George Tincler

George Tincler was the son of a Dublin solicitor who followed in his father’s footsteps and studied law at Trinity College Dublin (TCD). It was not in the legal profession that the young Tincler made his name, however, but as a world-class professional runner on both sides of the Atlantic.

Tincler learned his running skills at school, firstly at Quernmore School, Bromley, Kent, and then at Rathmines School in Dublin. While studying at TCD he carried off the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) one-mile title in both 1892 and 1893. A former Clonliffe Harrier, Tincler turned professional in 1894 under the alias “J. Craig of Inverness” (he was living in Inverness at the time) and made his professional début at Powderhall, Edinburgh. He soon became established as one of the world’s great milers, as well as an outstanding two- and three-miler. In 1897 he travelled to the USA to meet the Irish-American Tommy Conneff. Held at The Massachusetts Oval in front of a 10,000 crowd, including Theodore Roosevelt, Tincler won easily in a staggering 4:15.2. That year he won 35 of 36 races during his American tour, including the American 2-Mile Championship. He also recorded an unofficial 4:08.0 in a time trial. The year after his return from America, Tincler beat Fred Bacon in a much-awaited clash for the Professional World Mile Championship at Rochdale, winning in 4:16.4.

Interestingly, at the 1899 and 1900 Waterloo Cup (coursing) meeting at Altcar, near Southport, a greyhound by the name of George Tincler was entered. Tincler (the human) was entered for the 400 and 1,500 metres professional races at the 1900 Paris Oympics but did not start either. During his racing days, Tincler was known as “The Gander” because of his unusual posture when running. He later emigrated to South Africa where he became an athletics coach. He died there in 1937