Harold William Manning (January 9, 1909 – January 26, 2003) was an American

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

. 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 The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

, placing fifth.

Biography

Manning was born in Sedgwick, Kansas on January 9, 1909. He took up running as a schoolboy; in 1927, his senior year at Sedgwick High School, he won the

mile run The mile run (1,760 yards, 5,280 Foot (unit), feet, or exactly 1,609.344 metres) is a middle-distance running, middle-distance foot race. The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling ...

at both the Kansas state meet and the national interscholastic meet in Chicago. After graduating from high school Manning went to Wichita University on an

athletic scholarship An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university or a private school, private high school awarded to an individual based predominantly on their ability to play in a sport. Athletic scholarships are common in the U ...

. 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. At that year's United States outdoor championships, organized by the

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

(AAU), Manning placed third in the mile. 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 Tell Schirnding Berna (July 24, 1891 – April 5, 1975) was an American middle-distance and long-distance runner. His 1912 American record at two miles stood for twenty years. He competed for the United States in the 1912 Summer Olympics h ...

's collegiate record from 1912 by only three-tenths of a second. Manning graduated from Wichita University in 1931. Manning attempted to qualify for the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in the 3000-meter steeplechase; he won at the Midwestern Tryouts in 9:20.1, then his personal best. 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 9:35.0, missing third place and the final Olympic spot by approximately eighty yards. 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. At the 1935 AAU championships Manning placed second behind McCluskey, but he regained the title in 1936.

World best and Olympics

The 1936 United States Olympic Trials were held at Randall's Island Stadium in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

on July 11 and July 12, a week after the 1936 AAU championships. 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. In his record run Manning hurdled the water jumps without touching the barriers, then a new technique. The warm conditions at the Trials (which were held during the

1936 North American heat wave The 1936 North American heat wave was one of the most severe heat waves in the modern history of North America. It took place in the middle of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s and caused more than 5,000 deaths. Many state and cit ...

) were not conducive to setting records in long-distance races; interviewed after the race, Manning noted he was used to hot weather. The

International Amateur Athletic Federation World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international governing body for the sport of athletics, covering ...

(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. Manning's record made him one of the favorites for the

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, although Iso-Hollo, who was the defending Olympic champion, was still expected to take the gold again. Manning's chances were damaged when he fell ill en route to the Olympics and recovered slowly. In Berlin he placed second behind Iso-Hollo in his heat; in the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

he stayed in medal contention for most of the way but was outkicked at the end and placed fifth in 9:11.2. 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. Manning's American record lasted until 1952, when

Horace Ashenfelter Horace Ashenfelter III (January 23, 1923 – January 6, 2018) was an American athlete. He competed in international athletics from 1947 to 1956. He won fifteen AAU nationals titles and three collegiate national titles during his career. Bi ...

ran 9:06.4 at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Manning died in

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

on January 26, 2003. 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 The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame is a museum located in Wichita, dedicated to preserving the history of sports in the state of Kansas. The museum provides exhibits, archives, facilities, services, and activities to honor those individuals and t ...

and the Wichita Sports Hall of Fame.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manning, Harold 1909 births 2003 deaths People from Sedgwick, Kansas Track and field athletes from Kansas American male long-distance runners American male steeplechase runners Wichita State Shockers men's track and field athletes Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics World record setters in athletics (track and field) NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners 20th-century American sportsmen