Jim Peters (athlete)

Jim Peters (actually James Henry Peters, born October 24, 1918 in Homerton, London Borough of Hackney; † 9 January 1999, Thorpe Bay, Southend- on-Sea ) was a British long-distance runner. He went into history as the first, the back put a marathon in less than 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Life

Peters grew up in Becontree and played cricket and football, before he turned to athletics. During World War II he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps. In 1946 he was English champion over six miles ( 9656 m), and at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, he was eighth in the 10,000 -meter run. Since he was not satisfied with this result, he considered, to end his career, but was persuaded by his coach to switch to the marathon distance.

In 1951, he won on his debut the Polytechnic Marathon in 2:29:24 h, making it the fourth- fastest runner of the year. The following year he exhibited at the same place with 2:20:42,2 a world record on. In a marathon, the Olympic Games in Helsinki he struck from the outset an extremely high tempo, put the first 10 km in 31:55 min back and led by 16 seconds before Gustaf Jansson Emil Zatopek and. Shortly before 20 km overtook Jansson and Zatopek Peters, and allegedly Zatopek ( of his first marathon ever ran ) Peters asked if the pace is too fast. Although Peters was at the limit of its capabilities, he said no - but had to leave shortly after pulling the Czechs and the Swedes, as these intensified the pace. At km 30 Peters had but a minute behind Zatopek, remained still on the bronze medal. But then he had to retire with severe cramps in his left leg.

In 1953 he ran the four fastest times of the year: With 2:18:40,4 he broke the Polytechnic Marathon was the first runner ever to 2:20 h mark, after which he was in 2:22:29 h for the third time consecutive English marathon champion, improved his record to Turku 2:18:34,8 h and remained at the Enschede Marathon with 2:19:22 h as first runner at a turning point distance than 2:20 (his times previously obtained were placed on point - to-point rates).

After he became second in the 1954 Boston Marathon and had set his fourth world record at the Polytechnic Marathon with 2:17:39,4 (simultaneously his fourth English championship title in the marathon ), he competed in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. First, he won over six miles bronze. The Marathon of these games took place on a sweltering hot day, and from 16 runners reached only six the target. Peters was not one of them, although he had reached the stadium 17 minutes ahead. Completely dehydrated, he fell again and again out, crawling on all fours and finally broke 200 meters from the finish. He was taken to a hospital where he was treated in an oxygen tent with infusions over the next seven hours.

On medical advice Peters ended his sports career and then settled in the county of Essex as an optician down. He stayed to continue his club Essex Beagles connected. Peters was married and had two children. The last six years of his life he fought against a cancer that led to his death.

Honors and Memberships

He was honored in 1999 by the London Marathon Jim Peters Trophy donated, which goes to the fastest runner in this race British.

Jim Peters was a member of the Federation of the Freemasons.