Norman Taber
Norman Taber at the 1912 Olympics | |||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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Born | September 3, 1891 Providence, Rhode Island, United States | ||||||||||||||
Died | July 15, 1952 (aged 60) Orange, New Jersey, United States | ||||||||||||||
Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||
Weight | 52 kg (115 lb) | ||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||
Sport | Middle-distance running | ||||||||||||||
Club | University of Oxford | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Norman Stephen Taber (September 3, 1891 – July 15, 1952) was an American middle distance runner. He was the first amateur runner to surpass Walter George's professional record in the mile, set nearly 30 years previously. He also won a bronze medal over 1500 m and a gold medal in the team 3000 m at the Olympic Games in Stockholm 1912.[1]
1912 Olympics
Taber emerged as a top runner in 1910 when he finished third in the IC4A championship mile for Brown University. Missing the 1911 season, he re-emerged in 1912, finishing sixth in the IC4A cross country, then surprising many by tying mile record holder John Paul Jones over that distance at the IC4A championships.
He was selected for the Olympic 1500 m team and was one of the favorites for that event at the 1912 Olympics held at Stockholm. When the final was held July 10, he led for part of the race and challenged leader Abel Kiviat on the final homestretch. However, Arnold Jackson of Britain passed them both, and a photo-finish between Kiviat and Taber awarded Kiviat the silver medal and Taber the bronze.[2]
He nevertheless won an Olympic gold medal in the 3000 m team race.[1]
The first IAAF mile record
On May 31, 1913, Taber ran again in the IC4A championships, and was up against world record-holder Jones in the mile. Taber led at the first three quarters, in 61.6, 2:09.3 and 3:16.1. But Jones launched into his drive as the bell for the final lap sounded and Taber couldn't respond. He crossed the finish line in 4:142⁄5, a new world amateur record, and the first mile record to be recognized by the new governing body of track and field, the IAAF, known then as the International Amateur Athletics Federation. Taber's 4:162⁄5 made him the fourth-best amateur over the distance.
Taber won the AAU championship over the mile later that year with a 4:262⁄5 clocking, then went to St John's College, Oxford,[3] as a Rhodes Scholar. He ran for Oxford, but did not find much success.[1]
Taber eclipses George
In 1915, he decided to make an attempt to break Jones' mile record, and he trained with coach Eddie O'Connor for six months to do so. By June, he was in top form. He defeated Kiviat on June 26 in 4:151⁄5 in the Eastern Trials for the AAU, then won a mile at the Milrose AA in 4:173⁄5 a few weeks later.
He chose July 16 to make a special attempt to break the mile record. But he was not just aiming for Jones' world record – he was also aiming for Walter George's professional record of 4:123⁄4, set in 1886.
The Harvard track at Allston, Massachusetts was extremely fast and the weather was perfect for the attempt. Five seasoned timers were on hand, as were three pace-setters who were given handicaps to best assist Taber in his quest.
J.W. Ryan, who was given a 10-yard lead, set a fast pace, clocking 58 s for the first lap. Then, D.S. Mahoney, who had been given a 120-yard lead, took up the pace-setting duties and pulled Taber through the half in 2:05, then 3:13 at the three-quarter mark.
J.M. Burke, given a lead of 355 yards, carried Taber on through the final lap, and the crowd, sensing a record, cheered loudly: Taber passed 1500 m unofficially in 3:55, faster than the world record, and it was clear Jones' amateur record would fall. Taber passed Burke into the homestretch and slowed, but kept his form and crossed the finish line.
After a few moments, the official time was announced as 4:123⁄5, and pandemonium ensued, with the crowd invading the track. Taber had beaten George's 29-year-old professional record by 3⁄20 of a second, and had become the fastest miler in history.
While some raised objections over the pacing involved and the lack of any race, the IAAF ratified the record, and it stood until Paavo Nurmi eclipsed it in 1923.
Personal life
After retiring from competitions Taber became an expert in municipal finances and founded a company in this field. He later became a Life Trustee of Brown University.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Norman Taber. sports-reference.com
- ^ "Norman Taber". Olympedia. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "Oxonian Olympians". University of Oxford. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
Further reading
- Cordner Nelson and Roberto Quercetani, The Milers, Tafnews Press, 1985, ISBN 0-911521-15-1, pp. 21–27
Records | ||
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Preceded by John Paul Jones | Men's Mile World Record Holder July 16, 1915 – August 23, 1923 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
New York Athletic Club
- 1876M: Harold Lambe (CAN) * Cornelius Vought
- 1877M: Richard Morgan
- 1878M: Thomas Smith
NAAAA
- 1879M: Henry Pellatt (CAN) * William Duffy
- 1880–83M: Harry Fredericks
- 1884M: Percy Madeira
- 1885M: George Gilbert
- 1886–87M: Edward Carter
- 1888MNote 1: Thomas Conneff
Amateur Athletic Union
- 1888MNote 1: G.M. Gibbs (CAN) * Thomas Conneff
- 1889–90M: Albert George
- 1891M: Thomas Conneff
- 1892M: George Orton (CAN) * Ernest Hjertberg
- 1893-5M: George Orton (CAN) * A.J. Walsh
- 1896M: George Orton (CAN) * Mortimer Remington
- 1897–98M: John Cregan
- 1899M: Alex Grant
- 1900M: George Orton (CAN) *Alex Grant
- 1901–03M: Alex Grant
- 1904M: David Munson
- 1905M: Jim Lightbody
- 1906M: Albert Rodgers
- 1907M: James Sullivan
- 1908M: Herbert Trube
- 1909M: Joe Ballard
- 1910M: Joe Monument
- 1911–12M: Abel Kiviat
- 1913M: Norman Taber
- 1914M: Abel Kiviat
- 1915M: Joie Ray
- 1916M: Ivan Meyers
- 1917–23M OT: Joie Ray
- 1924–25M: Ray Buker
- 1926M: Lloyd Hahn
- 1927M-28OT: Ray Conger
- 1929M: Leo Lermond
- 1930M: Ray Conger
- 1931M: Leo Lermond
- 1932OT: Norwood Hallowell
- 1933: Glenn Cunningham
- 1934: Bill Bonthron
- 1935–38: Glenn Cunningham
- 1939: Blaine Rideout
- 1940: Walter Mehl
- 1941: Leslie MacMitchell
- 1942–43: Gil Dodds
- 1944: William Hulse
- 1945: Roland Sink
- 1946: Lennart Strand (SWE) * Leslie MacMitchell
- 1947: Gerry Karver
- 1948: Gil Dodds
- 1949–50: John Twomey
- 1951: Len Truex
- 1952–53M: Wes Santee
- 1954M: Fred Dwyer
- 1955M: Wes Santee
- 1956: Jerome Walters
- 1957M: Merv Lincoln (AUS) * Bob Seaman
- 1958M: Herb Elliott (AUS) * Ed Moran
- 1959: Dyrol Burleson
- 1960: Jim Grelle
- 1961M: Dyrol Burleson
- 1962M: Jim Beatty
- 1963M: Dyrol Burleson
- 1964: Tom O'Hara
- 1965–67M: Jim Ryun
- 1968: John Mason
- 1969M: Marty Liquori
- 1970M: Howell Michael
- 1971M: Marty Liquori
- 1972: Jerome Howe
- 1973M: Leonard Hilton
- 1974: Rod Dixon (NZL) * Tom Byers
- 1975: Leonard Hilton
- 1976: Eamonn Coghlan (IRL) *Michael Manke
- 1977–79: Steve Scott
The Athletics Congress
- 1980: Steve Lacy
- 1981: Sydney Maree (SAF) * Steve Scott
- 1982–83: Steve Scott
- 1984–85: Jim Spivey
- 1986: Steve Scott
- 1987: Jim Spivey
- 1988: Mark Deady
- 1989: Terrance Herrington
- 1990: Joe Falcon
- 1991: Terrance Herrington
- 1992OT: Jim Spivey
USA Track & Field
- 1993: Bill Burke
- 1994: Terrance Herrington
- 1995–96OT: Paul McMullen
- 1997: Seneca Lassiter
- 1998: Jamey Harris
- 1999: Steve Holman
- 2000OT: Gabe Jennings
- 2001: Andy Downin
- 2002: Seneca Lassiter
- 2003: Jason Lunn
- 2004–05: Alan Webb
- 2006: Bernard Lagat
- 2007: Alan Webb
- 2008: Bernard Lagat
- 2009–10: Lopez Lomong
- 2011: Matthew Centrowitz
- 2012: Leonel Manzano
- 2013: Matthew Centrowitz
- 2014: Leonel Manzano
- 2015–16: Matthew Centrowitz
- 2017: Robby Andrews
- 2018: Matthew Centrowitz
- 2019: Craig Engels
- 20212020 OT: Cole Hocker
- 2022: Cooper Teare
- 2023: Yared Nuguse
- Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships
- M: Denotes that the race was run over a mile rather than 1500 m
- OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, 1992, 1996 & 2000 championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event.
- 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.