In December following, he first appeared in the sporting world as a swift runner. He had performed long journies beyond the power of any man living, which was attributed to his great strength and bottom; but it was generally supposed that he did not possess fleetness sufficient to enable him to cope with any of the first-rate runners. The KNOWING ONES, however were deceived; for Capt. Barclay proved, that even at a very short distance, he had few competitors. He started in Hyde Park to run a quarter of a mile against Mr. John Ward, and bets were two to one in favour of his antagonist. Ward took the lead, and kept it for the first three hundred yards. Capt. Barclay then beat up, and they ran the next hundred yards neck and neck. In the last forty, Ward lost ten yards; and Capt. Barclay accomplished the whole distance, four hundred and forty yards, in fifty-six seconds,—Mr. Fletcher Reid and the Hon. B. Craven, were the umpires.
In March 1804, Capt. Barclay undertook, for a wager of two hundred guineas, to walk twenty-three miles in three hours. It was intended that he should start in Hertfordshire, and finish at the Royal Exchange, London. But unfortunately, on the day appointed he was taken ill, and consequently lost his stake. The sporting world were thus disappointed; and any odds would have been laid that he should have completed the task.
On Thursday the 16th of August, Capt. Barclay, who was then a lieutenant in the 23d regiment of foot, and quartered at East Bourne in Suffolk, engaged to run two miles in twelve minutes. He accomplished this undertaking with apparent ease, in two seconds and a half within the time. The arduousness of the task was greatly increased by the excessive rain which had fallen during the two preceding days, and a high wind that blew in his face. He ran the first mile in five minutes.
On the 18th of the following month, a match, to run one mile for one hundred guineas, was performed at East Bourne between Capt. Barclay and Capt. Marston of the 48th regiment. Both gentlemen were such celebrated pedestrians, that the race attracted some hundreds of spectators, and a great deal of money was sported. Capt. Marston being known by the regiment as a swift runner, found many to back him. They started at an early hour. Capt. Barclay suffered his competitor to take the lead, and keep it for a short distance, when he passed him, and continued a-head to the end of the race, which he accomplished in five minutes and seven seconds, notwithstanding the intense heat of the day. Mr. Fletcher Reid attended as the umpire. At the same place, Capt. Barclay ran a mile against John Ireland of Manchester, one of the swiftest runners in that quarter, on the 12th of October, for a bet of five hundred guineas. Ireland gave in at three-fourths of the mile; but Capt. Barclay performed the whole distance in four minutes and fifty seconds.
In 1805, Capt. Barclay performed two long walks, at the rate of more than six miles an hour. In March, he went from Birmingham to Wrexham in North Wales, by Shrewsbury,—a distance of seventy-two miles,—between breakfast and dinner. And in July following, he walked from Suffolk Street, Charing Cross, to Seaford in Sussex—a distance of sixty-four miles—in ten hours.
In June this year, he had entered into a match with Capt. Cook, to take place on the 19th, at Epsom course. As both gentlemen were celebrated runners, a great concourse of people assembled, among whom were many fashionable females. Capt. Cook did not make his appearance, but Capt. Barclay, more punctual to his engagements, came forward, and ran triumphantly over the ground, winning the whole of his bets, which were very considerable.
In June this year, (1806) Capt. Barclay walked from Suffolk Street, Charing Cross, to Colchester in Essex—a distance of fifty-five miles—without stopping to breakfast. In the course of the day, he rowed from Gravesend, and back.
On Monday the 4th August this year, a match took place between Capt. Barclay and Mr. Goulbourne, late of the Royal Horse Guards. The celebrity of the two gentlemen raised the expectations of all the amateurs; and the distance being only a quarter of a mile, made the odds in favour of Mr. Goulbourne, which were about six to four at starting. Capt. Barclay immediately took the lead, his opponent keeping close behind him for the first three hundred yards, which were run in great style: But here Mr. Goulbourne’s strength entirely failed him, and Capt. Barclay ran the remainder of the distance alone. He performed the whole four hundred and forty yards in one minute and two seconds.—This race was performed in Lord’s cricket ground, Mary-le-bone.
In December this year, Capt. Barclay accomplished the arduous performance of one hundred miles in nineteen hours, over the worst road in the kingdom, and just at the break of a severe storm. He started from Ury to go to Crathynaird, and back. He went to Charlton of Aboyne, (twenty-eight miles) in four hours, where he stopped ten minutes; then went forward to Crathynaird, (twenty-two miles,) where he remained fifty minutes. He then returned to Charlton, where he refreshed for thirty minutes, when he proceeded to Ury, and completed the whole distance in nineteen hours. Exclusive of stoppages, the distance was performed in seventeen hours and a half, or at the rate of about five miles and three-quarters each hour, on the average.