The San Francisco call., 1909-02-11
MILLER RUNS KING
OFF HIS FEET
AT FINISH
San FranCiscO's First Profess
SiOnaI Marathon Proves Ex-
citing and Surprising Event
By William, J. SIatfery

George Miller. the silent runner from
Los Angeles. broke the heart of the far
heralded Soldier King at the Coliseum
last night. and amid the frantic cheers
of some 1000 Marathon mad persons,
crossed the tape first in our city's
maiden long distance professional con-
test.
King was a beaten man when he
succumbe1 to cramp just as he fin
isked his twenty fifth mile. Miller bore
down upon him, Tapped his man, and
ahead of him took the last ounce of
fight out of the game little soldier.
The Los Angeles runner finished the
20 miles 3S5 yards in 3 hours, minutes
and % seconds. King finished eight
minutes later.
OF the six starters, four completed
the long run. They We're William
Stanley. the Danish boy, with "a miles
and laps to his credit when Miller
won, and j. Allen Garcia, the local per-
former. who had completed 22 miles
lrishman, blew up in the ninth mile,
while IL miles was enough to make
Hills of the Reliance club, Oakland,
toss up the sponge.
The great race demonstrated that
San Francisco had fallen heir to an
ther sport, the same that has capttvated
New York, Chicago and the other east
ern cities The seed was sown last
night and it promised to sprout rapidly.
! Every man, woman and child who went
for the novelty of the thing stayed till
the finish and helped Cheer the victor
on his way. They all agreed that it
was grand, magnificent-a new sensa-
| tion-something that they had never
! experienced before.
WINNER GREAT RUNNER
The winner now looms up as one of
( the greatest runners at the long dis
tance game that has ever donned a
| spiked shoe on the coast. He went the
whole route without stopping or even
slowing up once He maintained his
steady gait and hung on to King. who
made the pace, with wonderful tenacity.
He refused to be shaken, though the
soldier made many an effort to gain
an additional lap when the route was
three-quarterS over.
Miller commenced to show his won
derful speed about the nineteenth
mile. Then he was no less than eight
laps behind the soldier, whom every
body looked upon as a sure winner
But Miller was not to be denied.
Connolly commenced to suffer from a
ing his advantage, quickly gained a
lap. The crowd yelled, and he gained
another and another. When the twenty
third mile loomed up Miller was but
three laps to the bad, with the soldier
showing signs of distress at every step.
Here Miller forged ahead with a vim.
King was suddenly seized with a
cramp as Miller bore down upon him
half way around the track. Miller took
advantage of this handicap on his op-
ponent and Tapped him, leaving but one
lap between them.
King got on his feet again and made
another desperate effort to keep in the
lead, but at the end of the next mile he
again half collapsed. His trainers hur-
ried quickly to his side to rub the all
ing ankle and Miller forged ahead. The
crowd was beside itself as the silent
hiker tore out with renewed vigor and
set a hot pace.
KING STUMBLING
This practically settled King. With
only one more mile to run and his op-
ponent ahead of him he realized full
well that the game was up. Miller.
though a bit weak and tired, main
tanned his great stride and King was
just barely able to hobble along After
Miller crossed the line first King barely
stumbled along for the last three laps
and finished the course through sheeer
gameneSs.
King made the pace at the outset
He started off like quarter horse and
quickly gained on all his opponents. He
the long run. Miller maintained his
steady long and even stride, scarcely
varying till he saw a chance to gain on
King when the latter began to wilt
after the twentieth mile.
Up to the fifteenth and sixteenth
miles Stanley was in the going strong
and apparently had chance. But the
route was too long for him. and when
he did begin to fade he lost rapidly and
was out of the game in the eighteenth.
Garcia was game to the finish, but
never figured dangerously, getting off
badly and remaining in the rut
throughout