Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-11-13
D0RAND0 TELLS
OF GREAT RACE
ITALIAN RUNNER WAS CONFIDENT
OF WINNING THE MARATHON AT
OLYMPIC GAMES.
GRATEFUL FOR SYMPATHY,
Twenty three YearOld Confectioner Says
He Would Have Been First but for
Aid of Attendants.
DESCRIBES TRAINING FOR EVENT.

l should like to make it clear that my
surname is not Dorando. 1t is the Italian
custom to put the surname first and the
baptismal name afterward; thus, accord
ing to the English fashion, my name is
Dorando Pietri.
But | do hot mind the mistake which
every one has made, for it is pleasant to
have every one call you by your Christian
name; it makes me feel that you are all
my friends; it makes me feel that l love
you all with the warmth of my heart.
l was born not in Capri, as so many
writer's have said, but Carpi, which is
near NIOdena. | will be % years old next
October.
At home | am a confectioner, and, as l
have to earn my living, | am very devot-
ed to my trade. When l was quite a boy
l always had a feeling that l could run
faster than most boys, and later | ran in
a lot of club races and won many prizes.
| used to train in my spare time when
l had done my work for the day, but |
have never dieted myself. My meals in
the ordinary were the meals OF any other
ltalian-mineStra, macarOnl Ill various
forms, and plenty of fruit.
There are just two things from which
i Notwithstanding an! spirits. | am not
luncheon or dinner | drink the good vino
di Barolo.
A good meal and a glass of wine before
long run have never harmed me.
Dream of Lifetime.
When | came to London it was to
realize the dream of my Efe-I wanted
to win the Marathon race. In Italy l
reached the summit Of my desires when
| won the Italian championship for long
distance running. / had run race al
most the same distance as the Mara
~.
Rome to Monte Rotondo in hours and
Al minutes.
SO that when my friends cried, "Adio,
Dorando! Don't come back without the
trophy" l swore that l would not.
= s. (Ah! but l have something far
greater than the trophy; it will open
their eyes when they see the gold cup,
beautiful Queen of England.)
"Well. | came to England feeling fit
and strong, because l had just finished
my eighteen months service in the
army, and that makes man as hard as
the hills.
II will win the Marathon race or die"
In the morning L was ND early and had
a fine breakfast oi four fried eggs and
coffee For luncheon | had a steak,
slightly UNDERGONE ] never telt stronger
in my life than I did at the start on
that glorious day. Tie sun worried me
little: I am used to tie hct skies in my
own country.
Sure of Race.
I felt there was only one thing | had
to do, and that was to beat Longboat.
Every one was talking about Longboat
being certain to win, and so L made 1t
nv business to keep near him.
I kept up the same pace through the
whole run-about nine and one-half
miles an hOur-and | neither stopped
nor rested.
Of what does one think on such a run?
Of nothing except the faraway goal.
For the rest, the mind is blank; perhaps
little thoughts fit across the. mind, but
they are wiped out at once by the big
outstanding thought of the finish.
Small things are noticed, such as the
expression on the face of a woman as
one races by, or the cry of man cheer
ing in an unfamiliar tongue. Once [
saw a rabbit scamper across the road.
For refreshment on the, way | took
some sweet coffee and sucked a lemon.
Later on l had some beef tea. A man
offered me a basket of mixed fruit and
Jelly, and | took slice of melon.
So the miles passed. and l ran on,
cheered by my attendants and by the
news that l was running well, and that
only HefferOn was leading. | passed
him with joy humping at my heart, and
then [ went little stronger, for l knew
that / was frst-frst!
Oh! the joy of victory which I thought
was to be mine! 1t was intoxicating.
More disastrous than the heat and the
run and the long road was the excite
ment that threatened to choke my heart.
My impressions are necessarily hazy,
but one will remain forever.
| came to the Stadium.
l Shall wear that shilling always on
my watch chain, so that when [ am old,
years hence IN Italy l. shall III, re me b,
Marathon race.-Dorando Pietri in the
London Express.