A professional sprinter, Cumming became the first and only Australian to win the prestigious New Year Sprint, at Powderhall Scotland in 1952.
On his return, in a single afternoon in 1906 at the Scottish championships in Powderhall, he won the 100, 220, 440 and 880 yards races (91, 201, 402, 805 m), a feat that has not been matched since.