted and although Stevenson made a bold effort to hold him, the Anglo-Scot by degrees shook off his rival and with a mile to go was fully 30 yards in front.   At the bell the winner was leading by almost the length of the straight, and putting in a fast finish, he won by about 150 yards, his time is some six seconds outside McGough’s Scottish record.”   The winning time was 20:12.4 with Stevenson timed at 20:28.

In its comments section, the paper went on to say –   “A Duncan (Salford) justified all that has been said of him here since the Clydesdale Harriers Sports.   He will run in the AAA’s championships and expects to get inside 20 mins for the Four Miles.   There was no sparkle in Sam Stevenson’s running and Jack was also a little disappointing.”   The victory gained him selection for the Scoto-Irish International the following Saturday but he did not travel up for it with Jack accompanying Stevenson in the Four Miles instead.   Jack actually won the match race in 20:22.

1907 AAA Four Miles

The AAA’s race was held on 6th July and Duncan won the Four Miles – and inside 20 minutes too.   He was the second Scot to run inside 20 minutes for the distance, Henry Acland-Munro being the first away back in 1895.   Read the report: “A brilliant effort was that of A Duncan (Clydesdale Harriers) in the Four Miles, 19 min 51 2-5th sec having only twice been bettered at the English Championships.   We remarked recently that A Duncan would improve on his Scottish championship time and he has done so to the extent of 21 sec.”    These championships were held at Fallowfield in Manchester and it was to be the last time for 80 years that they would be held outside of London.

He was back in Scotland for the Rangers Sports Meeting on 3rd August.   Probably the biggest annual athletics festival in the country with stars from the world of athletics competing and big crowds (in 1907 there were 18,000 spectators) it was where you went if you wanted to be seen.   Duncan came for the Four Miles handicap race and finished second.   The race was ‘won easily’ by Somerville of Motherwell YMCA from a mark of 350 yards while Duncan was second, running from scratch with the winning time being 20 min 16 1-5th sec.  Later in August he was racing in Stockholm where he won the 1500m on 17th August in 4:11.0 and then ran second to John Svanberg  over 5 Miles in 25:36.8 and followed it with 5000m in 15:38.4 the next afternoon.  John Svanberg was a double Olympic silver medallist from Athens and in 1907 he ran the fastest times in the world for 5000m (15:13.5) and 10000m (31:30.9).  No disgrace in finishing second to such an athlete. What was the competition in Stockholm?  Several Swedish athletes were competing in the AAA’s championships and it is possible that some invitations were issued there.  In any case, it was an international meeting with two Britons competing:  Alec Duncan and E.H. Montague.  Duncan ran THREE races in the space of  three days.   

 Into September, and is season was still flourishing with 15:05.0 for a Three Miles handicap at Belle Vue.

1908 AAA 10 Miles Championships

1907 was very good year for Duncan and his target for 1908 was  bit higher yet – he wanted to run in the Olympic marathon.  He started his season however with the Clydesdale Harriers Sports at Ibrox Park where he ran in the handicap Three Miles but was unplaced in the handicap but recorded a time of 15:19.2 from scratch.   He next appears when he runs in and wins the AAA’s 10 miles championship on 18th April  at Stamford Bridge after a close fought race in 53 min 40 3-5th sec with the second man on 53 min 41 2-5th sec and Tom Jack of Edinburgh Southern Harriers third in 53 min 42 sec.   The first six were within 15 seconds of each other.

For the Olympic marathon there were six ‘trials’ to be held and Duncan ran in the 19 Miles Trial at Warburton on 21st March where he finished fifth in 2:01:05.   The winner was Fred Lord in 1:50:23 with Wyatt, Perkin and Day being between them.   He then ran almost exactly a month later over a longer trial which went from Windsor to Wembley Park and was a distance of 22 miles 1420 yards.   This was his his third race in as many weeks.   The relative distances were over 19 miles on the road, 10 miles on the track and then this Olympic trial organised by Polytechnic Harriers over 22.5 miles.     The first six finishers in the race on 25th April were to be selected for the Olympic marathon.   66 runners took part and the weather has been described as appalling.   Rain, sleet and snow all fell during the race and the road surface was described as ‘terribly heavy underfoot.    James Beale of Poly Harriers led at 10 miles in 55:19 from Fred Lord (Wisbey Park AC) and Duncan, with Fred Appleby (Herne Hill Harriers)  about a dozen yards further back.   These three were together at 15 miles in 1:25:55 before Beale moved off and established a lead of about 50 yards.   He was caught and passed by Duncan about a mile from the finish and Duncan won the trial by almost 400 yards.    Duncan won in 2:15:45, Beale was second in 2:17:00, then came Lord (2:18:04,  Tom Jack (Edinburgh Southern Harriers – 2:18:42) Harry Barrett (Poly Harriers – 2:18:46) and Fred Thomson (Ranelagh Harriers – 2:20:05).    As the first six finishers in this race were picked for the Olympic marathon, Duncan was selected with Tom Jack and Sam Stevenson also being selected as part of the team to run.   With the Olympic event not until the end of July, it was now back to the track for Duncan.

In Glasgow on 13th June, at the West of Scotland Harriers Sports, Duncan turned in what was described as a commanding performance in foul weather.   “A Duncan made ample amends for his disappointing performance in the Clydesdale Harriers Sports.   It was only in the last 50 yards however that he got on level terms with G MacKenzie and it is not often that one witnesses such close finishes in a distance handicap.   In good going Duncan might have got inside McGough’s record.”   Duncan’s time was 20 min 18 2-5th sec, Graham ran from a mark of 230 yards and the winning distance was two yards.   A week later Duncan raced at Crewe to record an estimated time of 14:42 for three miles.   It is interesting to note a comment in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ of 22nd June, 1908, in their preview of the SAAA Championships that “The Four Miles should go to S Stevenson (Clydesdale Harriers)  as T Jack is said to be keeping his resources up for Marathon purposes at the Olympic Games.”   Three men, three very different methods of preparation for a major event – Duncan racing a lot, Stevenson racing frequently and Jack barely racing at all.   On 4th July, Duncan was out in the AAA’s 4 miles championships and could do no better than 6th in a time estimated to be inside 20:40.   Presumably he had stepped up the training distances with the Olympics in mind.   Then it was time.

On 24th July at 2:30 pm the Olympic race started and straight away Tom Jack went into the lead and came through the first mile in 5:01, a really crazy pace but he did not let up coming through 4 miles in 21:18 (the SAAA Four Miles championship had been won that year in 21:52 by  –  you’ve guessed it – Tom Jack!).   At five miles he was clocked at 27:01 and was almost exhausted.   After stopping for a drink he never started again.   His compatriot Alex Duncan (27:07) also dropped out at that point complaining about sore legs.   They were not alone in failing to complete the course: of the 71 named starters, only 27 finished while 44 dropped out.    The race was of course not won by Dorando Pietri in 2:54:46, it was Hayes of the USA who emerged victorious in 2:55:18.

 The trio of Duncan, Stevenson and Jack were to meet up again when they represented Scotland against an Irish- American team at Edinburgh on 19th August over the shorter and more familiar distance of Four Miles.   “The Scotch representatives gradually drew away from the only Irish-American competitor, GV Donagh, and a grand race ensued in the home straight.   Jack eased up nearing the tape.   Won by two yards.”   Duncan was the winner in 20 min 52 3-5th sec from Stevenson with Jack third.

By 1909, Duncan’s career as an athlete was almost over.   A year after the London Olympics, he settled down into married life and joined the Kendal Police Force.    In 1910, he took up a post as a police constable at Stoke-upon-Trent and joined North Staffordshire Harriers for a short spell before hanging up his racing shoes for good.   It had been a good career in which, apart from the experience of the London Olympic marathon, he took on the best and came out on top more often than not.   The London Marathon  is noted for all the wrong reasons and one of these is the controversy over  the distance which turned out to be further than originally intended or announced but that does not account for the early pace set by Jack and pursued by Duncan among others.   Nerves maybe contributed but they had all run enough Four and Ten Mile races to know a bit about pacing.  It was the only real blot on an otherwise excellent copy book.      What’s missing from this account?  What’s missing is anything about cross-country running at a time when the cross-country internationals were big fixtures.   Strangely enough there is little trace of Duncan as a cross-country runner although he did finish third when running for Kendal in the North Junior Cross-Country championship in 1906 but even after he joined Salford he cannot be traced as a country runner.

In the course of his career he ran many very good times for distances between three and 20 miles:

Three Miles: 14:42.0e  at Crewe on 20th June 1908.     5000m: 15:38.4 at Stockholm on 19th August, 1907.    Four Miles: 19:51.4 at Manchester on 6th July, 1907.

Five Miles: 25:36.8 at Stockholm on 18th August 1907;   Six Miles:  31:26.2 at Stamford Bridge on 18th April, 1908;  Ten Miles:  53:40.6 at London 18th April, 1908;

Twenty Miles:  1:56:26  at London on 25th April, 1908.

 In the beginning: Wearing the Kendal Welcome Harriers strip

I would like to thank and acknowledge the research done by Alex Wilson which he passed on more than willingly;

the excellent illustrations are from Alex and his colleague Kevin Kelly.

HT Jamieson

Henry Tonkinson Jamieson was born in Edinburgh in 1885 and was to become a first class athlete who won two Scottish championships.   Educated at George Watson’s College and then at Edinburgh University where he graduated as a CA , Jamieson had very short athletics career with mst of his running done in and around the capital.    His father William Keir Jamieson was a fruit merchant who died in 1890 aged only 34.   Henry was only five years old at the time and was sent South to live with his wealthy aunt in Sunderland, returning later to start his education at Watson’s.

One of the meetings that was a regular feature of the Edinburgh athletics scene at the turn of the century was the Edinburgh Northern Harriers Sports.  Generally held at Powderhall, Jamieson contested the Open handicap mile there on 29th July 1907.   Running off 65 yards in the colours of Watson’s College AC, he lined up with ten other men.   The ‘Scotsman’ report tells us that Rennie of Edinburgh Northern Harriers led at the bell but ‘Jamieson was among his men and working to the front down the back stretch, he eventually came home leading by ten yards.’   

McGough of Bellahouston Harriers was by far the top miler in the country having won the Scottish title in the past six years and in 1908 he was having problems with a bad ankle injury.   Keddie in his centenary history commenting on McGough in the 1910 season, says, ” In the two previous years however (1908 and 1908) McGough met his match in HT Jamieson (Edinburgh University AC) who won the Scottish Mile Championship in both those years..”   Gough had problems in those years and this has to be admitted, but it does not do to write Jamieson down at all.   Compared to McGough, he raced very sparingly indeed but he usually delivered the goods.   In June that year though, he raced a bit more than usual.   The SAAA Championships were decided at the end of June and Jamieson was certainly in good condition.   On 13th June at the Edinburgh University Sports he beat a good field including Tom Jack for the championship mile.   The ‘Scotsman’ report read:

” 1.   HT Jamieson;  2.   T Welsh.   Time 4 min 48 sec.   T Jack who finished third led practically in the first three laps but on entering the last lap, Jamieson went to the front, closely followed by Welsh.   The race was then left between these two.   Welsh made a strong effort at the last bend but Jamieson kept his lead and won by about six yards.”     Jach went on to win the three miles title.

Another fixture was the ‘Edinburgh Shop Assistants Sports’ which in 1908 were held on 17th June, just four days after the university championship.   The introduction to the report on the meeting said that there were many interesting finishes, ‘especially the Mile.’   The ‘Scotsman’ again: “One Mile Handicap (Open).   1.   HT Jamieson (Watson’s College AC – 35 yards); 2.  JB Maclagan (Edinburgh Northern – 105); 3.   G Inglis (Edinburgh Northern – 115).   Twenty nine ran.   Contrary to expectations McGough turned out notwithstanding his bad ankle, and he and Jamieson ran side by side for the greater part of the journey.   Halfway round Jamieson made his effort and McGough could not respond to it, retiring before the bend for the straight was reached.   The Watsonian had to put in a great finish to catch McLagan, Inglis and GH Peddie, and he only managed it by a yard.   It was a great race, and caused great excitement.   Time:   4 min 33 2-5 sec.”

Three days later, on 20th June, he avoided the Heart of Midlothian Sports in favour of the Inter-University Sports at St Andrews which were held on ‘the beautiful recreational park which was gifted some years ago to St Andrews University by their late rector Mr Andrew Carnegie.’   This time, his third race in seven days, he did not come out victorious.  The race was won by G Twort of Aberdeen in 4:47.6 with A Gray of Aberdeen second and Jamieson in third.   It was only a week before the SAAA Championships.

The Edinburgh University team of 1908:

Jamieson is second from the left, middle row, Tom Jack on the left in the middle row

From 29 competitors in a race to three.   The opposition, despite the absence of McGough was stern.   Sam Stevenson of Clydesdale Harriers was there – many track medals, cross-country championships an international caps and Olympian, he was not to be treated lightly.   The result was a win for Jamieson in 4 min 33 4-5 secs.   The third runner was AJ Grieve.  “The three runners were practically together throughout throughout until the last lap when Jamieson started drawing out.   At the last bend Stevenson challenged strongly, but entering the home straight Jamieson had four yards in hand.   This lead he increased in a fine staying finish and he won by six yards.   Grieve was a poor third.”

The ‘Herald’  further commented: “Watson’s College has given us some of our finest amateur runners and the name of HT Jamieson who won the Two Miles Handicap at the Edinburgh Harriers meeting the other night falls to be added to this list.   This was his first appearance in public and the feat of covering the distance less his concession, in 9 min 25 2-5th sec shows that he is gifted with all the qualities of speed and brains that got to make one eminent in the realms of pedestrianism.   It is said that in his initial private effort over the mile his time was 4 min 45 sec.  Evidently Jamieson is a very promising runner and it will be interesting to watch his career as it develops under the influence of systematic training.”

Winning the national title granted him selection for the international match against Ireland which took place on 11th July.   In this one, Jamieson was up against McGough and the Irishman Morphy.   Morphy had already run and won the half-mile when he faced the two Scots so it was probably not surprising that “the Watsonian set a surprising pace from the outset and got in well in front of McGough”   His winning time was 4:34.   The following week it was back to Edinburgh for the St Bernard’s FC Sports – an event celebrating 25 years of promoting such meetings and the event in 1908 was a well organised affair.   The report indicated the Jamieson ran in both the half mile and mile and , although beaten in both, ran well.    Given the handicap  system and the big fields in evidence then it was not surprising that he did not win every time out.   The ‘Scotsman’ report on the half-mile read: “Half Mile.   1.  JW Bruce (Edinburgh University AC – 20 yards);   2.   HT Jamieson (Watson’s College AC – 10 yards).   There was a numerous field for this event.   The champion got in well among the others before covering a lap, and coming round the last bend he came away nicely and seemed as if he would just manage home first.   The University man who had gained slightly won by about half a yard.   Time:  2 min 01 1-5 sec.”

He was not quoted in the first four for the Mile.  Into August and he travelled furth of Edinburgh to compete in the Celtic FC Sports in Glasgow.    This was a big meeting with several Americans competing but he turned out in the open handicap half mile where he was first in 2:00 off a mark of 12 yards and reported to be ‘finishing in great form.’   To end the season he ran in an international against   the Irish-Americans on 19th August.

This was a great occasion – The Scotsman reported

“The meeting of the Scottish and  Irish-American athletes at the sports enclosure  of the Scottish National Exhibition last night was productive of all-round excellence.   Apart from the interest excited by the international character of the meeting, the arrangement was specially attractive because it brought to Edinburgh a number of athletes now famous in the athletic  world who figured recently at the Olympic Games – notably Mel Shepperd, the world’s champion half-miler and record holder, and JB Taylor, the coloured runner, who participated in the now famous race in which Halswelle ran in the Stadium.”   Clearly an exciting meeting – as far as the Mile was concerned, the initial comment read, “A splendid Scottish victory was that of HT Jamieson in the Mile.  J McGough also ran well in this event but Jamieson put in one of the best finishes he has given and won splendidly.”    The actual race report gave a bit more detail:

The Scottish champion led for a couple of laps, when McGough took the lead, and ran very strongly, and afterwards JP Sullivan, the Irish American, came into second place with Jamieson third.  This order was retained until the third lap when Jamieson entering the last bend sprinted grandly, and putting in a great finish, won by about nine yards from McGough who finished about three yards od Sullivan.   Jamieson was accorded a splendid reception.”   The winning time was 4:36.8. outsprinted McGough on the last lap of a tactical race to win by 10 yards to the delight of the 6000 or so spectators.   Less detail in the ‘Glasgow Herald’ but it did say that at the end, “Jamieson came away with a terrible burst.”

Jamieson seemed to race less often in 1909 than he had done in 1908.   There was no appearance at all in the Edinburgh Northern Harriers Sports where he had competed the previous year, nor was he in evidence at the Edinburgh University Sports, and he was absent from the Inter-University Sports where Welsh and Gray each had a first and each had a secone in the Half- and Mile.

His repeat victory in the SAAA Championships in 1909 was a much harder race.   The ‘Glasgow Herald’ said that there was less than a yard dividing McGough and Jamieson, adding that the defeat of McGough was a sore disappointment to his Ibrox admirers but the fact of him running so well should bring some  consolation as it show that with a little more practice he will get back his form of two seasons ago.   The actual report merely said though, that it was a splendid race all the way, and won by less than a yard.  The ‘Scotsman’ report said:   “Ten of the eleven entrants competed and the excitement began when the last lap was  entered on.   The holder (Jamieson), McGough, McNicol (Polytechnic Harriers) and J Welsh were all together.   Later it was a duel between Jamieson and McGough.   It was a great finish.   First Jamieson went to the front  but McGough passed him, and coming down the straight the western man looked a winner, but Jamieson had found something in reserve and amid great excitement, won a splendid race in  the excellent time of 4 min 29 1-5th sec.   McNicol was third and Welsh fourth.”

As was the practice, he was selected for the Irish International at Balls Bridge  on 17th July.   The ‘Glasgow Herald’ was not in its sunniest mood when reporting on the fixture.   The extract covering the Mile which featured Jamieson and McGough gives the flavour: “Had the Mile been run with the same judgment, Scotland might have recorded a point.   The time, 4 min 33 3-5th sec, was quite within the reach of both Jamieson and McGough, and in addition both Morphy and Fairbairn-Crawford had previously taken part in the half-mile.   Perhaps the track, which measured 3 2-3rd laps to the mile, upset their calculations, for it was quite evident that neither  Jamieson, who went off at 480 yards to go, nor McGough, who tried to hold him, could sustain their effort to the tape.”       The judgment referred to was that shown by the Scots in the half-mile, the point that might have been scored was that for the winning athlete (matches were determined by the number of victories recorded) as McGough finished second to Morphy.

He was indeed racing very seldom in 1909 and he had missed the St Bernard’s FC Sports the week before the international – it might be that another race on a ‘normal sized’ track the week before the international would have helped his judgment in Ireland.     Alex Wilson says in his excellent profile of McGough that Jameson retired after the Scoto-Irish contest ‘owing to limited opportunities for training.’

He did run in 1910 – for example at the start of June he ran in a 1000 yards handicap race at the Edinburgh Harriers Meeting and was unplaced – admittedly the first three had handicap marks of between 38 yards and 65 yards which are not inconsiderable in such a short race, while he himself was back on 5 yards.   The ‘Scotsman’ did say that he made a great effort but could not raise a sprint at the finish.  But to all intents and purposes his athletics career was over.

Having graduated as a CA from Edinburgh University, he emigrated to Canada before the first world war ‘to practise his profession’ and immersed himself in the life of his new community.  He died in 1983 at the age of 98.   The Canadian Who’s Who tells us that he was President and Managing Director of the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada (which had been the Performing Rights Society), he was vice-president of the Federation Inter-americana de Sociedades de Autore y Compositores as well as being a member of many clubs sporting and otherwise-

the Toronto Hunt Club,

the Royal Canadian Yacht Club,

the Arts and Letters Club,

the Rideau Club, Ottawa,

Empire Club,

Canadian Club.

The clubs?  The Toronto Hunt Club was founded by the British Army officers of the Toronto Garrison in 1843, the Royal Canadian Yacht Club is one of the world’s largest yacht clubs and was founded in 1852, The Arts and Letters Club is a private club founded in 1908, the Rideau Club is ‘ the club of Canada’s ruling political elite’ and was founded in 1865, the Empire Club is a speakers club and was founded in 1903, and the Canada Club was founded in 1897 and meets to hear lunchtime speeches by local, national and world leaders.   Covering horse riding, sailing, arts and letters, politics and world affairs his various memberships had no hint of any connection with athletics.

His obituary written by the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto reads as follows:

“Harry Tonkinson Jamieson died on December 27th, a few days before the Club’s Christmas Dinner.   Those two events, so close together, immediately bring to mind the many occasions when Harry carried the Boar’s Head in the processions at earlier Christmas dinners.   His health prevented him from being at the club for the last several years.

Born in Edinburgh where he qualified as a CA, Harry came to Canada before the first world war to practise his profession.   He joined the Club in 1920 and immediately became involved in Club matters.   In the Archives is his first handwritten audit report for 1920.  Harry personally or his firm, under his direction, continued to audit the Club accounts for half a century.

Although Harry was not one to dwell upon the past, he once gave a most vivid description of the celebration of Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in 1897 as seen through the eyes of a boy of 12.   Harry had been in recent years the oldest living member of the Club.   He was, in his student days, the best mile runner in the British Isles for three years.   Very tall, holding himself erect, he could be rather awesome to a junior member until one saw his eyes reflecting a great sense of humour.”

 Jamieson was a credit to himself, his family and his education, but his battles with McGough reflected society at the time.   McGough was the son of Irish immigrants who had come to Scotland to find work and escape poverty.   Brought up in the Gorbals, he became the local postman and a wonderful athlete who founded an athletic club for Catholic boys – the St John’s Young Men’s Catholic AC – and continued to be involved in sporting interests such as athletics, football (Celtic and Manchester United) and Gaelic football.   The comparison between these two men, both fine athletes who competed side by side for Scotland, could not have been greater, and it is one of the fine things about the sport at the time that men from such widely differing backgrounds and life styles could get together.

I am grateful to Alex Wilson for much of the information used in the profile including the photographs and would encourage you to read his profile of John McGough.