South African Runner’s Weird Mystery Drink

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 September 1927, Page 9

South African Runner’s Weird Mystery Drink

Breaks Records on Salt, Sugar and Lemonade STRING OF WORLD’S RECORDS When one speaks of distance runners nowadays, the name, of Arthur Newton, of South Africa, immediately comes to light. He is not a young man _far from it—and had never taken his running seriously until about three years ago, when he broke the existing record for the London to Brighton race. Newton did not originally run for the plcasjjres of running, but to draw public attention to a grievance that he had in South Africa, but evidently tho ■cfever” has caught him. Newton it was who used a “mystery drink" to refresh him when feeling washed-out during a race, and tho result of his discovery caused worldwide consternation. He was not rcticient about the mixture, which he announced was made from lemonade, sugar and salt. Early last week Newton broke the world’s record for 60 miles at Bulawayo. His time for the full “60” was 7hr. 32min. 55sec.—49min. ssec. better than the previous record. A SUPER-ATHLETE Newton is the greatest runner in the world over distances exceeding 30 miles, and holds world’s records from 30 miles to 100 miles. He bids fair to put even the famous American Hopi Indians in the shade. A recent performance, over Rhodesian roads, was 100 miles in 14hr. 42min., easily a world’s record. The course from Cwelo to Bulawayo was officially measured, and three official timekeepers were employed. The previous best was the 16hr. 7min. 43sec. put up by the American, S. Hatch, at Chicago in 1909 On South African roads in 1923 he established a 50-miles record of shr. 53min. ssec.— easily beating E. W. Lloyd’s track “50" of 6hr. 13min. 58scc., made at Stamford Bridge ten years previously.