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Foster Powell (1734–15 April 1793) was the first notable exponent of long-distance walking known as
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Volume 46: Powell, Foster He became a national celebrity, but made very little money from walking, which he treated as a hobby, and died in relative poverty at the age of 59 on 15 April 1793. He was buried at St Faith's Church in St Paul's Cathedral Churchyard, after a walking funeral procession.
The Six-Day Race – Part 1: The Birth (1773-1870)Foster Powell - The Celebrated Pedestrian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Foster 1734 births 1793 deaths People from Horsforth Walkers of the United Kingdom British male racewalkers Sportspeople from Yorkshire
Foster Powell (1734–15 April 1793) was the first notable exponent of long-distance walking known as 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 ...
Charles G. Harper (1922) ''The Great North Road: London to York 2nd edn'' Cecil Palmer, London and has been called "the first English athlete of whom we have any record".Arthur Mee (1941) ''The King's England: Yorkshire West Riding'' (Hodder & Stoughton, London) pp190–1 Powell started the focus on walking/running for six days and is considered the “Father of the Six-Day Race.” ''The Six-Day Race – Part 1: The Birth (1773-1870)''/ref>
Life
Powell was baptized inHorsforth
Horsforth is a town and civil parish within the City of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, England, lying about five miles north-west of Leeds city centre. Historically a village within the West Riding of Yorkshire, it had a population of 18,895 at the ...
in 1734, and moved to London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
in 1762 where he worked as a lawyer's clerk.Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
, accessed 3 July 2016 In 1764 he began his pedestrian career by wagering that he could walk 50 miles in 7 hours, which he accomplished on the Bath Road
The A4 is a major road in England from Central London to Avonmouth via Heathrow Airport, Reading, Bath and Bristol. It is historically known as the Bath Road with newer sections including the Great West Road and Portway. The road was once the ...
.''Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900''Volume 46: Powell, Foster He became a national celebrity, but made very little money from walking, which he treated as a hobby, and died in relative poverty at the age of 59 on 15 April 1793. He was buried at St Faith's Church in St Paul's Cathedral Churchyard, after a walking funeral procession.
Feats
In 1773 he walked 400 miles from London to York and back, and in 1788 walked 100 miles in 21 hours 35 minutes. He also ran 2 miles in 10 minutes.References
External links
The Six-Day Race – Part 1: The Birth (1773-1870)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Foster 1734 births 1793 deaths People from Horsforth Walkers of the United Kingdom British male racewalkers Sportspeople from Yorkshire