course, in a strict sense, intercollegiate contests do not show the real advance in
athletics, because it is not necessary for a man in order to win a championship to
do his best; but they do show general improvement.
We select for our purpose a few of those records longest kept. Not dependent on
external conditions like boat-racing, or on improved apparatus like bicycling, we
have interesting data of a very different order for physical measurements. These
down to present writing—July, 1906—are as follows: For the 100-yard dash,
every annual record from 1876 to 1895 is 10 or 11 seconds, or between these,
save in 1890, where Owen's record of 9-4/5 seconds still stands. In the 220-yard
run there is slight improvement since 1877, but here the record of 1896 (Wefers,
21-1/5 seconds) has not been surpassed. In the quarter-mile run, the beet record
was in 1900 (Long, 47 seconds). The half-mile record, which still stands, was
made in 1895 (Kilpatrick, 1 minute 52-2/5 seconds); the mile run in 1895
(Conneff, 4 minutes 15-3/5 seconds). The running broad jump shows a very
steady improvement, with the best record in 1900 (Prinstein, 24 feet 7-1/4
inches). The running high jump shows improvement, but less, with the record of
1895 still standing (Sweeney, 6 feet 5-5/8 inches). The record for pole vaulting,
corrected to November, 1905, is 12 feet 132/100 inches (Dole); for throwing the
16-pound hammer head, 100 feet 5 inches (Queckberner); for putting the 16-
pound shot, 49 feet 6 inches (Coe, 1905); the standing high jump, 5 feet 5-1/2
inches (Ewry); for the running high jump, 6 feet 5-5/8 inches (Sweeney). We
also find that if we extend our purview to include all kinds of records for
physical achievement, that not a few of the amateur records for activities
involving strength combined with rapid rhythm movement are held by young
men of twenty or even less.
In putting the 16-pound shot under uniform conditions the record has improved
since the early years nearly 10 feet (Coe, 49 feet 6 inches, best at present writing,
1906). Pole vaulting shows a very marked advance culminating in 1904 (Dole,
12 feet 132/100 inches). Most marked of all perhaps is the great advance in
throwing the 16-pound hammer. Beginning between 70 and 80 feet in the early
years, the record is now 172 feet 11 inches (Flanagan, 1904). The two-mile
bicycle race also shows marked gain, partly, of course, due to improvement in
the wheel, the early records being nearly 7 minutes, and the best being 2 minutes
19 seconds (McLean, 1903). Some of these are world records, and more exceed
professional records.[3] These, of course, no more indicate general improvement
than the steady reduction of time in horse-racing suggests betterment in horses
generally.