George Littlewood

His next event which was his first venture to London, where in September, of the same year, and competing in field of 29 at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, he won the Sir John Astley, 'Champion Gold Medal' and a prize of £60, which included £10 for beating the then world record of 405 miles.

Now established as an up-and-coming figure in his chosen sport, his connections entered the then 21-year-old into the 6th international version of the Astley Belt — the blue riband 142-hour, six days, 'go-as you-please' contest again at the “Aggie”.

He would be up against the reigning long-distance champion — the formidable Charles Rowell — a man, who only the year before at Madison Square Garden, New York, had secured phenomenal prize money of $50,000 in two races in that city.

During the race, in which he finished as runner-up with a score of 470 miles, George also took on the great “Blower” Brown of Fulham, and some very good American athletes.

Littlewood then went over to the USA for the first time to compete in the '2nd O’Leary International Belt' contest at Madison Square Garden, in 1881.

Lloyd, writing in Advancement of Science, described Littlewood's feat as “probably about the maximum sustained output of which the human frame is capable”.