WHAT:
Body Building Competition
WHERE:
Royal Albert Hall, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AP, UK
LOCATION:
WHEN:
14th September 1901
WHO:
Organised by Eugen Sandow. Judged by Sandow with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle & Sir Charles Lawes. Won by William Murray
DETAILS:
Organised by Eugen Sandow, the world’s first major physical culture contest saw around 60 men stand on pedestals wearing black tights, jockey belts and leopard skins in front of a completely packed crowd. Nottingham’s William L. Murray took first place and won a solid gold Sandow statuette, a trophy design that remains the pinnacle prize in professional bodybuilding today.
The 14th of September 2026 marks the 125th anniversary since Eugen Sandow’s Great Competition held at the Royal Albert Hall in 1901. Sandow combined the strongman act with the art of bodybuilding marking the start of the modern sport. The two judges alongside Sandow were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and athlete and sculptor Sir Charles Lawes. The World Origin Site plaque was showcased at Giants Live at the Royal Albert Hall in July and will be unveiled there by members of the Conan Doyle family.
LINKS:
Bodybuilding Celebrates its 125th Anniversary – Royal Albert Hall
The 14th of September 2026 marks the 125th anniversary since Eugen Sandow’s Great Competition held at the Royal Albert Hall in 1901. Sandow combined the strongman act with the art of bodybuilding marking the start of the modern sport. The two judges alongside Sandow were Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and athlete and sculptor Sir Charles Lawes. The World Origin Site plaque was showcased at Giants Live at the Royal Albert Hall in July and will be unveiled there by members of the Conan Doyle family.
