Gladys Anne Lunn (1 June 1908 – 3 January 1988) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

athlete from

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

who competed in the

1934 British Empire Games The 1934 British Empire Games were the second edition of what is now known as the Commonwealth Games, held in England, from 4–11 August 1934. The host city was London, with the main venue at Wembley Park, although the track cycling events we ...

in the

1938 British Empire Games The 1938 British Empire Games was the third British Empire Games, the event that evolved to become the Commonwealth Games. Held in Sydney, Australia from 5–12 February 1938, they were timed to coincide with Sydney's sesqui-centenary (150 yea ...

. Gladys was a member of

Birchfield Harriers Birchfield Harriers is an athletics club, founded in 1877. Its home is at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium, England. As well as welcoming recreational runners they cater for all levels of experience up to and including Olympic athletes whether a ...

athletics club. At the 1934 Empire Games she won the gold medal in the 880 yards event as well as in the javelin throw competition, an unorthodox combination. Four years later she won the bronze medal in the javelin throw event at the 1938 Empire Games. She also participated in the 220 yards contest but did not start in her semi-final heat. She was the inaugural winner of the (unofficial) ladies race at the International Cross Country Championships. She was also twice a medallist in the

800 metres The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since t ...

at the

Women's World Games The Women's World Games were the first international women's sports events in track and field. The games were held four times between 1922 and 1934. They were established by Alice Milliat and the Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale (F ...

, taking gold in 1930 before returning for a bronze medal in 1934. Nationally, she was a ten-time champion at the Women's Amateur Athletic Association Championships. This included three straight 880-yard titles from 1930 to 1932, two 800 m titles, the first ever

mile run The mile run (1,760 yards or exactly 1,609.344 metres) is a middle-distance foot race. The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling races. It survived track and field's switch to ...

in 1936 and the following year in 1937, a 1937 javelin title and two cross country titles. Lunn had two

world records A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

ratified by the

International Women's Sports Federation The Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale (FSFI) – or, in English, the International Women's Sports Federation – was founded in October 1921 by Alice Milliat because of the unwillingness of existing sports organisations, such a ...

(FSFI): 3:04.4 minutes for the 1000 m in 1931 and 3:00.6 minutes over the same distance in 1934.British World Record Breakers
GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2015-04-03. Four of her performances over the mile were later recognised as world best times.

References

commonwealthgames.com resultsRootsweb entry
1908 births 1988 deaths Sportspeople from Birmingham, West Midlands English female sprinters English female middle-distance runners English female javelin throwers British female sprinters British female javelin throwers Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics Athletes (track and field) at the 1934 British Empire Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1938 British Empire Games International Cross Country Championships winners Women's World Games medalists {{England-athletics-bio-stub