Evening journal., 1909-05-29
Leads Field of y Starters
and Finishes ) Feet
Ahead of Mccoy

Wilbur r. Brown, tho crack runner
of the Wilmington High School, won
the first city three and one-quarter
mile Marathon yesterday afternoon.
He led a field OF twenty-five runners
and finished three feet ahead Of Lester
Mccoy, of the Garnet A. G., who at
every step OF the long run was a con-
tender for the first prize. Robert
Cranston, Friends School. was third.
and Frank r. Wood. another High
School runner, was fourth. The prizes
were: First, gold watch; second. shoes;
third, shoes; fourth. stockings.
The two thousand spectators who
saw the big field Of runners start and
finish. and the thousands more who
urged the boys TO victory as they made
their way over the long route demon
strated that the Marathon is immense
ly popular here That il rs so is due
10 THE EVENING JOURNAL. which
newspaper alone encouraged the idea
OF a Marathon. after Il had been sug-
gested by the Newark Shoe Company.
That another Marathon will be run in
the near future over a six-mile course
is probable. Thomas N. Donohue, local
manager OF the Newark Shoe Com
pany, pronounced the first long dist
ance run a success In every particula~,
and was loud in his praise OF THE
EVENING JOURNAL for its interest
in what proved 20 be the greatest ath-
letic event OF the kind ever PLANNED
here. 1t was Mr.. Donohue's opinion
that the event could not have been
the success Il was had not THE
EVENING JOUNARL given It the
support Il did. THE EVENING
JOURNAL has demonstrated that Il
does things; II is the most enterpris
ing paper as well as the best advertis-
ing medium in the State" was Mr..
Donohue's tribute 20 THE JOURNAL
after the race.
II was o'clock when the twenty
two runners lined up at Seventh street
for the start. Thirty-iive runners had
entered. but twelve of them failed To
go. Brown. the winner, was the last
hoy 20 reach the line. II was said
that he would not start because Of be-
ing entered in a run to-day, and when
he did appear n company of High
School enthusiasts, who had taken
positions on the fence in front Of st.
Paurs M. Il. Church, greeted him with
the school yell A squad of officers,
under command Of Police Captain
Kane, kept back the spectators, and
while everybody in the big crowd was
cheering, Mr.. Donohue sent the field
or
/ Robert c. Porter, chief Of the Fire
Department, and Thomas Kane, who
held the watches, got the time at S.Ot
o'clock.
Up Market street to Concord avenue
the runners sped. E. H. Lynch on a
bicycle, and Thomas q. Brown. ]
| Monteith jackson, Captain Kane and
J. A. Ellison. in an automobile. direct
! ing the route AT Brandywine bridge
Brown and Mccoy took the lead. Nc
Coy set the pace and led the crack
High School boy from that point 10
Tenth and Orange streets. Then
Brown, as fresh as he was at the start,
spurted ahead of the Garnet entrant
and led him by three feet TO the finish
/ line. Cranston and Wood finished
within twenty-five feet of the winner.
IL was a great finish of a great race,
/ Cheers, mingled with the yells OF the
/ High School. Friends School and Gar
net A. c.. went up for the winners
/ and Brown and Mccoy. who had made
such a hard race for the big prize and