A GREAT DISTANCE RUNNER.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 October 1919, Page 3

A GREAT DISTANCE RUNNER.

D.EA.TH OF “BILL” CITMHINGS.

MATCHES WITH \V. G. GEORGE.

Old-timers of the sporting wovll will regret to l1e:11' of the (loath from canoe-r at the age of sixty of William Cummings, one of the greatest" di;'Jm-.-.> tun. ners who ever don_«.ned spiked SllO-ES. A native of Paisley. “Bill” Cmnmirfncs came to the front am-ong l:>':'l1.i.~:l' runners at an early age, and his speed and endurance gained for him u.lmber‘.ess prizes in races of a mile aurl Up\‘.’7ll’.d§ thl'eug‘hou’r. “he United Kingdom and In the United States. His f;unl)u.< :n.,u~ling» with. ‘We G-. George 3‘(,'l-' the 1311:1111Vp'1(,llSl1lp of the world will be within (lac ri.‘colle<:'ion of 11011<ld£e-fig-.=clVl'-)llow-erg OF>[J0(l(."Sl‘vl‘lal1lSIll; Th) f'1"sI; 11:.-me. races betwe.-211 the par: ;;‘<.'Cl‘ the m;la took. plaée at Lillie Bl.‘l.d_‘_‘,'?. on .~‘.ngn.s.t 30th, 1886, wheii George won in 4min 20sec. The second race ivag nver: four miles, and this time the Paisley runner proved successfulgcummings also won over 10 miles. In the following year they decided a.n3+.hr.-r series 0; races, when George won ‘she mile on August 23.111 lniigi 12%seCs, which stands as world’:; record to this (lay. Cummings, however, had his revenge in the four miles, decided at Persi’ovl, ‘tilt in the ten miles the Paisley runner broke down. leaving George to finish at his leisure. The old saw, “a=good big un’ will always beat -a good -little ’un,” is no cloubf well founded, but it required a very good big ’un indeed to beat, Ctimmings, who was “a mere scrap of al m.a.n,” scalingiwhen fit 3 bare 7-} ,stone. Yet out of the ten championship nfateh.es al'l'anged with Geol'ge lie beat The “big ’un” six times, and amongst ‘professional record times credifod to him are: 1000 yards 2min lsec; llmile, éiinin 16 1-ssec; 11. mile, Gmin, 4.3{;sec; 8 miles 40min 45 4-5505; 9 miles, 45min 59sec; 10 miles. 51min (4 3-fisec. '

After I'etiring from the 'rr:lcl{ Cummings wenf. into business at B1:1cl{pnb1, tl'zlllsfcl"l*ihg‘ his home later to Preston, but he diod_in the Glas7gmv C:ln\-'ol‘ Hospital.