Douglas Lowe
Encyclopedia
Douglas Gordon Arthur Lowe (7 August 1902 – 30 March 1981) was a British
double Olympic Games
champion, winning in 1924 and 1928. On both occasions he set British records of 1:52.4 and 1:51.8 respectively.
Born in Manchester
, Douglas Lowe attended Harrow
and Highgate School
and excelled immediately as a middle distance
runner, winning the Public Schools' 880 yd
(805 m) title in 1920. Later, at Pembroke College, Cambridge
, where he studied law, he played football and won the 880 yd (805 m) against Oxford
in 1922 and 1923, and both the mile (1609 m) and the quarter-mile (402 m) race against them in 1924.
In the 1924 Summer Olympics
in Paris
, Lowe won the gold medal in a new European record time of 1:52.4. He beat the fellow Cambridge runner Henry Stallard
, who had been considered the pre-race favourite. Stallard suffered a leg injury and could only finish fourth. Lowe also came fourth in the 1,500 metres in a time of 3:57.0.
Lowe was defeated in a famous 880 yards race with Germany's Dr. Otto Peltzer
at the 1926 AAA Championships. Peltzer won by three yards in a time of 1:51.6 with Lowe (untimed but estimated at 1:52.0) also inside the world record of 1:52.2.
Lowe was a British champion in 440 yd (402 m) and 880 yd (805 m) in 1927 and 1928. In Amsterdam at the Olympic Games Lowe won the 800 metres in a personal best performance of 1:51.8, a full second
and eight yards ahead of a world class field. He also anchored the British 4x400 metres relay team that finished 5th.
Lowe set a world record of 1:10.6 for 600 yards in 1926, a distance then recognized by the IAAF for record purposes. His other personal bests included: 440 yards – 48.8 (1927); 800 metres - 1:51.2 (1928); 1,500 metres - 3:57.0 (1924); 1 mile - 4:21.0 (1925).
Lowe retired from athletics at the end of the 1928 season and took up law at the Inner Temple
in London
. He became Secretary of the Amateur Athletics Association from 1931 to 1938. He was made a judge in 1964 after a distinguished legal career, and was made Recorder at the Crown Court
.
Douglas Lowe died in Cranbrook, Kent
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
double Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
champion, winning in 1924 and 1928. On both occasions he set British records of 1:52.4 and 1:51.8 respectively.
Born in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Douglas Lowe attended Harrow
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and Highgate School
Highgate School
-Notable members of staff and governing body:* John Ireton, brother of Henry Ireton, Cromwellian General* 1st Earl of Mansfield, Lord Chief Justice, owner of Kenwood, noted for judgment finding contracts for slavery unenforceable in English law* T. S...
and excelled immediately as a middle distance
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
runner, winning the Public Schools' 880 yd
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
(805 m) title in 1920. Later, at Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
, where he studied law, he played football and won the 880 yd (805 m) against Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
in 1922 and 1923, and both the mile (1609 m) and the quarter-mile (402 m) race against them in 1924.
In the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Lowe won the gold medal in a new European record time of 1:52.4. He beat the fellow Cambridge runner Henry Stallard
Henry Stallard
Dr Hyla Bristow "Henry" Stallard was a British athlete who competed principally as a middle-distance runner....
, who had been considered the pre-race favourite. Stallard suffered a leg injury and could only finish fourth. Lowe also came fourth in the 1,500 metres in a time of 3:57.0.
Lowe was defeated in a famous 880 yards race with Germany's Dr. Otto Peltzer
Otto Peltzer
Otto Paul Eberhard Peltzer was a German middle distance runner who set world records in the 1920s. Over the 800 m Peltzer improved Ted Meredith's long-standing record by 0.3 seconds to 1:51.6 min in London in July 1926...
at the 1926 AAA Championships. Peltzer won by three yards in a time of 1:51.6 with Lowe (untimed but estimated at 1:52.0) also inside the world record of 1:52.2.
Lowe was a British champion in 440 yd (402 m) and 880 yd (805 m) in 1927 and 1928. In Amsterdam at the Olympic Games Lowe won the 800 metres in a personal best performance of 1:51.8, a full second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
and eight yards ahead of a world class field. He also anchored the British 4x400 metres relay team that finished 5th.
Lowe set a world record of 1:10.6 for 600 yards in 1926, a distance then recognized by the IAAF for record purposes. His other personal bests included: 440 yards – 48.8 (1927); 800 metres - 1:51.2 (1928); 1,500 metres - 3:57.0 (1924); 1 mile - 4:21.0 (1925).
Lowe retired from athletics at the end of the 1928 season and took up law at the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He became Secretary of the Amateur Athletics Association from 1931 to 1938. He was made a judge in 1964 after a distinguished legal career, and was made Recorder at the Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
.
Douglas Lowe died in Cranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook, Kent
Cranbrook is a small town in Kent in South East England which was granted a charter in 1290 by Archbishop Peckham, allowing it to hold a market in the High Street. Located on the Maidstone to Hastings road, it is five miles north of Hawkhurst. The smaller settlements of Swattenden, Colliers...
.