"On September 30, 1844, in Hammersmith, England, American George Seward ran 100 yards in 9 1/4 seconds, setting a record. This performance helped establish Seward as the most famous athlete in the world, and his feat remained unsurpassed for almost ninety years. However, in 1889, forty-five years after the run and six years after his death, Seward's achievement was declared invalid based on a doubtful eyewitness account of the race. Though this dubious version might have been fabricated to discredit Seward's record-because no runners of the time could approach it-the damage was done. After his record was invalidated, Seward fell into obscurity and within a few years became nearly forgotten."--Back cover.

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