The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-31
Wins the Famous Olympic Marathon Race Conducted at
 the Stadium in St Louis
RUNS TWENTY-FIVE MILES
 IN THREE AND AHALF HOURS
Thlrty-one Contestants From All Parts of the World Start Across the Country in Awful En-
 durance Run.

St. Louis, August SO.--The Olympia Marathon race, the third foot race of tho kind ever held and the first ever held on American soil. participated in by | thirty-one men, elassed among the fleet est runners of the world, was won today by Thomas J. Hicks. of Cambridge. Mass. who is the first American to win this event. celebrated in the revival of 1 Olympic games.
 Albert J. Corey. of Chicago. native born Frenchman. crossed the goal line second. and A. l.. Newton, of New York city, crossed third. The distance of the pace was forty kilometers, equal 10 twenty-four miles and 15Oo yards. This distance was run by Hicks in the official ly announced time of hours, 2s minutes and 5s seconds: Corey. 8 hours, s4 min utes and Is seconds. and Newton, hours. | 47 minutes and B seconds.
 The first Olympian Marathon race was held at Athens, Greece, in 1896. and Was won by Loues Greek. in hours and 55 minutes The second Olympic Marathon race was held in Paris in 1900. and was won by Teato, of France, in hours and 59 minutes The winner of todays race received cup presented by President Francis, of the exposition, and an olym- pie championship gold medal; the second a silver medal, and the third a medal of | bronze.
 Reg Lorg, of New York, was the first runner to cross the goal but he was im- Inediately disquallhed, on the charge that he had l3ddan about three miles Iii an automobile in trsversing the course over the country roads. Lorg readily admitted that he had done so. because of physfai exhaustion for a time
 Thousands Witness the Start. There were thousands of spectators in | the stadium amphitheatre to witness tho | start The threatening day had cleared | and tho sun shone brightly. Forty run | ners had been entered in the race but | only 31 started of whom sixteen were. Americans, ten Greeks two kaffirs, one | Cuban. one Frenehman and one man from | South Africa The starters S pistol crack | ed at 3:03 o'clock and Hicks sprang into | the lead with the field following at his heels.
 The racers ran five laps on the stadium track and then passing through a gate struck out in the country road course which was designated by red flags show
 
 road course Hicks had fallen back with six men ahead The course led over hills and through dales innumerable being pronounced one of the most uphill and | downhill courses ever travelled by ath- | letes in similar events and the roads were deep in dust.
 Lustily Cheer the Racers. , Spectators were gathered Tn throngs at | different points along the way and lustily | cheered the racers as they passed. l vanguard of horsemen cleared the thor oughfare and physicians and nurses fol- | lowed Tn automobiles. The first turn was | made three miles out at Clayton and the | first man to pass was M. Spring Of New | York city. Newton was the fifth to pass l and Hicks was the seventh. Three miles farther on, Newton sprinted to the front and with & A. Mellor, Yonkers, N. r.. and D. r. Carr, New York city, held the lead, running at steady gait. Hicks, in the meantime. had spurted a little and passed this point sixth man with Corey, the second behind him. When the half way point was reached Lorg. who had become exhausted passed in an automobile. Mellor was nrst man to pass the halfway point, followed by Newton, short distance behind, and closely following Newton came Hicks running easily. The rest of the field came struggling along and soon after
 
 were barely running. Felix Carvajel from Cuba who had been near the rear, clat- tered along with nat-footed steps with a speed that seemed ominous to Amer lean laurels.
 Brawey Drops to the Road. At a point sixteen mile out Brawley of Massachusetts dropped to the road. overcome by palms in his legs. After rubbing them bit he got up from the roadside and gamely proceeded. The Cu- bans flat steps had told on his strnegth and he was falling back. Mellor was l overcome by a pain in his side and was forced to abandon the race. | Hicks had steadily forged ahead after passing Mellor, who led him but was running hard and eyidenly almost ex- hausted In the distance behind him Newton was coming along slowly but ap- parently easily. Corey at that time was out of sight and climbing hill. The fact that he had gained the lead spurred Hicks 10 renewed effort and his steady and teling trot was to some degree ac- ceerated.
 Meantime Frank Pierce. New York city; John c. Jordan. Cambridge, Mass. and M. s. Spring. New York city had become exhausted, and were taken intd automobiles
 Hicks Shows Fatigue.
 When the twenty-mile point had been reached Torg again starred Hicks wal / running with mechanical exactness. and with every motion of his body indicating by it's regularity and apparent effort that he was suffering from fatigue. But hd was still full of grit. In answer to a ques- ton as to how he was feeling, he called bask over his shoulder: T want some { thing to eat as soon as I get there. I'm ( nearly starved"
 He maintained his pace until within twu miles of the goal. when he dropped to c walk in climbing a hill. the first time he had ceased running. At the top of the hill crowd cheered him vigorously. which renewed his Tagging energy. and he broke into a pace. maintaining it until he reached the entrance to the stadium track. Then amid tremendous cheering of spec
 lcontinued on Second Papal