mile point of the race, hindered by the slow track with sharp corners, George led with 58, a torrid pace which the crowd enthusiastically cheered. But Cummings was close enough to be able to touch George's heels with his fingertips. At the half-mile point, they were at 2:01, and the crowd went delirious. At 1,000 yards, Cummings pulled even. At the three-quarter mark, George was at 3:07½, only half a second slower than the world record pace. Instead of slowing, George kept the pace, and Cummings struggled to keep up. Halfway through the final lap, Cummings gave up and started to walk, and since winning was the main concern today, George slowed to a walk when he was far enough ahead. Cummings, urged by his boosters, started to run again, which caused George to start to run again. He beat Cummings by some 65 yards in a time of 4:20, remarkably fast given his leisurely last lap. Cummings got revenge later in 1885 by badly defeating George in a four-mile challenge race at Powderhall Grounds in Edinburgh, and in a 10-mile challenge soon after that back at Lillie Bridge. 1886 challenge mile Their most famous encounter occurred in 1886, a rematch of their 1885-mile challenge. On 23 August, again at Lillie Bridge, the two runners raced each other in front of 20,000 spectators. The starting gun was fired by former two-mile record-holder Jack White and George, as he did the year before, led off. The first lap was in 58¼. Cummings followed closely, looking relaxed. At the half, George was at 2:01¾. As they completed the third lap, neither runner looked weak. As they passed three-quarters in 3:07¾, Cummings pulled up alongside George and the crowd went wild. Cummings launched a kick with 350 yards to go and opened an eight-yard lead. George held back, sure that Cummings could not hold the pace. Sure enough, George closed the gap, came even and then pulled ahead by two yards. Then, Cummings pulled up lame, and George coasted to the finish. The spectators, in contrast to the congratulatory mob which surrounded George the previous year upon his victory, waited silently for the time to be written on the blackboard. When the time was written down – 4:12¾ – pandemonium broke out. Cummings' record was gone, and George's mark would not be surpassed for almost 30 years. Cummings got some revenge on George