This Day in History: 1821-12-31

On 31st December 1821, Messrs Beal and Ashton ran a competitive foot-race under the auspices of the Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cheshire Pedestrians in footmanship of four miles over Pontefract race course for £100 (over £11,000 in today’s money) a side with the first two miles run in eleven minutes. The race was won by Beal who beat Ashton by about five hundred yards, with his winning time of twenty-one minutes, forty- five seconds.