Thomas Conneff
Encyclopedia
Thomas Conneff was an amateur American
runner who held the amateur record for the fastest mile
(4:15) from 1895 to 1911.
He was an Irish
-born runner who emigrated to the United States in 1888 and generally specialized in longer distances, winning the national 10-mile championship four years in a row starting in 1888. http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/archive/results.jsp?sex=M&disciplineId=10&id=1 He also ran the mile and won national titles in 1888 and 1891,http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/archive/results.jsp?sex=M&disciplineId=6&id=1 but did not truly start to dominate the event until 1893, when under the coaching of Mike Murphy, he improved his mile form to emerge as a top amateur miler. He was a member of the Manhattan Athletic Club
.
On August 26, 1893, at Holmes Field in Cambridge Mass., Conneff, representing Holy Cross Lycuem, started from scratch and easily overtook other runners who had long starts. His first lap split time was 59 seconds, his second lap 2:00. After three laps, he was at 3:07. He started to fall off his pace as he finished the race, but he nevertheless set a new amateur record of 4:17. (Walter George
had run 4:12¾ in 1886 as a professional.)
That record lasted to 1895 as Frederick Bacon ran 4:17 at the AAA Championships at Stamford Bridge
, London
on 6 July.
Conneff wanted to regain his record, so after a 4:21 tune-up on 10 August at Weehawken, New Jersey
, he ran a 3/4 mile race at Travers Island, New York
on 21 August in 3:02, a time which would not be bettered for 36 years.
Returning to Travers Island a week later, Conneff was paced by 4:21 miler George Orton, who led him to the quarter in 62 and the half in 2:06. At the 3/4 mark, Conneff was at 3:10. Two-time AAU champion Eddie Carter paced Conneff for the last 300 yards as Conneff started to slow. He crossed the finish line and stopped the clock at 4:15 to regain his amateur mile record.
He followed that record run on 21 September with a race against some of the top British runners. He ran a first-lap 65, then was at 2:10 at the half, again paced by Orton. William Lutyens, who had run a 4:19 the year before and had paced Bacon to his record, was forced to drop out of the race, leaving Conneff to trot home in 4:18.
Reporter William B. Curtis described Conneff after the race: "He never was in such fine mettle as during the past four weeks. He could at any time have beaten his own world's best amateur record of 4:15 and might have equalled or surpassed the world's best professional record, 4:12¾... He is one of those athletes who speedily makes their handlers go gray-haired, is restive under the restrictions of training, and prone to stray outside the bounds laid down for athletic aspirants. He is now 29 years old and can hardly hope to improve hereafter."
His amateur mile record would stand until 1911.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
runner who held the amateur record for the fastest mile
World record progression for the mile run
The world record in the mile run is the best mark set by a male or female runner in the middle-distance track and field event. The IAAF is the official body which oversees the records. Hicham El Guerrouj is the current men's record holder with his time of 3:43.13 minutes, while Svetlana Masterkova...
(4:15) from 1895 to 1911.
He was an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
-born runner who emigrated to the United States in 1888 and generally specialized in longer distances, winning the national 10-mile championship four years in a row starting in 1888. http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/archive/results.jsp?sex=M&disciplineId=10&id=1 He also ran the mile and won national titles in 1888 and 1891,http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/archive/results.jsp?sex=M&disciplineId=6&id=1 but did not truly start to dominate the event until 1893, when under the coaching of Mike Murphy, he improved his mile form to emerge as a top amateur miler. He was a member of the Manhattan Athletic Club
Manhattan Athletic Club
The Manhattan Athletic Club was an athletic club in Manhattan, New York.The Manhattan Athletic Club was organized on November 7, 1877, and legally incorporated on April 1, 1878. Its emblem was a "cherry diamond"....
.
On August 26, 1893, at Holmes Field in Cambridge Mass., Conneff, representing Holy Cross Lycuem, started from scratch and easily overtook other runners who had long starts. His first lap split time was 59 seconds, his second lap 2:00. After three laps, he was at 3:07. He started to fall off his pace as he finished the race, but he nevertheless set a new amateur record of 4:17. (Walter George
Walter George (athlete)
Walter Goodall George was a nineteenth century British runner from Calne who after setting numerous world records as an amateur, went professional in part to challenge the mile record-holder William Cummings, defeating him in several highly publicized races...
had run 4:12¾ in 1886 as a professional.)
That record lasted to 1895 as Frederick Bacon ran 4:17 at the AAA Championships at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 6 July.
Conneff wanted to regain his record, so after a 4:21 tune-up on 10 August at Weehawken, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, he ran a 3/4 mile race at Travers Island, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on 21 August in 3:02, a time which would not be bettered for 36 years.
Returning to Travers Island a week later, Conneff was paced by 4:21 miler George Orton, who led him to the quarter in 62 and the half in 2:06. At the 3/4 mark, Conneff was at 3:10. Two-time AAU champion Eddie Carter paced Conneff for the last 300 yards as Conneff started to slow. He crossed the finish line and stopped the clock at 4:15 to regain his amateur mile record.
He followed that record run on 21 September with a race against some of the top British runners. He ran a first-lap 65, then was at 2:10 at the half, again paced by Orton. William Lutyens, who had run a 4:19 the year before and had paced Bacon to his record, was forced to drop out of the race, leaving Conneff to trot home in 4:18.
Reporter William B. Curtis described Conneff after the race: "He never was in such fine mettle as during the past four weeks. He could at any time have beaten his own world's best amateur record of 4:15 and might have equalled or surpassed the world's best professional record, 4:12¾... He is one of those athletes who speedily makes their handlers go gray-haired, is restive under the restrictions of training, and prone to stray outside the bounds laid down for athletic aspirants. He is now 29 years old and can hardly hope to improve hereafter."
His amateur mile record would stand until 1911.