The following passage is an excerpt from the book �Bikes at Brooklands in the Pioneer Years� by Peter Hartley (Goose and Son, Ltd.). It is an account of the earliest Brooklands motorcycle event documented in the book in which Charles Franklin was a competitor.
Mid-Summer marathon
For a long time it had been evident that the multi-cylinder machine was nowhere near as reliable in long-distance racing, as the single �cylinder. Thus in the Isle of Man races the multi-cylinder class had always been given a higher capacity limit to make up for this deficiency. Moreover it was to help engine tuners working on multis, that the One-Hour TT events had been organised at Brooklands. Such events, however, proved inadequate as tests for the lengthier Island races.
So it was, that a sixty-lap marathon was organised for the Fourth BMCRC Brooklands' meeting on Wednesday, June 22nd, 1910. A total distance of 163 miles 103 yd was involved.
The event, which was run under 1910 IOM TT Race Regulations, had two classes: one for singles up to 500 cc, the other for multis up to 670 cc. The start and finish were at the Fork, where pit facilities had been set up for refuelling and repairs during the race.
Although a heavy thunderstorm spoilt the morning, improving weather enabled the race to start on time at 4.00 pm. By then a considerable crowd of spectators had gathered at the Fork. In view of the historic nature of this, the first really long long-distance race to be staged at Brooklands, it is worth considering its entry list in detail. There were thirty-seven entrants, who were as follows:
SINGLE-CYLINDER CLASS (up to 500 cc). Will Cook and H. E. Parker (482 NLG-JAPs); Sam Wright and Bert Yates (499 Humbers); Lieut. Spencer Grey RN, Ray Abbott, E. Colrick-Herne, Jack Marshall, Billy Newsome, Billy Creyton, E. Gwynne, W. Dewar, Rex Mundy and F. Lister Goodacre (all on 499 Triumphs); Frank McNab, John Gibson and Angus Maitland (488 Trump-JAPs); G. E. Stanley (499 Premier); and J. H. Slaughter (498 Ariel).
MULTI-CYLINDER CLASS (up to 670 cc). Guy Lee Evans, Arthur Moorhouse, Charlie Franklin and Archie Fenn (639 Indians); D. R. Clarke (662 Indian); Harry and Bizzy Bashall, Sam Witham, and Harold Bowen (all on 666 BAT-JAPs); Martin Geiger and F. H. Arnott (662 Vindec-Specials); Vickers Jones and F. Savory (665 Premiers); E. C. W. FitzHerbert and R. O. Clark (448 FNs); Noel E. Drury (665 Chater-Lea-JAP); A. V. Deacock (666 Wanderer); and Harry Reed (658 DOT-JAP). All of the multis were twins, except for the FNs which had four cylinder engines.
The only non-starters were Geiger, Arnott and Colrick-Herne, whose front wheel had buckled in practice.
Both classes were started simultaneously and within a quarter of a mile, the tailing out process had begun, with Sam Witham in the lead. For the first few laps the BAT-JAP riders were dominating the leading positions. Midfield struggles were developing between Moorhouse and Marshall, and between the two FN riders.
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