Whanganui Museum: NZ's first world record breaker

Photograph of the Trinity Young Men's Institute sports event held at Victoria Park on St Johns Hill in 1905.

Whanganui has a fine sporting history and good representation of athletes, including New Zealand's first world record breaker: Arthur Herbert Holder of Whanganui, who smashed the world record for the 440m hurdles by one second in 1897.

The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Championships were held at the Auckland Domain on February 11-13, 1897. The grounds were wet and Holder slipped in the 100-yard sprint, losing 3 yards to an opponent but gained impressively over the 10-second race, coming second by inches.

Holder was notorious for a slow start and a quick finish as evidenced in the 120-yard hurdles. He was last of 18, further delayed by jumping over two fallen hurdlers, but pushed from the halfway mark and won by 7 yards.

He went on to win the 440-yard and the 250-yard sprints before facing the 440-yard hurdles. Holder gained the attention of the crowd with his effortlessly graceful style, winning by 12-yards against four opponents. The excited official announced, "Arthur Holder, of Wanganui, first, time 58.8s – a world record" and the 10,000 spectators gave a great ovation.

Holder was a notable athlete, having trained for both sprints and hurdles and competing in multiple events, compared with others who trained and competed in only one style. It is even more impressive historically as at the time the hurdles were fixed to the ground and 3ft 6in high, rather than the later height of 3ft.

Arthur Holder in peak physical condition, around the time of his world record-breaking hurdle race.

Holder's success began in his farming upbringing with lots of fresh air, healthy food, and exercise. He was fast as a schoolboy and attended his first athletics competition at age 16.

Although he was 6ft tall, he was not muscular and struggled to keep up with the more developed competitors. He was discouraged but developed his fitness through 'coursing' – going for long walks with his dog and a gun, choosing routes that built his stamina and muscle.

Holder went professional at age 22 – the only way to get training without amateur clubs. He saw success early and earned £130 in prize money in his first year – enough to cover his costs.

Wanganui's first Amateur Athletic Club began soon after and Holder wanted to join but had a three-year stand down due to his professional training. He continued coursing and built his own hurdles. He registered as an amateur in 1895, and although his old-fashioned bent leg style was scoffed at by officials he won many events.

His training under Mr Corby involved walking, skipping, jogging, boxing and gymnastics, with massage of his feet, tendons, joints and spine. He did not 'diet' but ate healthy foods with plenty of fruit and vegetables, and rarely drank alcohol or smoked.

A month before a meet Holder practised starts, then 250-yard runs at three-quarter pace, gradually increasing distance and speed. Two weeks before the meet he'd jog and sprint with a few hurdles, aiming to be at peak the week before the competition. Then he'd minimise to 50-yard dashes with two days' rest before the contest.

Museum Notebook

In top physical condition he was 6ft 2in and weighed 77kg with a stride stretching 8ft 6 inches. He was known as a wonder athlete. He was once asked to throw a race for £60 (over $10,000 today) and replied, "I don't think I could run slow enough to let you win."

After his world record win Holder went to the Australasian championships where he won the quarter mile hurdles in 59.8 seconds but hurt his side. The following year at the national championships he won the 120-yard hurdles but felt a searing pain in his side as he finished. He retired on medical advice and returned to farming, but had a nagging pain in his side for the rest of his life.

•Sandi Black is the archivist at Whanganui Regional Museum.