James Murphy (athlete)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Irish |
| Born | 23 February 1880 Lissyconor, Galway, Ireland |
| Died | 18 July 1962 (aged 82) Reading, England |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | long-distance |
| Club | Vulcan Cycling Club, Edinburgh Hallamshire Harriers |
James Murphy (23 February 1880 – 18 July 1962) was an Irish track and field athlete who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics.[1][2]
Biography
Murphy born Galway, Ireland, was living in England by 1908 and performed well in the 1908 English National Cross Country Championships in March, for his club Hallamshire Harriers.[3] He then won the 1908 Irish AAA 4 miles title, qualifying him for the London Olympic Games.[4][1]
Murphy represented the Great Britain team at the 1908 Olympic Games,[5][6] where he competed in the men's 5 miles competition. He won his heat to qualify for the Olympic Final but despite leading the final at one stage he dropped out and failed to finish.[1]
After the Olympics, Murphy won the Northern Counties cross country title[7] and became English cross country champion, after winning the English National Cross Country Championships at Haydock in 1909, when running for Hallamshire Harriers.[8]
From 1907 until 1912, Murphy represented Ireland five times in the International Cross-Country championships.[1]
Murphy worked and lived in England and by trade was a colliery worker at the Kinsley Park Colliery in Yorkshire, although in later life he did become a pub landlord. From 1932 until 1936 was president of the Yorkshire Deputies Association.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e "James Murphy". Olympedia. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "James Murphy Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
- ^ "English National Cross Country Championships". The Scotsman. 9 March 1908. Retrieved 13 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Irish Athletics Olympic History 1896-2012" (PDF). Athletics Ireland. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
- ^ "The Olympic Games, British Representatives". The Sportsman. 12 June 1908. Retrieved 13 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Olympic Games, Britain's team of athletes". Liverpool Daily Post. 12 June 1908. Retrieved 13 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Amateur Sport in 1909". Birmingham Daily Post. 28 December 1909. Retrieved 13 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ Matthews/Morrison, Peter/Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records and results, pages 73. Guinness Superlatives Ltd. ISBN 0-85112-492-5.