Myers, "Lon" (Lawrence E.)
Track and Field
b. Feb. 16, 1858, Richmond, VA
d. Feb. 15, 1899
At his peak from 1879 through 1887, Myers was virtually unbeatable at every distance from 100 yards to 1 mile, and he was never beaten in the 440-yard run. Sickly as a boy, he began running to build up his strength. In 1879, he set the first of his seven world records, running the 440 in 49.2 seconds. It was the first time anyone had broken the 50-second barrier.
Myers also set a world record of 1:56 in the half-mile in 1881. He lowered it to 1:55.4 in 1884 and matched that twice in 1885. The 5-foot-8, 114 pounder won national championships in the 220-, 440-, and 880-yard runs in 1879; in the 100, 220, 440, and 880 in 1880; in the 100, 220, and 440 in 1881; in the 220, 440, and 880 in 1884; and in the 440 in 1882 and 1883.
In 1884, Myers was charged with professionalism because he held a paid position with the Manhattan Athletic Club, accepted money to judge a race and to write a sports column, and had won a $20 gold piece at a meet. Although the charges were dismissed by the National Association of Amateur Athletes of America, which then supervised amateur track and field, the incident led to the formation of the Amateur Athletic Union, which replaced the NAAAA.
Myers became a professional in 1886 to run against Walter George of England in a contest billed as the "Middle Distance Championship of the World" ad Madison Square Garden. Myers beat George at 1,000 yards, 1,320 yards, and 1 mile to collect the $3,000 purse.
A similar contest was held in Australia in 1887. After Myers won the first two races, George sailed home to England in chagrin without running the third race. Myers then returned to the U. S. and became a bookmaker, which was then legal. He died of pneumonia on his 41st birthday.