Lon Myers

Lon Myers
Lon Myers in 1880
Personal information
Birth nameLaurence Eugene Myers
NationalityAmerican
BornFebruary 16, 1858
Richmond, Virginia, USA
DiedFebruary 16, 1899(1899-02-16) (aged 41)
Sport
SportRunning
Event50 yards to one mile
ClubManhattan Athletic Club
Turned pro1886
Achievements and titles
National finals15 United States, 10 Canadian, and 3 British national championships
Highest world rankingWorld records at:
  • 250 yards
    (26.0 seconds; 1882)
  • 350 (36.8; 1881)
  • 400 (43.625; 1882)
  • 440 on grass (49.4; 1885)
  • 500 (58.0; 1880)
  • 600 (1:11.4; 1882)
  • 660 (1:22.0; 1880)
  • 800 (1:44.4; 1882)
  • 840 on grass (1:48.6; 1885)
  • 880 on grass (1:56.5; 1885)
  • 1,000 (2:13.0; 1881)
Lon Myers

Laurence Eugene "Lon" Myers (February 16, 1858 – February 16, 1899) was an American sprinter and middle distance runner.[1][2]

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 a world quarter-mile record while running the final 120 yards without his right shoe, and finished another race that he won running sideways (in conversation with a runner who had boasted that he would defeat Myers).

  1. ^ "Hall of Fame; Laurence (Lon) Myers". USATF. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  2. ^ Joe D. Willis and Richard G. Wettan (November 2, 1975). "L. E. Myers, "World's Greatest Runner"" (PDF). Journal of Sport History. Retrieved October 26, 2011.