Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-08

limited States would score an over
Whelming victor. in tn matter OF
points at the Olympiad, there was little
deep rooted confidence in the ability
of the Americans to carry off premier
honors in the most coveted race on t the
program. For years field and track
sports of all sorts had been enjoying
a healthful development In this country,
but the Improvement In the class OIL
long distance runners had been SO
gradual that it was hardly considered
likely that any American would De ape
TO successfully match strides with the
stars representing the nations that mad
for cent ries made an especial effort
to foster long distance running.
In the hope Of at least making d
creditable showing in the Marathon
several Americans went to the marx.
The result is history-Dorando failing
in sight of the goal, while Hayes sped
to victory. 1t was not until the eighties
that American track athletes pltted
themselves against the English, myers
and Merrill in 1881 being pioneers IN
the movement that had its elimination
In Hayes achievement.
While one of the Oldest events on the
athletic card, the Marathon race was
almost forgotten until the revival OF
the ancient games in an international
athletic contest in Athens in 1895. These
contests were held in the restored sta
dunn that had existed before $50 b. y,
toward whose first erection patrlotc
citizens had contributed everything
from the gold of one to the thousand
yoke of oxen that another gave ana
whose seats were covered with marble
81 BIS by Herodius as a gift to the Fan
athenaic festival. Time and war and
forgetfulness had buried the stadium,
but in 1863 1T was partially excavated,
and before these international contests
It had been restored to its original de-
sign, the underground chambers Tor the
athletes being the same as when hrst
used 1000 years before.
There the first athletic Marathon
race was run in memory of that MIS-
+oric day 2276 years before, when one
Philippines, an Athenian soldier, ran ran
from the plains of Marathon to the
palace in Athens to tell the king or
the vi tory of Miltiades and his Athent-
an and Platean freenen over the mer-
cenaries of Darius. The runner dropped
dead at the feet of his ruler, so history
and tradition assert. The city accord
ed him every civil and military honor.
his body lying in state in the capitol
for three days. Among the most an
cient pieces of sculpture is that or the
dying Marathon runner.
Marathon lies on the northeast coast
of Attica. There the worship of Apollo
had it's first home, and the district
boasts that Hercules was first Wor-
shined there. On the battlefield is a
mound. or soros. where the 1872 Athenian
dead were buried after the battle. 1t
was from this historic place that the
course of q novel race was laid out in
1896, course that followed as near
as history coul- show the path taken
by Philippines, and measuring twenty
six miles and 3S5 yards. On the day
of the new Marathon the king of the
Greeks was to receive the runner as
did his predecessor though this time
so 900 people waited, knowing, for the
coming of many runners. The fact tnat
the runner was Spiros Louces, son OF
neasant of Attica, brought forth the
Greatest annlause Of the whole contest,
and enthusiastic chroniclers aver that
the great shout rolled off against Mount
PentelIicus on the one side and Mount
Hvmettus on another as did the JOY
ous acclamations of the people OF
TWENTY-FIVE centuries before.
Marathon races had little hold on
popularity after this until the LONDON
event last year, though 1t was hoped
at the time of the Buffalo exposition
that the stadium erected there might
remain permanently and the Marathon
run then under such climatic difficult
ties would become big event in future
athletics Hayes winning acted as an
inspiration to the athletes of America,
and clubmen, schoolboys and college
students Immediately took to distance
running, which, even now, is complete
lv overchadowing in publ favor track
contests at shorter distances.
In this country the colleges exercise
such decided influence over athletics
that the clubmen copy the methods and