The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-22 00:00:00

GREAT FOOT RACE FOR THE

CHAMPIONSHIP.

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The long talked-of and anxiously looked-for great pedes-
trian match between George Bradshaw, of Hammersmith,
and B. Butler, of Hanwell, came off yesterday at Smitham
Bottom. Both men are great favourites with the public, and
may be assuredly looked upon as the two greatest pedestrians
of this or of any antecedent period. Bradshaw signalised
himself a few months ago in a match of twenty-five miles
with the celebrated Robert Fuller, whom he defeated, after
a struggle never surpassed, and in which his speed, style,
and unflinching game were so fully- established, that his
friends selected a customer for him in the person of Butler,
who had within three years beaten all before him. Butler's
party were nothing loth, and a deposit was made which was
forfeited by the sudden illness of Bradshaw. He, however,
soon mended, and after some short time spent in arranging
the amount of stake and distance, the race of yesterday for
501. aside to walk twenty-five miles was agreed upon. Both
men went into active training, and at the various deposits
made from time to time considerable sums were laid out at
even. Butler had never before been engaged in a twenty-
five mile race, and therefore his time at that distance
was unknown to the public, while Bradshaw had on the
other hand accomplished it, in his race with Fuller under
four hours (a short mile we admit), otherwise, consider-
ing the enormous disproportion in the men, the odds
might have been considerably in favour of Butler, whose
time at twelve miles was known or generally presumed
to be less than his opponent's. The assemblage of spec-
tators on the ground was immense, and included many
good sporting men. Shortly after two o'clock the pedestrians
made their appearance, and a greater disparity between rival
walkers we never remember to have seen. -Butler is about
six feet two, and a very powerful man with it, while his op-
ponent does not appear to exceed five feet eight, and is very
thin and spare ; it was what in sporting phraeseology might
be termed " a horse to a hen." The men did not get away
until half-past two, when they effected a very beautiful start,
and although the race inflicted a very severe disappointment
upon the multitude who had travelled so far to witness it,
the early part was evenly and beautifully contested. For the
first eight and a half miles the men were shoulder and shoul-
der, with the exception of a trifling spurt or so, of which
the first two miles were done in seventeen minutes, and the
six miles in fifty-three minutes. The greatest excitement
prevailed on all hands. It was considered to be anybody's
victory, and money was being laid out from the seventh to
the eighth mile very freely. After turning the eighth mile,
it was evident to those acquainted with such matters that
Bradshaw was giving way, and before their arrival at the
ninth mile-stone he relaxed his speed, and Butler went
a-head. From this moment it looked, and was, a dead cer-
tainty. Butler increased his advantage in every step, and
in the fifteenth mile Bradshaw, having struggled on until
then with a violent pain in the side, as it was declared,' re-
signed. Butler took it very comfortably the remainder of
the distance, and completed the twenty-five miles in four
hours and a half. He had been trained by the great and
highly respectable pedestrian, Temperance, who officiated
upon him during the race.