Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-05
JOHN J. HAYES IS THE BEST
so SAYS TOM LoNGBOAT, THE
CANADIAN RUNNER.
Never Saw a Man Run More Freely
or With More Ease Than
Marathon Champion.

NEW YORK. August 5.-John J.
Hayes. the crack American distance
| runner who won the great Mara
thon In the recent Olympic games
at London. was undoubtedly away the
best of the classiest field that ever start
ed in the e-honored classic. His praises
are being sung not only by his comrades,
but also by those whom he. vanquished.
Tom Longboat, the great Canadian In
dian runner. who returned yesterday
from England on the KronprtnZ Wilhelm,
was lavish in his praises of the plucky
representative of the United States.
noted Indian, deserves a great deal of
credit for his game performance, in my
mind Hayes was away the best man In
the race. He won by sound judgment and
under conditions that were truly adverse.
If anything, he took things trifle too
easy at the outset, and had to make up
tremendous amount of ground in the
last seven miles.
When he passed me declared that he
would surely win the race. I never saw
any one running more freely after having
covered close to twenty miles. The way
he ran the last seven miles was truly re-
markable. 1 guess there was about a
dozen ahead of him from what I could
learn. I kept with Hayes in the automo-
bile for a while and then we pushed on
for the finish. When we reached Dorando
l could see he was in bad way. The
last two miles he wobbled at every stride.
and thought he would surely fall before
he reached the stadium gate. l never saw
a gamer finish, though. than the italian
put up. But he had made the fatal mis-
take Of shooting his bolt too soon.
I'm not trying to offer any excuses for
myself. nor detract from the glory of
Hayes victory, to say that I would have
given a much better account of myself
had I been in shape. I didn't feel bit
we'll all the while I stayed in England.
guess the climate was too much for me
1t is doubtful, though, even In my own
opinion. If could have done bit better
than Hayes under the circumstances. 1t
was terribly warm, or it surely did feel
that way. as it was the first bright sun
shiny day succeeding long spell OF
damp, chilly weather. And the roads were
fierce. Asphalt and cobblestones that
simply pounded to pieces the feet of one
used to running on dirt roads.
1T was a triumph of Hayes under
these circumstances and his grand burst
the worst part Of the road that stamp
him in my mind as one Of the gamest
distance runners OF the age"
Longboat, who is the first of the stellar
piad to return to this country. would say
but little as to the British methods OF
conducting the meeting. He intimated
that things might have been much
smoother and that the Americans had
just cause to feel annoyance.
1t is likely that most of the athletes
who are to figure in the monster public
reception at the city hall will be seen In
action at the f1remen's memorial games
In the afternoon. These will be held at
Celtic Park. The welcome will be over
early in the afternoon.
A wireless message was received yester-
day from the United States Olympic
commissioner James E Sullivan. He is
homeward bound on board the Cedric and
expects to arrive early Thursday after
noon. A tug will meet him and he will
at once go into consultation with the
committee which has in hand the ar
rangement of the athletic welcome.