Probably a lot more than you think. Let’s take a look at what Jesse Owens did in 45 minutes on this very day 81 years ago.
It’s May 25, 1935 and the Big Ten Championships are being held at Michigan’s Ferry Field. Ohio State’s stud sprinter, Jesse Owens, is not sure if he can run after sustaining a lower back injury 5 days earlier. Owens starts warming up and is still in a great deal of pain. But after talking with his head coach, Larry Snyder, he decides to give it a go.
How did this decision play out? Well, let’s find out.
3:15pm Owens’ first event, the 100 yard dash. The gun goes off, Owens starts out slow, then accelerates and takes the lead by the 30 yard mark and wins the race. But he didn’t just win the race, he tied the world record running 9.4 seconds. And half of the official timers had Owens clocked at 9.3, which would have been the new world record, but the meet rules stated that the runner must be given his slowest time.
3:25pm Just 10 minutes later, Owens competes in the long jump. With his lower back injury, Owens was restricted to just one jump. But man did he make it count. He set the world record in the long jump when he jumped 26 feet 8.25 inches, besting the previous world mark by more than a half-foot. Owens long jump record lasted 25 years.
Not impressed yet? Owens’ jump would have placed 8th at the 2012 London Olympics.
3:34pm 9 minutes later. Owens wins the 220 yard dash in 20.3 seconds leaving the competition in the dust and breaking the previous world record of 20.6 seconds. The race was run on a straightway as was customary of the 220 yard dash races in the United States. Since 220 yards is 1 yard longer than the 200m dash, Owens was also given credit for breaking the 200m straightway record.
4:00pm This time Owens gets a “long” 26 minute break between events. It’s time for the 220 low hurdles (remember he has an injured lower back). Owens ran 22.6 seconds, becoming the first man to run sub-23 in the 220 low hurdles and he also received credit for the 200m hurdle record. After 1962, the low hurdles was discontinued as an event at U.S. national meets.
So how did Owens’ decision play out? Well, he set 4 world records in 45 minutes.
Sources:
http://www.bigten.org/genrel/013007aai.html
http://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/05/24/owens-recordday