Fred Lord

Fred Lord started running with Wibsey Harriers at the age of 26 in 1905 following a successful career locally as a swimmer, and he was soon winning medals at club and county level. One of only three Britons to run in both the 1908 and 1912 Olympic marathons, Lord was the only one to finish both races. He ran once in the International Cross-Country Championship, finishing seventh in 1909 before placing second behind Harry Barrett in the inaugural Poly marathon later in the year. Lord was the best known Yorkshire runner in the period from 1908-14. He was the first Briton to finish, in fifth place, in the 1913 London Marathon from Windsor to London, against a strong international field. Two weeks later he finished second in the Hull Marathon. Sadly Lord died very young at the age of 48. He had a physically demanding job as a chemical process worker and one day in 1928 when putting on his clogs before going to work, he used an old pocket-knife as a shoe horn and cut his heel, which resulted in him contracting septicaemia and dying from the wound. His death left his wife with Annie with four children to raise.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-44:43.0 (1909).