Lewis Bennett

Lewis Bennett "Deerfoot" ( 1828 - January 18, 1896 ) was an American long-distance runner .

Bennett was from New York State . He was of Indian descent and grew up on the Cattaragus reservation as a member of the Seneca tribe . The Seneca were considered good long-distance runners and so Bennett went through their traditional training program.

In 1861 an English promoter discovered his talent and took him to Great Britain . Here Bennett competed against the best runners of his time. Due to his outstanding performance and his unusual sportswear, consisting of a loincloth made of wolf leather and a headband with a feather, he quickly became a crowd puller. His running tactic consisted of catching up to the front of the field at the beginning, then letting himself fall back and only charging forward towards the end of the race.

On October 27, 1862, he set an hourly record of 11 miles and 720 yards , which he improved three times in 1863. The last record on April 3, 1863 lasted 34 years.

Web links

• Brief portrait (English)