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Harold Manning

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Harold William Manning (January 9, 1909 – January 26, 2003) was an American long-distance runner. He held the American record in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase from 1934 to 1952 and briefly held the world best in 1936. He represented the United States in the steeplechase at the 1936 Summer Olympics, placing fifth.

Biography

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Manning was born in Sedgwick, Kansas on January 9, 1909.[1] He took up running as a schoolboy; in 1927, his senior year at Sedgwick High School, he won the mile run at both the Kansas state meet and the national interscholastic meet in Chicago.[2][3] After graduating from high school Manning went to Wichita University on an athletic scholarship.[2]

In 1929 Manning placed second in the two-mile run at the NCAA championships; he led for most of the way, but lost a close final lap duel against defending champion Dave Abbott of Illinois.[4]: 5 [5] At that year's United States outdoor championships, organized by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), Manning placed third in the mile.[6] Manning won the two miles at the 1930 NCAA meet, becoming Wichita University's first national champion; his winning time, 9:18.1, broke Abbott's meeting record from 1928 and missed Tell Berna's collegiate record from 1912 by only three-tenths of a second.[2][7] Manning graduated from Wichita University in 1931.[2]

Manning attempted to qualify for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in the 3000-meter steeplechase; he won at the Midwestern Tryouts in 9:20.1, then his personal best.[6][8] He entered the final United States Olympic Trials as one of the favorites to make the American team, but failed to replicate his earlier form; he placed fifth in 9:35.0e, missing third place and the final Olympic spot by approximately eighty yards.[9][10]: 72 

Manning won his first AAU championship title in the steeplechase in 1934, outkicking defending champion Joe McCluskey in 9:13.1; he broke McCluskey's American record of 9:14.5 from the 1932 Olympic Trials.[11][12] At the 1935 AAU championships Manning placed second behind McCluskey, but he regained the title in 1936.[11]

World best and Olympics

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The 1936 United States Olympic Trials were held at Randall's Island Stadium in New York City on July 11 and July 12, a week after the 1936 AAU championships.[10]: 4  Closing with a fast sprint, Manning won the 3000-meter steeplechase in 9:08.2, qualifying for the Olympic Games; his time broke Volmari Iso-Hollo's world mark of 9:09.4 from 1933.[10]: 81 [13]: 110  In his record run Manning hurdled the water jumps without touching the barriers, then a new technique.[2][14] The warm conditions at the Trials (which were held during the 1936 North American heat wave) were not conducive to setting records in long-distance races; interviewed after the race, Manning noted he was used to hot weather.[10]: 79, 81 [15]: 6–7  The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) did not ratify world records in the steeplechase before 1954, so Manning's time was only a world best; it was officially ratified as an American record but not as a world record.[10]: 81 [13]: 109–110 

Manning's record made him one of the favorites for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, although Iso-Hollo, who was the defending Olympic champion, was still expected to take the gold again.[16] Manning's chances were damaged when he fell ill en route to the Olympics and recovered slowly.[17][18] In Berlin he placed second behind Iso-Hollo in his heat; in the final he stayed in medal contention for most of the way but was outkicked at the end and placed fifth in 9:11.2.[1][19] Iso-Hollo, who won in 9:03.8, regained the world best; the other medalists (Kaarlo Tuominen and Alfred Dompert) also broke Manning's Trials mark.[19]

Manning's American record lasted until 1952, when Horace Ashenfelter ran 9:06.4 at the U.S. Olympic Trials.[10]: 99  Manning died in Wichita, Kansas on January 26, 2003.[1] He was inducted into the Pizza Hut Shocker Sports Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1980, and was posthumously named to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Harold Manning Bio, Stats and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Manning, Harold". Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  3. ^ "3 World's Records Fall In Prep Games". Chicago Tribune. June 5, 1927. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  4. ^ "Ohio's Record Breakers Cop National Title". Daily Illini. June 9, 1929. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  5. ^ Hill, E. Garry. "A History of the NCAA Championships, 1921–2015: 5000 Meters" (PDF). Track & Field News. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Harold Manning". Track and Field Statistics. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  7. ^ "Skinny Kansan's Big Stride Makes Him Olympic Prospect". Miami News Record. May 12, 1931. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  8. ^ "Four Olympic Marks Beaten In Tryout Meet" (PDF). Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 3, 1932. p. 6C. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  9. ^ "Favorites in Olympic Track and Field Tests". July 12, 1932. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Hymans, Richard (2008). "The History of the United States Olympic Trials – Track & Field" (PDF). USA Track & Field. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  11. ^ a b Mallon, Bill; Buchanan, Ian; Track & Field News. "A History Of The Results Of The National Track & Field Championships Of The USA From 1876 Through 2015". Track & Field News. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  12. ^ "World Track Marks Broken". Oakland Tribune. July 1, 1934. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  13. ^ a b Hymans, Richard; Matrahazi, Imre. "IAAF World Records Progression" (PDF) (2015 ed.). International Association of Athletics Federations. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  14. ^ "Sooner Coach Develops Outstanding Athlete for Steeplechase in Olympic Games of 1940". Lawrence Journal-World. April 27, 1937. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  15. ^ Currie, George (July 13, 1936). "Powerhouse U. S. Team To Invade Olympics" (PDF). Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  16. ^ "Athletics at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games: Men's 3,000 metres Steeplechase". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  17. ^ "Inductee Bios: Harold Manning". Wichita Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  18. ^ "Owens Lowers World's Record In 100 Meters". Lewiston Daily Sun. July 30, 1936. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  19. ^ a b "With Jesse Owens Running, U.S. Team Equals Relay Mark". Ellensburg Daily Record. August 8, 1936. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  20. ^ Schnabel, Mark (July 11, 2012). "Sedgwick native elected to state hall". The Kansan. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
Records
Preceded by Men's 3000-meter steeplechase world best holder
July 12, 1936 – August 8, 1936 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's 3000-meter steeplechase United States record holder
June 30, 1934 – June 28, 1952 		Succeeded by
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