Norwich bulletin., 1909-02-06
Shrub COLLAPSED IN 18TH MILE
boat Winning Marathon, Shows Himself World
Beater-Tme Slow-Shrubb Got Big Lead, then
Lost--Eastern Connecticut Baseball Meeting.

New York. Feb. 5.-Maintaining an
even, swinging stride, which rarely
varied, Tom Longboat, the Onondaga
indian from Canada, won the indoor
Maarahon race tonight at Madison
Square Garden, when victory seemed
almost within the grasp of the plucky
English champion runner, Alfred
Shrubb, who collapsed in the 18th mile,
leaving the Indian to finish alone.
Longboat's time for the race was 2
hours SO minutes 40 2-5 seconds. which
is nearly eight minutes behind the rec
ord made by Dorando, the Italian, in
his race with Johnny Hayes, the
Olympic winner, last fall. The Indian
finished in fine fettle and was in no
wya distressed.
Madison Square garden was damned
with people tonight. eager to see the
indoor Marathon race between Alfred
Shrubb, the champion English middle
distance runner, and Tom Longboat,
the Canadian Indian runner. A large
crowd gathered long before the doors
of the big amphitheatre opened the
way to the saucepan track, where the
two contenders were to measure
strides. The best time over the gar
den course was made by Dorando, the
Italian, with a race with John HAYES,
the winner of the Olympic Marathon
in London last Summer.
EngIishman to 5 FaVorite.
The Italian was afterward defeated
in a Marathon contest at the garden
by Longboat. Early arrivals at the
course INDUCED in much discussion
and speculation over the prospective
race. Shrubb ruled q favorite in the
early wagers at to 5. Trained to
the winute, Shrubb appeared in per-
feet condition when he entered his
dressing room at the garden. The
Indian also made a good impression
as he donned his running attire.
With both runners right as trivets
and confident of victory, the specta-
tors looked forward to the most snir-
tied of any indoor Marathon. Shrubs
admirers spoke of the marvellous
speed with which the English covers
distances up to fifteen miles and de-
clared that he would easily run the
Indian off his feet. Friends Of Long
boat argued that he could keep with
in distance of Shrubb early in the race
and then successfully sprint in the last
few miles.
There wa ssome delay in getting the
race started, but at s.1s .. M. the
two men were lined I'D and q minute
later they were sent away. Shrub
Immediately took the lead and, setting
a fast pace. gradually increased the
distance between himself and the In
dian.
shrubb Makes the Pact Fast.
tShrubbs tactics soon became plain.
He quickened his pace after going 8
lap or two and though Longboat ran
with an easy stride it was evident the
pace was too hot for him. When
Shrubb finished the third lap, the In
dian was a third Of a lap behind and
from then to the end of the first mile,
which Shorubb finished in four min
utes, go seconds, the Indian slowly but
surely fell behind. At the end of the
mile Longboat was three-quarters of
q lap behind, and at the end of the
next, or the eleventh lap, the Indian
just trailed in after the English run
ner. At the end Of the second mile
Shrubb was leading by nearly a lap
and a half. The time for the two
miles das 1913 AS.
Shrubs running won him the ad-
miration Of the crowd. frequently ex-
pressed in cheers and shouts Of en-
enlargement. But Longboat, with his
graceful lope, had a host of friends,
who did not seem to lose confidence
as the Englishman got g. comfortable
lead.
Indian Baekers Confident.
shrub can never stand that gait
to the end!!" shouted one of the In
dams hackers, and it truly seemed as
II this must be so, for Shrubb finished
five miles in 27.54. Shrubb was two
and half laps ahead at this time, but
II was noted that while he had gained
two laps in the first three miles he