1888 Scottish Athletics Championships


The 1888 Scottish Athletics Championships were the sixth national athletics championships to be held in Scotland. They were held under the auspices of the Scottish Amateur Athletic Association at Powderhall Grounds, Edinburgh, on Saturday 23 June 1888. The meet was held in "splendid" weather, and the track was reported to be "in first rate order," but a slight easterly wind affected performances. Ernest Stones set a Scottish All-comers record in defending his pole vault title. Three days after finishing second in the 4 miles at the championship Andrew Hannah set a Scottish All-comers record at the event running 21:02 2/5 at Ibrox Park, Glasgow. This was the first in a long list of almost three dozen records Hannah will set over the next seven years at all distances from 2 miles to 10 miles, becoming the dominant Scottish distance runner of the decade. For the first time the 10 miles championship was held separately, being held at the Powderhall Grounds on Saturday 7 April, and with twice as many entrants as any previous year the experiment was continued in the future. It didn't, however, affect the result with Alex Findlay easily retaining his title shortly before emigrating to the United States. The chief judge at the championships, in his year as President of the association, was M. P. Fraser of Glasgow University AC.

Results summary

PosAthleteTime
1.James H. Allan 10 3/5
2.Robert A. Taylor inches
3.James T. Ward 1 yard

PosAthleteTime
1.Thomas Blair 53 2/5
2.James B. Green 1 foot
3.Thomas Maley -

PosAthleteTime
1.A. M. Marshall 2:02 3/5
2=John Allan 10 yards
2=John Blane 10 yards

PosAthleteTime
1.John Blane 4:35 2/5
2.David S. Duncan 20 yards
3.James Logan

PosAthleteTime
1.William M. Jack 21:17 3/5
2.Andrew Hannah 50 yards

PosAthleteTime
1.Alex Vallance 18 4/5
2.James T. Ward 8 yards
3.G. D. Wilson

PosAthleteTime
1.A. Brown 24:26 2/5
2.J. Urquhart 20 yards

PosAthleteDist
1.George G. Robertson 5ft 2 1/4in
2.James T. Ward 5ft 1in

PosAthleteDist
1.Ernest Stones 11ft 2 1/2in

PosAthleteDist
1.Arthur E. Bullock 21ft 0in
2.W. H. Campbell 19ft 4in
3.Alex Vallance

PosAthleteDist
1.J. MacDonald 40ft 4in
2.T. Robertson 38ft 4in
3.W. Mackenzie 34ft 1in

PosAthleteDist
1.T. Robertson 90ft 8in
2.Robert Smith

10 miles (track)

PosAthleteTime
1.Alex P. Findlay 55:33
2.David S. Duncan
3.Peter Addison

The 10-mile championship took place at the same venue on Saturday 7 April. There were eight entries and seven starters. A. Graham took the lead but before the first mile had been completed Findlay took over and was never headed. Duncan stopped at one point but was persuaded to carry on.