page_title: Lon Myers
section_title: Professional
hierarchical_section_title: Lon Myers / Track career / Professional
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Laurence Myers (à droite), athlète américain né le 16 février 1858 et mort le 15 février 1899) , spécialiste de nombreuses disciplines (du 50 yd au mile). Au côté de Walter George
context_page_description: Laurence Eugene "Lon" Myers was an American sprinter and middle distance runner.
  Myers won 28 national championships. He also set world records at 11 different distances, and held every American record for races 50 yards to one mile. Myers set the world quarter-mile record while running the final 120 yards without his right shoe. He finished another race that he won running sideways, in conversation with a runner who had boasted that he would defeat Myers.
context_section_description: The press in England had cast doubt on Myers' performances, asserting that Americans were deficient in the ability to time races properly, and questioning the accuracy of American watches.  Myers came out of retirement and became a professional in 1886 to run against English champion Walter George, the world record holder in the mile.  George had become a professional two years earlier, and had challenged Myers.  They competed in the "Middle Distance Championship of the World", before thousands of fans at Madison Square Garden.
  Myers beat George at 1,000 yards, 1,320 yards, and 1 mile, and received the $3,000 ($85,000 in current dollar terms) prize.
  The following year Myers faced George in the same contest in Australia at the half, 3/4 and full mile. Myers won the first event and George won the other two.
  Myers died of pneumonia on his 41st birthday, in New York City.
caption: Myers (on the right),
  with Walter George
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