Sam Ferris

Sam Ferris, actually Samuel Ferris, ( born August 29, 1900 in Dromore, Banbridge ( District ), † March 21, 1980 in Torquay, Devon ) was a British marathon runner who was successful in the 1920s and early 1930s.

The 1.74 m tall athlete competed for the Shettleston Harriers and the Herne Hill Harriers.

His first marathon played Ferris in 1924, then he won three times in succession the British Championship.:

In 1928, Northern Ireland held their own championships; this Ferris won the title five more times ( 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932 and 1933 ).

Ferris presented three British national records on:

• 2:35:58,2 h (1925 )
• 2:35:27 h (1927 )
• 2:33:00 h (1928)

His personal best is 2:31:55,0 h, run in 1932.

Ferris participated in three Olympic Games. In Paris in 1924 he came under 58 participants ( of which only 30 reached the target) in 2:52:26,0 h to a respectable fifth place, where he had about four minutes behind third-placed ( it won the Finn Albin Stenroos in 2:41:22,6 h). 1928 in Amsterdam, he would come with his erected in the same year personal best of 2:33 in the medal ranks. After all, he was much faster than in Paris in 2:37:41 h, but this was enough time for the eighth place ( winner was the starting for France Boughera El Ouafi in 2:32:57 h). 1932 in Los Angeles, he was in top shape, however, to the minute: with 2:31:55 hours he ran a personal best again and was rewarded with the silver medal. Only the Argentine Juan Carlos Zabala was on this day in 2:31:36 h for a few seconds faster.

Another major appearance was at the British Empire Games in 1930 in Hamilton. Since Northern Ireland did not participate, he started there for England and won silver behind Scottish Duncan McLeod Wright. His life was estimated to 2:47:13 h (he had about 800 yards behind the winner ).

Sam Ferris attended school in Glasgow. He then served for 32 years ( 1918-1950 ) in the Royal Air Force. In addition, he worked as a reporter for the newspaper Athletics Weekly.