George Blake (athlete)
Encyclopedia
George Bernard Blake was an Australia
n sportsman who competed in the 1906 Intercalated Games and 1908 Summer Olympics
as a long distance runner. He also played Australian rules football
with St Kilda and Carlton
in the Victorian Football League
(VFL).
Blake, the son of Irish
immigrants, had 10 siblings. One of them, Tom Blake, was also a league footballer and distance runner of note.
In 1897, George Blake made three appearances for St Kilda, who were playing in the inaugural VFL season. He played three more games in 1898 and then, due to his running career, had to wait five years for his seventh and final league game with St Kilda. He returned in 1905 to play one more game, this time at Carlton.
A national record holder for the 10 miles, Blake was one of Australia's leading long distance runners of the early 1900s and was a member of the East Melbourne Harriers Athletic Club. He went to Auckland
in 1901 for the Australasian Championships and finished second in the three miles, but was the first placed Australian.
He was one of just four Australians to go to Athens in 1906 for the Olympics. His first event was the Men's 1,500 metres where he finished far back in his heat and missed the final. The longer distances were more to his liking and in the Men's 5 mile race he placed sixth out of 28 competitors.
Blake's best performance of the 1906 Games was in the Men's Marathon
, where he was the only athlete from the southern hemisphere to compete. He was leading the race at the 24 km mark, by a distance of 1200 metres, but succumbed to cramp. Blake was still able to finish the race and finished sixth, in a time of three hours, nine minutes and thirty five seconds. He was involved in a sprint for the finish with Greece's Ioannis Alepous, who beat him to the line by ten seconds. His placing was not bettered by an Australian at an Olympic Games until Robert de Castella
finished fifth in 1984.Although considered to be at the time, the 1906 Games are no longer recognised by the IOC as being an "Olympic" Games. They are instead referred to as the Intercalated Games
, as they took place outside of the usual four year cycle.
Blake made the long journey to Europe
again two years later to participate in the London Olympics, this time competing for Australasia. He narrowly missed out on making the Men's 5 Mile final after finishing third in his heat and only the top two qualified. In the marathon he couldn't repeats his performance from Athens and didn't finish the race. He could however feel aggrieved as his retirement after five and a half miles was due to an injury sustained when the bicyle riding attendant collided with him while giving out refreshments.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n sportsman who competed in the 1906 Intercalated Games and 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
as a long distance runner. He also played Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
with St Kilda and Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
in the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
(VFL).
Blake, the son of Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
immigrants, had 10 siblings. One of them, Tom Blake, was also a league footballer and distance runner of note.
In 1897, George Blake made three appearances for St Kilda, who were playing in the inaugural VFL season. He played three more games in 1898 and then, due to his running career, had to wait five years for his seventh and final league game with St Kilda. He returned in 1905 to play one more game, this time at Carlton.
A national record holder for the 10 miles, Blake was one of Australia's leading long distance runners of the early 1900s and was a member of the East Melbourne Harriers Athletic Club. He went to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
in 1901 for the Australasian Championships and finished second in the three miles, but was the first placed Australian.
He was one of just four Australians to go to Athens in 1906 for the Olympics. His first event was the Men's 1,500 metres where he finished far back in his heat and missed the final. The longer distances were more to his liking and in the Men's 5 mile race he placed sixth out of 28 competitors.
Blake's best performance of the 1906 Games was in the Men's Marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
, where he was the only athlete from the southern hemisphere to compete. He was leading the race at the 24 km mark, by a distance of 1200 metres, but succumbed to cramp. Blake was still able to finish the race and finished sixth, in a time of three hours, nine minutes and thirty five seconds. He was involved in a sprint for the finish with Greece's Ioannis Alepous, who beat him to the line by ten seconds. His placing was not bettered by an Australian at an Olympic Games until Robert de Castella
Robert de Castella
Robert Francois de Castella, MBE is an Australian former world champion marathon runner. He is widely known as "Deek" or "Deeks" to the Australian public, and "Tree" to his competitors due to his thick legs and inner calm...
finished fifth in 1984.Although considered to be at the time, the 1906 Games are no longer recognised by the IOC as being an "Olympic" Games. They are instead referred to as the Intercalated Games
Intercalated Games
The Intercalated Olympic Games were to be a series of International Olympic Games half-way between what we now call Games of the Olympiad. This proposed series of games, intercalated in the Olympic Games cycle, was to always be held in Athens, and were to have equal status with the international...
, as they took place outside of the usual four year cycle.
Blake made the long journey to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
again two years later to participate in the London Olympics, this time competing for Australasia. He narrowly missed out on making the Men's 5 Mile final after finishing third in his heat and only the top two qualified. In the marathon he couldn't repeats his performance from Athens and didn't finish the race. He could however feel aggrieved as his retirement after five and a half miles was due to an injury sustained when the bicyle riding attendant collided with him while giving out refreshments.