1885 Scottish Athletics Championships

1885 Scottish Athletics Championships
Dates27 June
Host cityPaisley, Scotland
VenueWestmarch Stadium
LevelSenior
TypeOutdoor
Events11
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1886 →

Scottish Athletics Championships

The 1885 Scottish Athletics Championships were the third national athletics championships to be held in Scotland. They were held under the auspices of the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association at Westmarch Stadium, the home of St Mirren FC in Paisley, on Saturday 27 June 1885. The track was described as being in very good condition but the weather was extremely hot and fewer than one thousand spectators turned out to see David Duncan win the 1 mile for the third successive year. He was President of SAAA at the time and remains the only man to have won a Scottish national athletics championship whilst President of the organising body. Kenneth Whitton (St George's FC) set Scottish Native and All-comers records in winning the hammer. This was thrown Scots' style, using a wooden handled hammer from a nine-foot square, wire handled hammers and the circle were not adopted until 1896.

1885 is also a notable landmark in Scottish athletics. Up to this point athletes had represented football clubs, rugby, cricket or rowing clubs, or their schools and universities. In 1885 actual athletic clubs were first formed in Scotland, the first two being Clydesdale Harriers in the West, formed in May 1885, closely followed in September by Edinburgh Harriers in the East.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Results summary

100 yards
Pos Athlete Time
1. Robert A. Taylor (Edinburgh Un.) 10 3/5
2. Maurice C. Wright (Edinburgh Un.) 1 foot
3. Reginald H. Morrison (Edinburgh Un.) 1 foot
440 yards
Pos Athlete Time
1. Simon Henderson (Watson's Coll. AC) 51 4/5
2. Reginald H. Morrison (Edinburgh Un.) 1 yard
3. Maurice C. Wright (Edinburgh Un.)
880 yards
Pos Athlete Time
1. James Logan (Vale of Leven FC) 2:03 3/5
2. Reginald H. Morrison (Edinburgh Un.) 1 yard
1 mile
Pos Athlete Time
1. David S. Duncan (Royal High School FP) 5:01 2/5
2. James M. Crawford (Edinburgh Un.)
120 yard hurdles
Pos Athlete Time
1. Henry A. Watt (Glasgow Un.) 17 4/5
3 miles walk
Pos Athlete Time
1. James Caw (St Georges FC) 24:54
2. A. Brown (Airdrieonians FC) 50 yards
High jump
Pos Athlete Dist
1. James N. Macleod (Glasgow Un.) 5 ft 8in (1.72m)
2. John W. Parsons (Fettes-Loretto) 5 ft 6in (1.67m)
3. R. G. Taylor (Edinburgh North of England AC) 5 ft 3in (1.60m)
Pole vault
Pos Athlete Dist
1. Augustus G. G. Asher (Fettes-Loretto) 10 ft 1in (3.07m)
2. George Hodgson (Edinburgh North of England AC) 9 ft 6in (2.89m)
Long jump
Pos Athlete Dist
1. John W. Parsons (London AC) 21 ft 9 1/2in (6.64m)
2. R. G. Taylor (Edinburgh North of England AC) 18 ft 6in (5.64m)
Shot put
Pos Athlete Dist
1. Kenneth Whitton (Ross County FC) 41 ft 6in (12.65m)
2. Charles Reid (Edinburgh Academicals) 38 ft 9in (11.81m)
Hammer
Pos Athlete Dist
1. Kenneth Whitton (St George FC) 100 ft 5 3/4in (30.60m)
2. Charles Reid (Edinburgh Academicals FC) 87 ft 8in (26.72m)

See also

References

  1. ^ Scottish Athletics 1883-1983, John W. Keddie (1982)
  2. ^ Scottish Championship Results - Track
  3. ^ Scottish Championship Results - Field
  4. ^ Scottish Athletics Track Statisticians - Archive
  5. ^ "Paisley & Renfrewshire Gazette", Sat 27 Jun 1885 p. 4
  6. ^ "The Referee", Sun 28 Jun 1885 p. 5