Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-25
JOHN F. HAYES,
AMERICAN, WINS
MARATHON RACE
EVENT RECALLS STRUGGLES
IN ANCIENT GREECE
ITALIAN ASSISTED ACROSS LINE
DISQUALIFIED
Four Out of First Ten to Finish Are
Representatives from the United
States-Dorando Reported
Dying
..sociated Press.

ONDON, july Z4.-Ine MdTdtHoH
race, the star event of the Olympic
- games, was won today by John F,
Hayes, an American runner
It would be no exaggeration in the
minds of any of the 100000 spectators
who witnessed the finishing struggle
of the race at the Olympic arena today
to say that it was the most thrilling
athletic event that has occurred since
that Marathon race in ancient Greece
where the victor fell at the goal and
with wave of triumph died.
The veteran athletes of Europe,
America, Africa and Australia, who
have seen the greatest struggle of every
sort on land and water for athletic
supremacy, declared that there was
nothing comparable to the great race
today within their memories, or in the
other OlympianS since the modern cycle
of these began.
1t was spectacle the like of which
none living had ever seen and none who
saw expect to see repeated. The race
itself with ffty-eight best men win
moved from the runners of four con-
tinents competing; the arena where 1t
was finished in the presence of an en-
ormous cosmopolitan assemblage, with
the queen of England, the royal repre-
sentatives of several nations and hosts
of finely dressed men and women from
the most fashionable circles of Europe,
and the dramatic and exciting denoue-
ment at the end combined to make a
historic day.
An American Day
1t was an American day, and the re-
sentiments of yesterday, which ranked
strongly in the breasts of Americans
here when they came to the STADIUM
this afternoon were forgotten, not only
in the victory of John #. Hayes, the
A
the splendid record made by the other
Americans who were we'll to the front
in the lines of those that finished.
Since the beginning of the Olympic
games the great rivalry has been be-
tween England and America, and while
the minor competitions on the track and
field between the two nations were
fought out, Englishmen consoled them
selves for all the American successes
by the thought that in the domain OF
distance running they always had been
supreme, and whatever prize they falled
to grasp in this the colonlals Wouio
pick up. -
The sequel may be told briefly. Six
Americans started IN the Marathon
race and nine English runners. OF the
first ten men to reach the coveted
goal four were Americans and they
are officially placed as follows;
Hayes first; Joseph Forshaw, MIS-
souri, A. c., third A. r. Welton, Law
renee Y. M c. A., fourth; Lewis
Tewanini, the Carlisle Indian, ninth.
Hefferon Second
The second man was Hefferon OF
South Africa. He was the Oldest
among the runners, having "a years
TO his credit, and he made remark
able pace almost to the end of the rs
miles of the struggle, but Hayes was
the better man. Friends of Hefferon
explain that he is at his best at 4O
miles and that today's event was TOO
short for him, but certainly he is one
of the most wonderful runners In the
world.
The first Englishman who crossed
the line came in twelfth. He was w.
II. Clarke and was not one of those
counted on to win. Duncan, the for
mer English champion, who won the
preliminary English trial, fell out at
the twelfth mile and, like several otner
contestants, was taken into motor
car and brought to the stadium.
1t is considered generally that the
race is not only a triumph for the
United States, but in a larger sense for
America, because seven of the leaders
at the end were from North America.
The three Canadians, Wood, the In
dian; Simpson and Lawson, finished
fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively,
and with the representatives of the
United States deprived England of its
claim to leadership in the long dis
tance running branch of athletics.
1t will not snatch any laurels from
the brow of Hayes who won good
race, to say that the hero of the day
was the Italian, Dorando. The ad-
miration and sympathy of every per-
son in the stadium went out to the
gallant italian, who although he did
not win, deserved to win, and did
more within the limit of his powers
than any other man who ran.
Dorando's Arrival
The crisis IN a battle on which the
life of a nation hung could hardly
have been more impressive than Do
rando's entrance into the stadium.
Ten minutes before the megaphone an
nounced "the runners are in sight
guns had proclaimed the arrival of the
leaders at the nearest station of the
course; an intense silence overhung
the stadium while thousands awaited
breathlessly the approach of the first
man.
For ten minutes all eyes were To-
cused on the gate, almost directly OPP
posIte the royal stand, where the con-
testants were to enter Finally, after
what seemed to be an intolerable sus-
pense, a runner staggered down the
incline leading to the track He was
clothed IN a white shirt and red knee
pants.
He stood for a moment as though
dazed and then turned to the left
although red cord had been drawn
about the track in the opposite direc-
tion for the runners to follow. IT was
evident also to everyone that the man
was practically delirious. A squad Of