Biography
Perhaps the greatest of all Australian male runners in the early days was Queenslander Charlie Samuels. Samuels was begrudgingly afforded the title of “the champion foot runner in Australia” by the state's sporting newspaper, The Referee. Samuel's running attracted attention in Queensland in the 1880s. A big boom in professional sprint running was shortly afterwards brought in, having its principal centre in Sydney, where the late Mr Frank Smith promoted a series of sprint handicaps at the Sir Joseph Banks Grounds, Botany. The big prizes attracted the world's best runners, including the famous runners of that time such as Harry Hutchens, of England and Ed Skinner of America.
On August 30, 1886, Samuels won the Eights Grand Handicap at Botany, the competitors including some of the world's best men. Aged 23 he ran 136 yards (124.5 metres) in 13.2 seconds, the fastest time recorded in Australian professional athletics. He is credited with the times of 300 yards (274.5 metres) in 30 seconds flat and 100 yards (91.5 metres) in 9.1 seconds and was considered by some to be the sprint champion of the world at Botany in Sydney. These were astonishing time, possibly because there was a tendency for promoters to shorten the distances by race organisers. According to The Referee, Samuels trained on ‘a box of cigars, pipe and tobacco, and plenty of sherry’. Samuels enjoyed memorable wins over the English and Irish champions, Harry Hutchings and Tom Malone
Samuel's last appearance in public was in Brisbane in May 1901 on the occasion of the visit of their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary.
When Samuels passed away in 1912, the Brisbane Courier described Samuels as someone that possessed the kindly feeling of all who knew him. The continued that he was known as "a decent old chap, and very honourable."
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