STAIR-CLIMBING FEAT

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12613, 25 November 1926, Page 9

STAIR-CLIMBING FEAT

MONUMENT AS RACE TRACK By running from his place of business in Lower Thames street, London, K.C., to the Fire Monument—a distance of 100 yards or so—up the 311 steps to the top, once round the cupola, and back again, in 3 minutes 50 seconds, Mr Len Slarke, a young Billingsgate fish salesman, has won a wager of los. Few people, one feels, would care to attempt the feat lor less, and Mr Slarke, when he reached his shop again, was on the verge of collapse. Mr Slarke _ had previously covered the distance in just over four minutes, and it was tiecause his claim was doubted that he set off. again. His employer, Mr George Sayer, arranged to have the effort timed. The record dash up the Monument stairs and down again was achieved in two and a half minutes. According to tradition the feat was accomplished by a city barman 100 vears ago or thereabouts; but this did not include any preliminary or succeeding run. A monument attendant told a “Daily Chronicle” representative that Mr Slarke’s dash was the more remarkable because he had to pass between 15 and 20 people on the stairs. “He could have done it even quicker if he had known the way to come down,” said the attendant. “The staircaso is circular, and ho tried to take the steps two at a time. The quickest way is to stick to the wall and run down one at a time. If any more record-breakers come along they will have to line up outside the monument at 9 sharp. The corporation won’t have the general public harassed by athletes rushing past them.”