A match for twenty miles was run on the 12th September 1809, on a piece of chosen ground near Maidenhead, between Mr. Greig and Matthew Mark, for fifty guineas a side. Mark took the lead at the rate of eight miles an hour, closely followed by his antagonist. They were equal at ten miles, having performed that distance in one hour and eight minutes. They both made play here, and at nineteen miles were together; but Mr. Greig gained by two minutes only. The race throughout was well contested; and the whole distance was accomplished in two hours and twenty minutes.
Captain Thomson of the 74th regiment, while stationed at Aberdeen in the year 1808, undertook to walk twenty-one miles in three hours. He started on the 5th of May at the 7th mile-stone on the Ellon road, returning to the 4th, until he should perform the distance, which he accomplished in four minutes and a half less than the time allowed.
On the 22d of February 1812, James Watson, a glazier, for a wager of £10, went from Whitechapel Church to Romford in Essex, and back, in three hours, the distance being twenty-three miles. He started at six o’clock, and reached Romford at twenty minutes past seven. Having refreshed ten minutes, he started again on his return, and completed the distance in four minutes less than the given time.
On the 11th of February 1812, Mr. Webber undertook, for a bet of one hundred guineas, to ride nine miles within half an hour, and to run five miles in another half hour. He started at Two-mile Brook, near Colnbrook, Bucks, and performed the nine miles in a light sulky, in four minutes less than the given time. He now started on his pedestrian match, and went four miles in a few seconds less than twenty-four minutes, labouring under great distress; but he recovered his wind, and won the match in six seconds within the time.
Mr. Froward of Berkeley-street, on the 14th of April 1812, performed thirty miles in three hours and fifty-three minutes, for a wager of twenty guineas.
To walk or run for two or three hours at the rate of eight miles an hour, may be deemed extraordinary speed, conjoined to considerable strength and command of WIND. But more than nine miles an hour have been accomplished on a distance of twenty miles; and upwards of eight on a distance of forty.