New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-04-23
OLYMPIC MARATHON TRAIL
Course of Race at Stockholm Han
Been Surveyed.
STIFF TESTS FOR RUNNERS
Road Leads Out and in Throuoh
Wild Country and Grassy
Slopes.

This years olympic Marathon race =,
Stockholm, Sweden, viii not be straisb..
away run from point to point. but sbop,
twelve miles out and back over the ssr,.
road. starting from the stadium and so,r,
almost due north IN the village Of Soll.,'
tuna and home again. According 10 prese,,
plans. the competitors Will make two c,..
cults Of the stadium track al starting ha.
fore passing ont into the road Al n.
finish they viii have 10 do only a frac,,o,
Of lap around the arena.
Taken as a whole. II is a good road RIM.
ming the entire way through open and ursc,
tically wild country, with considerable ya-i,
ETY. Of scenery and some hills, which. esrA.
cialiy toward the finish, viii he irwin,
enough There IS little difference in eley,.
ton between Sorcntuna and the stadium
but both arc higher than the intern4d,a,,
country The runners, therefore, will 6na
the course generally downhill at starting,
then there is a level stretch in the middle
section with bits Of uphill work aeai,
toward the turning point. Coming hons
the process will be the same downhil frs,
then level and uphill again, and il IS sons
OF these last slopes, none Of them ver2
steep and mostly short, which are going "a
test the staying qualities OF the conpetl.
tors.
Almost Immediately on leaving tos
stadium the road gets into wild country.
with grassy slopes on either hand, broker.
with cropping rocks and scattered coniters.
where many thousands Of spectators can
find room. Then follows a charming BIT a
WIKI N
a mile or so. the pines nearly meet over.
head, the shade Of which, If the day be hot,
should be most welcome. Again the courss
swings out into the open and runs close by
. the edge of an arm Of the sea, on LEAVING
which a sharp turn To the left brings ons
to another stretch Of beautiful woodland
country; emerging from the trees the watss
is close by again, though on the right hand.
The way dips steeply, end for perhaps
, three-quarters Of a mile runs through an
avenue OF old and we'll grown elms, witt
branches meeting above, beyond which Leo
a wide expanse Of open moorland.
The general trend OF the route from
this point on is upwards, and soon thu
village OF Sollentuna comes into sight,
with the railway station OF TO the right,
and scattered over the slopes IN all direcI
tons, gay villas painted red and white,
each in it's square fenced plot, making a
garden suburb in the wilderness. Ahead
rises the sp.re OF Sollentuna Church, a
hite-palnted country edifce set upon a
knoll, surrounded BY a churchyard and
ringed about with trees. Somewhere ius,
beside the church Will be the turning post.
1t il sweet and peaceful road to-day,
this road, which will see so much energy
in next July.
The change OF scene and air OF open
space and shade, ought TO be helpful 70
the runners. Nowhere does the road pass
through anything like town or village; 10
has no sidewalks; here and there ere Villas
or typical farmhouses, but II is always 4
good, honest. country road In places II
is, at this wet season OF the year, heavy;
and in others stony But this will be at
tended 70, doubtless with the same thor-
oughness as IS being shown IN all the arr
rangements, and a good, sound surfacs
should be easy 10 make throughout Thers
Is width enough, and II would be difficult
to imagine anything more convenient Tor
the crowds Of spectators who viii doubt
less assemble TO see the race than the
gentle slopes, dotted with trees, which
border most Of the way, and especially al;
the stadium end
| In the Marathon race, even more than IN
any other event, It is anticipated that the
performances will he above the Level OF
former years.
Next 10 the stadium itself and the Mara
thon track, the thing Of most interest 10
the outside world will be the rowing
course. This is in the heart OF Stockholm
running Immediately alongside one OF the
chief thoroughfares and promenades OF the
city, the Strandvagen. The course VII! run
close along by the side of the street, ANA
there is practically no current, although Il
is notorious that currents set very strongly
In some Of the narrow seaways between
these islands
The chief objection 70 the course is tnat'
nearing its end, it IS spanned by the bridge
with three low-pitched arches, from the
strandvagen 10 the Island Of Djurgarden'
The arches are wide enough, being some'
what over sixty feet in span; but untortu-
nately a large bathing establishment
thrusts itself out from the shore !N''
where the course should run. conpe!Ins
fairly sharp turn before boat can Re so'
straight TO take the bridge in a close ia''
It will need both judgment and nerve n
coxswain 10 decide how straight ne can
dare 70 go, or how much he mnst '0"''
round TO shoot the bridge In safety
There is talk OF abolshng this oau -
structure next year in any event; III VIZ,
case It would seem 20 be very unlo'''"-
- I, cannot be removed now, marrinS' a..
urdoubtedlv does, an otherwise eH'el."s
ronr.o IN which with the crowds ma''e'
along the street races should re Spe''''