Siah Albison
Encyclopedia
Siah Albison was a professional British
runner
who set a world record in the mile
in the 1860s.
A weaver from Bow Lee near Manchester
, Albison earned the mile championship belt of England in 1859. The belt was a creation of Copenhagen Grounds proprietor Tommy Hayes who had earlier declared Thomas Horspool
"English champion" in the era before athletics organizations standardised events and championships. When Horspool retired from running shortly after setting a world record in the mile in 1858, Hayes sought out new talent to fill the stands.
On 27 October 1860, he arranged a race between Albison and William Lang
. Held at the Copenhagen Grounds in Manchester
, Albison prevailed by a little more than a yard in 4:22, a new world record.
From 1860 to about 1865, Albison raced at the Copenhagen Grounds and at other Manchester race venues, such as the City Grounds and the Royal Oak Grounds, drawing thousands. He was regularly challenged by Lang, their first rematch coming in March 1861, a race won by Albison. He won four more challenge races in 1861 and 1862, and over-all won seven of eight championship races.
His mile record was surpassed by Lang in 1863, and he finished in sixth place when Lang and William Richards set a joint world record of 4:17 on 19 August 1865, a record which would stand for nearly 16 years.
Albison became an inn proprietor when his running career ended.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
who set a world record in the mile
World record progression for the mile run
The world record in the mile run is the best mark set by a male or female runner in the middle-distance track and field event. The IAAF is the official body which oversees the records. Hicham El Guerrouj is the current men's record holder with his time of 3:43.13 minutes, while Svetlana Masterkova...
in the 1860s.
A weaver from Bow Lee near 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...
, Albison earned the mile championship belt of England in 1859. The belt was a creation of Copenhagen Grounds proprietor Tommy Hayes who had earlier declared Thomas Horspool
Thomas Horspool
Thomas Horspool was a British runner who set several world records in the mile soon after relatively precise running tracks and accurate timing devices came into use in the mid-19th century....
"English champion" in the era before athletics organizations standardised events and championships. When Horspool retired from running shortly after setting a world record in the mile in 1858, Hayes sought out new talent to fill the stands.
On 27 October 1860, he arranged a race between Albison and William Lang
William Lang (athlete)
William Lang was a professional British runner, who set world records in numerous running events in the 1860s, including a mile record which stood for 16 years....
. Held at the Copenhagen Grounds 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...
, Albison prevailed by a little more than a yard in 4:22, a new world record.
From 1860 to about 1865, Albison raced at the Copenhagen Grounds and at other Manchester race venues, such as the City Grounds and the Royal Oak Grounds, drawing thousands. He was regularly challenged by Lang, their first rematch coming in March 1861, a race won by Albison. He won four more challenge races in 1861 and 1862, and over-all won seven of eight championship races.
His mile record was surpassed by Lang in 1863, and he finished in sixth place when Lang and William Richards set a joint world record of 4:17 on 19 August 1865, a record which would stand for nearly 16 years.
Albison became an inn proprietor when his running career ended.