James Murphy (runner)
Irish athlete
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Murphy (23 February 1880 – 18 July 1962) was an Irish track and field athlete who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics.[1][2]
Biography
Murphy born Galway, Ireland, was living in England by 1908 and performed well in the 1908 English National Cross Country Championships in March, for his club Hallamshire Harriers.[3] He then won the 1908 Irish AAA 4 miles title, qualifying him for the London Olympic Games.[4][1]
Murphy represented the Great Britain team at the 1908 Olympic Games,[5][6] where he competed in the men's 5 miles competition. He won his heat to qualify for the Olympic Final but despite leading the final at one stage he dropped out and failed to finish.[1]
After the Olympics, Murphy won the Northern Counties cross country title[7] and became English cross country champion, after winning the English National Cross Country Championships at Haydock in 1909, when running for Hallamshire Harriers.[8]
From 1907 until 1912, Murphy represented Ireland five times in the International Cross-Country championships.[1]
Murphy worked and lived in England and by trade was a colliery worker at the Kinsley Park Colliery in Yorkshire, although in later life he did become a pub landlord. From 1932 until 1936 was president of the Yorkshire Deputies Association.[1]