The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-13
WALK FROM LANDS END
TO JOHN 0 GROAT'S
Veteran English Athlete, DR..
leighton, Is Making the Thou
sand-Mile Journey.
WALKING AS EXERCISE

LONDON, March 12.-Dr. Deighton, of
Durham. a veteran athlete of sixty-one
years. is well on his way on his long walk
from Lands End to John o. Greats. The
distance is close on 1000 miles, and the doc
tor, before starting. declared his intention
of covering it by fair heel and toe in
t%wenty-nine days.
Il expect" the athletic sexagenarian re-
marked. before starting. "to knock up old
John O Greats on March 2S."
DR.. Deighton stands six feet high, and
carries a pleasant expression on his clean
shaven face. He weighs 13st Bib. For fif-
teen years he was professional athletic in
structor at Durham University where he OBJ
tanned the title of doctor. He considers
walking the finest of all exercises, and an
t~icipates another walking craze this year.
He is an all-round athlete. and has won
sixty-nine contests Of various descriptions.
His best walking feat was 1O7 miles in two
days.
The veteran athlete feels confident that
he will accomplish the feat which he has
set himself within the prescribed time. To
do so he will have to cover nearly forty
miles every day save Sundays.
In case of chatting, he uses embrocation
of his own manufacture, and when taking
a bath he puts the embrocation into il, but
he does not recommend too many baths,
and says that Turkish baths should be
strictly avoided.
A keen east wind was blowing at Lands
End when. at eighteen minutes past eight,
the doctor, dressed in gray knickers, white
sweater, and soft hat, commenced his task.
He was accompanied by his trainer and a
motor car, which follows him throughout
and attends to his wants.
All along the route the folk turned out
10 see the veteran walker, who did the first
five miles in four minutes over the hour.
PenZance was reached Mt half-past 10-ten
miles in 2 hours and II minutes. A halt
was here made for refreshments, but a large
crowd subsequently followed him out of
the town.
Dr.. Deighton has an easy swing of the
arms from the shoulders and takes a me-
dunn stride. He arrived at Redruth at $40,
passing through at the rate of about four
and one-half miles per hour: Truro-a dis
lance of thirty-six and one-half miles-was
reached at $40, and there he stayed the
night. His yesterdays average was four
and one-quarter miles per hour, notwith-
standing that he had TO face a strong wind,
and heavy snow fell toward the close. which
rendered the roads very heavy. He met
with enthusiastic o~vations from the Cornish
people, especially from the school children
of Camborne.
C. w. Allen. of Stroud, also started on
a 1.OOO-mile walk, which he will endeavor to
cover in twenty-five days, six hours. The
route taken is northwards through Buxton
and then south to London, thence travelling
through the eastern and southern counties
back to Stroud. Allen is twenty-one years
of age and weighs eight stone three pounds.
He claims 10 be the lightest long-distance
walker who ever attempted the feat. The
first day he expects To reach Evesham, and
the next day as far as Stratford-on-AvOn.
n. Sloan, of Bolton, who has won over
one hundred prizes in various athletic
events. is attempting the task of walking
for a wager 1000 miles in 1000 hours, with
go hours for intervals, not aking more
than IN hour at a time for changing, rub
bling down, bathing and refreshment.
Sloan left London on Nov. /, 1903, and
travelled on the east and west coast of Eng
land. being checked on the way at certain
stations. He has been covering about forty
five miles a day in order to get i'm front of
time, but his average is twenty miles per
day. He has reached New Castle. and after
covering most of that district during the
next few Gays will then leave for York.
Sloan is the man who beat George Aliens
(the vegetarian record by GOO miles. He is
twenty-one years of age. five feet two
inches in height and eight stone i'm weight.
In beating Aliens record he accomplished
1000 miles in twenty days.
Sloan&ook part in the all-England walk,
being awarded a special prize for wheeling
a barrow. thirty pounds in weight, fifty
miles in eleven hours, breaking Burns's (the
diver record by one hour and a quarter,
last August.