Harold Manning

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

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

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
  1. "Harold Manning Bio, Stats and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
  2. "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. "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. 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. 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. 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. "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
Volmari Iso-Hollo		 Men's 3000-meter steeplechase world best holder
July 12, 1936 – August 8, 1936		 Succeeded by
Volmari Iso-Hollo
Preceded by
Joe McCluskey		 Men's 3000-meter steeplechase United States record holder
June 30, 1934 – June 28, 1952		 Succeeded by
Horace Ashenfelter
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