Ernie Harper

Ernie Harper (actually Ernest Harper, born August 2, 1902 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, † October 9, 1979 in Tullamarine, Melbourne) was a British athlete who was successful in the 1920s and 1930s as a long-distance, cross-country and marathon runner. He started for the Hallamshire Harriers.

Harper won four British national championships over 10 miles:

There are also two British championships in cross country (1927 and 1929).

In addition, he won six times the Northern Counties Championships (1923, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929 and 1930).

Harper participated in three Olympic Games.

At the games in Paris in 1924, he launched the 10,000 m as well as in cross-country running, which also resulted in a ten -kilometer route and due to high temperatures was received beyond the 40 degree heat as the Battle of Colombes in the story. In both competitions, numerous athletes had to give up because of external conditions. Harper even reached the finish in the 10,000 meters in 31:58,0 minutes in fifth place. The first four places were gone to runners from Scandinavia. Thus, the Finn Ville Ritola had secured the victory in 30:23,2 minutes. In Cross Country Harper came to fourth place in the victory of the Finn Paavo Nurmi. Harper had the target 24 seconds down on the Americans Earl Johnson. A team score did not materialize, because except Harper no other Briton could finish the race.

1928 in Amsterdam Harper then gave his Olympic debut as a marathon runner. However, his time of 2:45:44 hours was only enough for a decent result: he was 22 from a total of 69 participants. Only eight years later, in 1936 in Berlin, should succeed the now 34 -year-old finally advance into the medal ranks. The race had, with the koreanischstämmigen Japanese Kitei Son, who won the gold medal in 2:29:19,2 hours, although a superior winner, but Harper was able to prevail against the second koreanischstämmigen Japanese Nan Shoryu and won in 2:31:23 2 hours, the silver medal.

Before Harper thus crowned his career, he had already participated three times with medal success at other international events. At the International Cross Country Championships, where he no less than nine times represented Britain in a row (1923-1931), he won the silver in 1924 in Newcastle and 1926 in Brussels the gold medal. He had at the British Empire Games in 1930 where he started on the six miles and won silver behind the New Zealander John Savidan ( gold in 30:49,6 minutes) Another great performance. ; his life was estimated to 31:01 minutes (he had 60 yards behind).

In 1939, Ernest Harper was professional. He lived most recently with his married daughter in Australia. Harper was 1.68 meters tall and weighed about his time as Active 58 kg.

Personal best

• 5000 m: 15:35,0 min (1926 )
• 10 000 m: 31:58,0 min (1924 )
• 10 miles: 52:04,2 min (1926 )
• 20 km: 1:06:30,3 min (1929 )
• 25 km: 1:23:45,8 min (1929 )
• Marathon: 2:31:23,2 min (1936 )
• 2- hour run: 33.653 m ( 1933)

The situated world records

• 25 km ( 1929) in 1:23:45,8 hrs The Finn Martti Marttelin, who had previously held the record ( 1:24:24,0 hours), she picked up a year later back ( 1:22: 28.8 hours). ( Best results today: 1:13:55,8 hrs erected in 1981 in Christchurch by the Japanese Toshihiko Seko ).
• 2- hour run (1933 )