Max Lurion

Max Lurion was born in Baghdad as the son of an Austrian merchant but grew up in Vienna. He started cycling at the age of 15 and turned professional in 1891. From his earnings as a professional cyclist, he retired from cycling in his mid-20s and opened a coffee house in Vienna (Wien) in 1903. He sold it a year and then opened an extravagant restaurant in London in 1906. It became one of the biggest catering establishments in Europe. Lurion sold the restaurant in 1914, having amassed a vast fortune. He also owned hotels in Marienbad and Vienna, and the British Monarch King Edward VII used to regularly visit the one at Marienbad.

In 1894 and 1895, Lurion won three European Championships, and from 1893-95 won three national sprint titles, and in 1900 took part in three professional events with limited results at the Paris Olympics. In 1895 Lurion became the first man to complete the “English mile” on an Austrian or German track in under two minutes when he did it in 1:59.2 at Vienna. Along the way he also set the quarter-, half-, and three-quarter-mile records.

Although he was born Jewish, Lurion declared his exit from Judaism in 1894. By profession, Lurion became a London-based cigar importer.