Charles Rowell (1852–1909) was an English athlete: a famous runner and celebrated exponent of the sport of

pedestrianism Pedestrianism was a 19th-century form of competitive walking, often professional and funded by wagering, from which the modern sport of racewalking developed. 18th- and early 19th-century Britain During the late eighteenth and nineteenth ce ...

race-walking.''New York Times'', September 1, 1909 "Charles Rowell Dead"

Life

Rowell was born in

Chesterton, Cambridge Chesterton is a suburb in the northeast corner of Cambridge, England, north of Cambridge station, on the north bank of the River Cam. History It is also the name of two electoral wards (West Chesterton and East Chesterton) in the city. The t ...

in 1852, and was sometimes known as ''The Cambridge Wonder''.Marshall, P. S., (2008) ''King of the Peds'' (Author House) He was initially hired as a pacemaker for champion

Edward Payson Weston Edward Payson Weston (March 15, 1839 – May 12, 1929) was a notable pedestrian, who was largely responsible for the rise in popularity of the sport in the 1860s and 1870s. Biography Edward Payson Weston was born on March 15, 1839, in Providence ...

, but went on to have his own career. He was particularly successful in the

6 Day Race The 6-Day Race became a standard footrace distance in the 1870s and was a popular form of entertainment with up to 70,000 paying visitors during such a Pedestrians event. However the widespread use of the bicycle from 1890 caused it to be replaced ...

of the "go-as-you-please" style where competitors could walk and/or run as they wished, and which featured as an annual competition between the USA and UK from 1874 to 1888.Noakes, T. D., (2006) ''Basic Research in Cardiology'' 101 408–417 The limits of endurance exercise Interesting article, courtesy of The Cambridge Museum, Castle Street, Cambridge. https://capturingcambridge.org/museum-of-cambridge/museum-exhibit-stories/maypole-paul-pry/ He died in August 1909.

Achievements

In 1877 a trophy and substantial prize was created by Sir John Dugdale Astley, the Astley belt, for the greatest distance on an indoor track over 144 hours. Rowell won this twice in 1879, and then retired from the event to concentrate on contests of 12 hours per day for 6 days. The first time he covered 500 miles, the second 530 miles despite illness which meant he had to withdraw for eleven hours, but caught up with and overtook the others.Planet Ultramarathon
October 18, 2008: The history of the 6 day race In 1882 he set new 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 (a record which still stands today).

Life

Achievements

References

Further reading