The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-05-31
GREC|AN SPORTS GAVE OUT.
sherring Tells How He Won The
Marathon.
WAS TOO STRONG FOR THE GREEKS
WINNER WAS COVERED WITH
OLIVE WREATH AND KISSED
BY THE WOMEN.
WAS TOO sTRoNG FOR THE GREEKS

NEW YORK, May 31.-On March
l. a good day for a man of Irish blood
10 start an undertaking of importance,
there sailed for Europe without any
sounding of gegaws or beating Of
tom-toms, a SLENDER trim, young man
with a travelling kit consisting of a
pair of athletes trunks, and not much
else The young man was William ].
Sherring, of Hamilton, Ont. He en-
r-rtained an idea that he might cut
some North American ice in the run
ming Of the great Marathon road race
nj the Olympic games at Athens. He
cut some.
Recently on the Campagnia, arrived
champion Willie Sherring Gall winners
are breveted Willie if their Christian
names chance to be William), with a
trunk full of trophies, papers of hon
orary citizenship in the kingdom of
Greece, and the promise of $4,000
gold purse, home costing the same
amount and a government job in the
Dominion of Canada And he still
wears the same size in hats and olive
Wreaths he wore when he went across
in March. Sherring is the first of the
victorious group of contestants from
this side of the big water to get back.
The others are coming along together
on the next steamer. Sherring de-
parted from Greece a little ahead of
time He is a modest man. He al
ready has two offers of marriage from
as he explained on the pier to a re-
porter of the Evening World, he is not
much of marrying man.
Won the Marathon.
But he is very much of a running
man, which no one will deny. Sc won
the Marathon, as all the world knows,
with a margin of seven minutes, cover
ing the distance of twenty-six miles
and one hundred and seventy-six
yards in two hours, fty-One minutes
and twenty three and two-fifths Sec
Onds. with Swamburg, of Sweden, sec
ond. and with Frank. of the Irish
American Athletic club of New York,
third
I'm willing to confess" said
Sherring, that my friends up home
had doubts regarding the ACCESSIBILITY
of my entering for the race. I paid my
own way. you know, and it was a close
shave. At Athens l didn't have enough
cash left to meet my expenses. If l
had lost l guess l would have had
to walk back.
But all along 1 thought l had a
chance | have had a lot of experience.
YOU know. in the nineteen-mile road
race that we run every Thanksgiving
day in Canada, and. besides, had
come second in the Boston Marathon
in 1900. At Boston l was a mile ahead
of everybody in the eighteenth mile
when | fell in a faint Six men passed
me while | was unconscious. but L
came to in time to finish in the money
That experience taught me something
which proved mighty valuable to me
at Athens.
The heat was fierce-S0 in the shade
about like an August day In this
country Daily, of Ireland. and Blake.
Of Australia, set the pace for the first
ten miles
Greeks Gave Out.
Among the fifty-eight starters were
thirty Greeks These chaps started of
like creased streaks. but inside of ten
miles they all gave out and went to
grass The native sons could not stand
their own climate. The two pace-set-
ters ran the first six miles in 80 MIN
utes and the first ten in Sc. was half
a mile behind them and running with
Spring.
Il did my best work between the
eighth and twentieth miles. When
We had gone fifteen miles 1 was a
mile ahead of the field and jogging
easily Daily and Spring sprinted When
! drew upon them, but after 100 yaros
Of forced running they took my rust.
When l trotted down the home
stretch the crowd-there were tens OF
thousands of them. The Greece prince
jumped into the road and ran the las'
100 yards alongside of me. Then the
king crowned me with the olive wreath
and about a thousand women jumped
on me and kissed me and hugged me