The other early records that are still unexcelled are those of W. G. Scarlet, Newcastle, England, Sept. 7, 1841, who ran 140 yards in 14 seconds; Charles Westhall, Manchester, England, Feb. 4, 1851, who did 150 yards in 15 seconds, and Seward's unapproachable record of 200 yards in 19 1-2 seconds, made March 22, 1847.
Seward was one of the very few men who could keep up the rate of ten yards a second for a distance over a hundred yards.
Since his day, records of all other distances have improved greatly.
The best 125-yard record is American; that of J. W. Cozad, made Nov. 23, 1868, at Long Island Fashion Course, in 12 1-2 seconds. The year before, William Johnson, at Fenham Park, England, did 130 yards in 1-4 second less time.
The best 180-yard record is 18 1-5 seconds, made April 27, 1878, by L. Junker, at London. Junker was an amateur, and his performance is below that of Seward before referred to, not quite reaching 10 yards a second, while Seward beat that average.
The best furlong records are made by amateurs in the same year; W. Phillips doing the distance in 22 2-5 seconds, in London, England, Sept. 28, 1878; and L. E. Myers at Mott Haven, N. Y., making it in 22 3-4 seconds, Sept. 20, 1879.
Beyond a furlong, no man has yet succeeded in keeping up the rate of ten yards a second, the nearest approach being that of R. Buttery, Newcastle, England, Oct. 4, 1873. This runner did a quarter of a mile—440 yards—in 48 1-4 seconds, beating the best English record by two seconds and the best American by four seconds.
The best half-mile record was made in New Zealand by Frank Hewitt, of Lyttleton, in September, 1871, in 113 1-2 seconds, beating the best English records by four and the best American by ten seconds.
The best mile record was made in a dead heat between Richards and Lang, at Manchester, England, August 19, 1865, in 4 minutes 17 1-4 seconds; seven seconds better than had ever been done before. Lang had previously made two miles in 9m. 11 1-2s., in Manchester, England, August 1, 1863.