Probably the performances of Foster Powell did much to spread the popularity of pedestrianism as a sport, for we invariably find that one great performer brings a host of inferior imitators. In Powell's time pedestrianism 'boomed' again, and the waning popularity of the sport was again revived by the performances of Barclay Allardice. The feats of the latter pedestrian, indeed, called into existence a product which had never been known before - a book on pedestrianism. In 1813 a fellow-countryman of Allardice (who always ran under the name of Barclay) compiled a work, 'Pedestrianism, or An Account of the Performances of Celebrated Pedestrians during the last and present Century, with a Full Narrative of Captain Barclay's public and private Matches, and an Essay on Training.' It is from this work, published in Aberdeen by Mr. Walter Thorn in 1813, that we derive our account of many of the eighteenth-century feats which we have mentioned above. We can hardly blame Mr. Thorn for following the prevailing fashion of the age in his advice on training.

The diet he recommends is beef, mutton, stale bread, strong beer, and Glauber salts; the exercise, constant morning walking and sweating. 'The patient,' he says, 'should be purged with constant medicines, sweated by walking under a load of clothes and by lying between feather-beds.' Fish, vegetables, cheese, butter, eggs, are strongly forbidden, and the use of an occasional emetic is suggested. Let modern athletes be thankful that they are trained upon a different system.

Mr. Thorn begins by stating that he had originally only intended to make an account of Captain Barclay, but then thought it advisable to add preliminary chapters upon the captain's more eminent predecessors in athletic fame. This preliminary part he divides into four heads - (1) matches of several days' continuance; (2) one day matches; (3) those which were performed in one or more hours, and required good wind and great agility; (4) those completed in seconds or minutes, which showed great swiftness. From this somewhat crude division it could only be expected that he would swallow a number of marvellous stories as to distance and time; but, in spite of these defects, the book is genuinely interesting.

It would be tedious to give a list of the long-distance performances recorded by Mr. Thorn and the 'Sporting Magazine,' the best of them being those of Foster Powell; but it is worth notice that the performers are from every class of society - officers in the army, country gentlemen, farmers, labourers, butchers many of them being professional pedestrians and having no other occupation. Some of the more marvellous deeds are as follows: - Levi Whitehead, of Bramham, four miles on Bramham Moor in 19 minutes; Mr. Haselden, of Milton, a private gentleman, ten miles on the Canterbury road in 53 minutes 'with ease.' This last performance was in the year 1809. In February 1808 Mr. Wallis, a gentleman of Jermyn Street, two miles in 9 minutes 'in two starts,' with a minute's interval between each start.

Though it is understood that the times are to be regarded sceptically, Thorn's work gives a very vivid picture of the popularity of athletic sports during the twenty years preceding the publication of his work in 1813. Three pedestrians, Howe, Smith, and Grey, appear frequently to have competed in twenty-mile and ten-mile races. In 1793 two pedestrians, Barrett and Wilkman, ran a ten-mile match on Kersal Moor, the former winning in 57 minutes. In 1805 Lieutenant Warren and Mr. Bindall, an artist, ran a match of seven miles on the Uxbridge road, the artist winning by a quarter of a mile. Time given as 35 minutes. In 1805, James Farrer, for a wager of 200 guineas, ran against time on Knutsford racecourse, doing four miles in 20 min. 57 sec. One of the best-known 'peds' of this time was Abraham Wood, a Lancashire man, who, however, had his colours lowered in a four-mile race by Joseph Beal, a Yorkshire lad of nineteen, who beat the champion in 21 min. 18 sec. Beal is also credited with two miles in 9 min. 48 sec. on York racecourse in a match with another 'ped,' Isaac Hemsworth, of Bolton, Lancashire.

In 1809 Captain Dane and Mr. Davies ran a mile match in Bayswater fields, the captain winning by 'about 2 lengths,' in 4 min. 56 sec. Two other amateurs, Lord F. Bentinck and the Hon. Edward Harbord, also ran a mile in 1804 for 100 guineas, the latter winning easily, and his lordship was shortly afterwards beaten by a Mr. Mellish in another match over the Beacon course. In 1805 Mr. Harbord tried sprinting in a match with Lord F. Beauclerk at 100 yards; the latter won by two yards. The winner afterwards met at the same distance the Hon. Mr. Brand, and won easily, 'the latter gentleman becoming quite winded before he had run fifty paces.' Both these matches were brought off at Lord's Cricket Ground. Besides these, Thorn gives the names of Colonel Douglas, Mr. Lambert, Lieutenant Hankey, Captain Aiken, Lieutenant Fair-man, and Captain Agar as being prominent amateurs about his time; and, indeed, it appears that the amateur pedestrians were chiefly officers in the army. This inclines us to believe the story which is often repeated, but for which we can find no sufficient verification, that about 1812 there was a regular annual athletic meeting at Sandhurst, which was afterwards discontinued.

Thorn is of opinion that next after his pet hero, Captain Barclay, Abraham Wood, of Mildrew, in Lancashire, was the best runner of his time. His best reported performances were 20 min. 21 sec. for four miles over the York course, against one John Brown, who had previously beaten Wood over a similar distance on the Knavesmire. Wood, however, seems to have been a fair performer at shorter distances as well, as in 1809 he beat Shipley, of Nottingham, at a quarter mile on the well-known Knutsford course in 56 seconds. Sprinting appears to have been less popular than racing at longer distances at this time; but such sprinters as there were must have been marvellous men if the times recorded are accurate. Curley, the Brighton shepherd, ran a match against Grinley, a 'ped,' in 1805, 'on the walk leading to the gate of Kensington Garden,' Grinley winning by a head in 12 1/2 seconds. Next year Grinley again beat his antagonist on Hampton Court Green over 120 yards, upon this occasion doing 'level time.' Curley, however, beat another 'ped,' Cooke, a soldier, over a sprint; but Cooke, for a wager of fifty guineas, beat Mr. Williams, a gentleman, by a yard and a half.