RUNNING RECOLLECTIONS AND HOW TO TRAIN Being an autobiography of A. R. Downer, Champion Sprinter of the World, and Short Biographical Sketches of E. C. Bredin. Len Hurst, Fred Bacon, George Blenner-Hasset Tincler.and Notes on Training for Boys

This gives an insider’s account of the world of the sprinter in the last decade of the 19th century.  He tells of the tension between the professionals and amateurs, and of the zeal of the amateur officials in policing their sport.  For those who wish to understand the difference between the life, competition and training of an amateur and professional sprinter of this era, there is no better source than this.  It is full of detail, and one of its great values is that it was written by a competing athlete. This book reads and ‘feels’ like the authentic voice of an athlete.