70m/75yd contenders

70m/75yd contenders

Keith Aiston
Frank Banner
Tim Banner
Peter Benetto
Terry Clarke
Bill Howard
Dave Irvine
Ken Irvine
Arthur Martin
Treva McGregor
Shane McKenzie
Chris Perry
Arthur Postle
Steve Proudlock
Fred Ralph
Austin Robertson

Thanks JH,

It's primarily an Australian team of the century, therefore I'm disinclined to include runners like Bert Hutchinson, Ricky Dunbar, George McNeil, Eddie Tolan, Barney Ewell, etc, who were class athletes before they came and competed here.

Maybe we could look at a Rest of the World team later down the track?

Josh Ross won a Stawell 70m.
Daniel Burgess won the Don Furness from a very tight mark.

2 more for serious consideration.

70m/75yd
FINAL 5 contenders

Keith Aiston (SA)
Dave Irvine (NSW)
Treva McGregor (VIC)
Arthur Postle (QLD)
Austin Robertson (VIC)

All of the above were Australian champions over 75yds/70m.

A couple were also world professional sprint champions over the distance.

REMEMBER once selected an athlete cannot be selected in another distance; on the other hand those that miss may be selected later on.

JUST on the 2 mile. That one will be delayed another few days as I do a little more research.

Arthur Postle - Athletics

The second of nine children, Arthur Postle was educated to the fifth grade at Springside State School on the Darling Downs, Queensland, where he showed early running talent. On leaving school Postle worked on the family farm and, despite his father's disapproval, competed successfully at professional athletics meetings around the Downs and south-east Queensland, firstly in juvenile events and, from 16, in open company. He was coached by his uncle Fred Postle, and trained on a rough running-track cut in the bush on his uncle's adjoining property.

He left the farm in 1899 to pursue his athletic career. Although he was unsuccessful in the Stawell Gifts of 1901 and 1903 and was never to win this premier event, his name became well-known through his victories at Charters Towers and Townsville in 1904/05. He achieved world fame in his all crimson running shorts and singlet as 'The Crimson Flash' before a crowd of 20,000 at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, on December 5, 1906 by defeating the Irish world champion, R. B. Day. Postle won over 75yds and 300yds and Day won over 130yds. At this time athlete Jack Todd became Postle's trainer; they were later to marry sisters and share a lifelong friendship.

He earned the appellation of 'The Mighty Postle' by his defeat of the new English champion W. Growcott in England in 1908. His running career in England, Wales, Scotland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand was highlighted by his contests with the South African Reg Walker and his rivalry with the champion Australian, Jack Donaldson (the 'Blue Streak'). Donaldson won most encounters of 100yds or more, while Postle was virtually unbeatable over shorter distances.

He married Edna Leadbeater at Southport, Lancashire, England, on 2 October 1912, and next year went into semi-retirement from running, operating his own auctioneering business at Memerambi, Queensland, and then a second-hand-dealership at Gympie. After an unsuccessful venture at the South Brisbane produce markets in the 1920s, he became a produce farmer in the Brisbane suburb of Coopers Plains. After selling the farm during World War II he retired, firstly to Southport, then to Wynnum, where he lived until his death in an ambulance in Brisbane on 21 April 1965. After a funeral at the Coorparoo Church of England, he was cremated. Three sons and one daughter survived him.

Throughout his life Postle maintained a passionate interest in running. Until his death he was a familiar sight in the Wynnum Memorial Park, giving advice to any youngsters who cared to attend his regular coaching sessions.

Postle also ran against Donaldson and American Charles Holloway in South Africa in 1910 when he was slightly past his best, but pushed Donaldson to a new world record in the 100yds of 9.37 seconds, finishing so close he also broke the old world record. However, towards the end of his career, in Auckland 1912, Postle did defeat Donaldson over 75yds, 150yds and 200yds, equalling his own record for the 75 and setting a new world record for the 200.

Postle set the following world records: 50yds (45.7m - 5.1 seconds), 60yds (54.9m - 6 seconds), 75yds (68.6m - 7.2 seconds), 80yds (73.2m - 7.75 seconds) and 200yds (182.9m - 19 seconds).

Thanks Iron Maiden,

Interesting food for thought.

Earned yourself a rep point!

youngy wrote:Thanks Iron Maiden,

Interesting food for thought.

Earned yourself a rep point!

The starter on the right in the picture at the top of the page is Arthur Postle.

He was quite muscular in shape. Check out some other pictures of him at:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~westaust/Kalgoorlie/KalSports.htm

I am a great admirer of Postle. Notice that he uses the knuckles of his right hand on the ground and the fingers of the left in the set position. He felt that this gave him a more stable set. It certainly didn't interfere with his start as he once claimed that he could give any sprinter in the world 2 yards over the first 40 yards.

AISTON & McKENLEY SHARE LEAD
By KEN MOSES
The Argus
Saturday 13th February 1954

KEITH AISTON, regarded as the luckiest Australian professional champion of all time, came into his own tonight, to be on level terms with Herb McKenley, of Jamaica, after the first round of the world championship.

Aiston and McKenley are equal with six points, then follow two other Australians, Gerald Hutchinson and Sam Baldwin, with two points each.

Aiston scored his points with a win in the 75yards and a third in the 130.

Keith Aiston, Australian professional champion, caused a major surprise by winning- the first round of the world professional sprint series - the 75 yards.

Aiston was lucky to see the race out. Halfway up the track the lace of his left shoe broke and as soon as he shot through the tape two inches ahead of Victorian
Gerald Hutchinson, his shoe fléw off.

The best the overseas sprinters could do was a third, gained by Jamaican Herb McKenley.

Sam Baldwin (N.S.W.) was fourth with Mel Patton (U.S.), fifth, and Lloyd LaBeach (Panama), sixth.

When the runners went down to the mark at the first attempt Baldwin broke and starter Jack Trengrove signalled a false start.

At the second attempt Aiston moved with the gun and was easily the best away. He was not headed to the finish.

McKenley, favored for the event, was not far behind him, but from the 50-yard mark, onward, could not match it with the South Australian.

Hutchinson moved out smoothly and was neck and neck with Alston most of the distance.

The official margin registered on the Draper machine was Aiston by two inches from Hutchinson, with McKenley six inches away.

With a strong following wind, Alston's time for the distance was 7.5 seconds.

This was l-10th of a second faster than he ran in winning the Australian title at Traralgon last Saturday.

Patton, regarded up till tonight as the fastest white man in the world, said he found the 75 yards too short.

McKenley evened the score McKenley evened the score when he won the 130 yards title by a yard from Sam Baldwin, with Keith Aiston third.

Fourth place went to Gerald Hutchinson, with Mel Patton fifth and La Beach sixth.

McKinley's time was 12.1 seconds - nine yards inside even time.

It was also l-10th of a second faster than that which Barney Ewell of America, recorded when he won the title at the Melbourne Showgrounds in 1950.

Patton had command of the field at the 75-yard mark when he broke down.

"I went-but there is still another week yet," he said afterwards.

McKenley, as soon as Patton broke down, forged to the front and put up his best Australian performance yet.

His win brought him level with Aiston with six points with two events - the 100 and 220 - still to be run before the title is decided.

Hutchinson and Baldwin, with two points each, are equal third.

What about Shane Naylor?

The fastest Australian ever over 70m!

Sorry but I’m a new comer to this selection process.

True, Naylor was beaten in those two 100yard Australian championship races but at the 70m mark Naylor was in front. In fact Naylor and O'Dwyer were up on Brimacombe at the 70m mark in 1992.

The point is that Naylor was beaten by arguably the best two 120m runners of the century in Capobianco and Brimacombe in those races and yet he beat them to 70m.

Just a bit confused as to the criteria, is it the fasted over the distance or the tightest handicapped to win over the distance and did they have to perform in the pros over that distance?

I don't know what handicaps Postle and Aiston ran from, but at that time pro's could not compete against amateurs so not only is it hard to compare eras it is also hard to compare runners of the time.

The point is that Naylor was beaten by arguably the best two 120m runners of the century in Capobianco and Brimacombe in those races and yet he beat them to 70m.

Maybe he beat the other 2 to 70 as he wasn't sure over 120? Its obvious there are plenty of variables in the discussions.Anyway the choice has been made.

Hey all, being the late peter bennetto's number one fan and first son, I would certainly have to qualify him as a contender. I spent my entire childhood watching and idolising him at every running meet, but unfortunately have no footage of him doing what he loved most. Does anybody know where I could view or track down some physical footage of old stawell gift meets. Or any old races between 80 and 94? Would be massively appreciated, cheers.

Hi Luke,
I'm sure I've got some footage of my old mate Pete stashed away. Give me a call on 0488 187 060 and I'll try and get something to you.
regards,
Todd Ireland

Thanks Todd

I wasn't sure how to answer Luke's question.

Your assistance is much appreciated.

PY

I might be a little bias but I would have thought that Singo would have been in the mix over 70m. I thought when he did the double at Stawell, he won the 70m off 3m in sub 7.4? He doesn't talk about it much so if anyone has the results it would be much appreciated.

He has also shown me a video of him in an Amo race a couple of years later racing possibly Calvin Smith over 100m. At the time I think Calvin may have held the WR, it is not a great view but Singo looks to be very close to Calvin after 60m.