The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-16 00:00:00

PEDESTRIANISM.

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E. SMITH AND ROBERT MAREPEACE.—These swift ones ran 140
ards, yesterday, at Fig's Marsh Level, for 251. aside. The race
came off a little before five. We do not know that we ever saw Ned
Smith in better condition, and for one now a little passee, he looked
everything his friends could wish. Nevertheless, those who fanbied
the younger and fresher man were in the ascendant, and ruled the
market, 6 to 4 and longer odds being sported on Makepeace, till " the
business" became stagnant, and money went begging. The issue,
however, proved the correctness of prevalent opinion, for after a fair
start, Mitkepeace, whose competitor ran beautifully with him for the
better half of the distance, drew ahead, and finally defeated Smith
by half a dozen yards. Smith never ran better, but when his opponent
has done half his work, we shall be prepared to concede him yet
higher praise than that of defeating his antogonist of to-day. Never-
theless, Makepeace has proved himself a speedy, game, and clever
runner at the distance.
GREAT TEN-MILE MATCH AND HURDLE-RACE, AT WALWORTH.—
The announcement that the three first walkers in England had en-
tered .to compete in a ten-mile match, for a cup of 251. value and
other secondary emoluments, might alone have been expected to as-
semble a numerous gathering of people, on a fine Monday in June ;
but to witness such " tall walking" as it was this day our sweltering
lot to time beneath a scorching sun, was " passing strange, 'twas
wonderful." The first match then for ten miles, fair toe and heel,
brought Benjamin Butler, Charles Westhall, and George Bradshaw.
To give a summary of their performances would be to recapitulate
the best matches in our pedestrian chronology for the last
three years. The men had all met before, and knew each others
prowess and peculiar qualifications. At ten minutes before five
all being in readiness, a fair start was effected, and the trio toed and
heeled it an awful pace. Butler led at the first lap round by 20
yards, Bradshaw four yards in his rear, and Westhall last. The
second round Westhall was in advance, with Butler in close attend--
ance, Bradshaw well up. The third Butler led, and at the fourth,
which comrleted the first mile, Westhall came by with a lead of only
three yards, Butler second, and Bradshaw fifteen yards in the rear.
Time 8 min. 22 sec. It may be as well here to remark, that upon
measurement, it was decided that the roped circumference of the
ground was taken for general purposes to be a quarter of a mile, al-
though, as it fell some yards short of that distance, it was decided
that forty-one circuits should be taken by the men to complete the
ten miles. We shall not detail every round as recorded in our note-
book, but merely give the close of each mile :-
Ist mile, Westhall, Bm. 225., Butler 3 yds, Bradshaw 15 yds. be-
hind. 2d mile, Butler and Bradshaw, 16m. 455., Westhall 16 yds.
behind. 3d mile, Butler, 25m. 75., Westhall 20 yds, Bradshaw 35
yds. in the rear. 4th mile, Butler and Westhall together, 34m.,

13radshaw 40 yds. behind. sth mile, Butler (4 yds. in advance)
42m. 295., Westhall and Bradshaw level. 6th mile, Butler (first by
2 yds.), 50m. 485., Westhall 2, Bradshaw 3. 7th mile, Bradshaw
(20 yds. in advance), 59m. 135., Butler and Westhall together. Bth
mile, Bradshaw, GBm., Butler and Westhall together. 9th mils,
Westhall, leading by 20 yds., 76m. 18s. Bradshaw, who was evi-
dently walking in difficulties, was here said to have given In, bt:t he
camo again. 10th mile, Westhall, BGm., Butler being second by
about 100 yds. When we consider the ground walked on (sun-dried
turf) and the tropical heat of the day, we take this to be an un-
matched performance for endurance of fatigue and as a specimen of
speed. The company in the ground was estimated at 2,000, and the
outsiders, who obtained surreptitious peeps, were innumerable.
THE HURDLE RACE. —This affair, the prize a silver snuff-box, was
contested by four men —George Martin Warwick, Knott (of Leicester),
and Brown (all amateur). There was also a fifth man, in the person
of Nickle,.the Glasgow runner, who never having tried hurdle jump-
ing, stripped anti went off with the racers, without being entered as
competing for the prize. This caused some perplexity among the
spectators. Nickle went off with the lead, but could not hold it,
Martin soon showing in front, and taking his hurdles I:ke a deer;
Knott, of Leicester, cast a shoe, and Warwick, though he ran gamely
and cams in second, was only favoured with a distant back view of
little Martin, was bounded in an easy winner by his own distance,
The race was never in doubt ; Knott third, Brown fourth, and sickle
any where.
Some minor races folowed, but as the parties engaged therein are
unknown as public men, we shall leave them unnoticed till their feats
deserve recording.