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Billy Grass: 1922

Washington, D.C., 1922. "William Grass." Who ran the mile in a smoking 4:20. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

Washington, D.C., 1922. "William Grass." Who ran the mile in a smoking 4:20. National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.

 

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Budding star

Perhaps he found something to blunt that pain, Dave. Maybe a mile was too much, cutting back to an eighth would have been better. We can hope he had a nice Mary Jane to go home to.

Easy to wonder

As a track & field enthusiast, I'm stating the obvious by wondering how an elite athlete from an earlier time would perform in the current era with modern coaching, training methods, and nutrition. Great photo!

For reference

The world record at the time was 4:12. Not bad in leather soled shoes with nails for spikes on a cinder track!

[Grass, alas, was forced into early retirement by pain. Chronic pain. -Dave]

Thanks! Do you have a link to a bio, perchance? I have known a fair number of runners who had the same kind of thing happen--sciatic nerve issues, unhealed bone injuries, etc..

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