Alfred Tysoe

Educated at Brooklands School, Sale near Manchester, Alfred Tysoe, a Lancashire farm worker, achieved his first championship successes in 1896 when he won the Northern Counties 1,000 yards and mile titles. They were to be the first of his 22 National and local titles. The following year he established a national reputation by winning the AAA mile and 10 miles championships, and in 1898 he was a member of the Salford Harriers team that won the National cross-country team championship. In view of his obvious talent as a distance runner, it came as a surprise when Tysoe returned to the shorter distances but the decision was soon justified. He won the Northern Counties mile in 1898 with a time time that stood as a record for 38 years. He won the AAA 880 yards title in 1899 and retained the title in 1900 in 1:57.8, which topped the world rankings that year. One week after his AAA victory Tysoe won the Olympic 800 metres title in Paris in a slow 2:01.2 and he later won a gold medal in the 5,000 metre team race in which he himself finished seventh. After his disappointing time in the 800 metres, Tysoe was anxious to give the French a better indication of his true abilities, and he entered for the handicap events which concluded the Games. Although he was eliminated after finishing only fifth in his heat in the 800 metre handicap race, his time of 1:57.8, off scratch, was a new French All-Comers record. Tysoe concluded the 1900 season by defeating the new Olympic 1,500 metre champion, Charles Bennett of Finchley Harriers, in a challenge match over 1320 yards. The contest, at Belle Vue, Manchester, attracted a large crowd and Bennett led for most of the race until Tysoe overtook him on the final turn and pulled away to win by 12 yards. Tragically, this was to be the last race of his career. Early in 1901 he contracted pleurisy and died later that year at his father’s home at the age of 27.

Personal Bests: 880y – 1:55.6e (1897); 1,000y – 2:21.8 (1899); Mile – 4:24.2 (1898); 2 miles – 9:49.0 (1898); 3 miles – 15:18.0 (1898); 10 miles – 55:59.6 (1897).