King of the Peds Paperback - 2008

Did you know that in the late 1800's athletes walked up to 100 miles per day for 6 days?!

Famous sporting personalities have been around for a long time. However, few will be aware that during the 1870's and 1880's, professional pedestrians or "peds" as they were fondly referred to, competed against each other in gruelling races for up to six days - and nights - on indoor sawdust tracks, getting just a few hours rest per day in makeshift huts beside the track, literally "eating on the trot" and undergoing tremendous hardships, all in the name of sport...

This book provides a fascinating insight into this hugely popular 19^th century sport where massive amounts of prize money, a share of the gate receipts, and dazzling ornamental gold belts, were offered to successful athletes by ruthless promoters who made lucrative livings from the thousands of people who flocked to see them perform.

You will journey into a world where men competed in appalling conditions, but exhibited unbelievable courage. This is a world which attracted the likes of to take each other on in front of thousands of screaming fans.

This is a world which could provide incredible riches, but at a terrible price for those willing to push themselves to the limits of physical endurance. This is a world influenced by money and suffering; a world which had to end because its limits had been reached.

After considering all the evidence, I invite you the reader to decide who deserves to be crowned............King of the Peds