New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-21
Brilliant Squirt Is Yards
from Finish Decides
Mails" Race.
FINNISH LEADERS IN
NECK AND-NECK TEST
McGinn Sets Early Pace for
Thousand Athletes, but
Retires with Stitch.

ward in the end, and this proved true
f in the case OF Willie Kyronen. the di-
minutive Finn of the Millrose Ath-
letic Association. in defeating by
inches, Hannes Kolehmsinen. the re-
/ doubtable Finn of the Irish-American
Athletic Club, in the sixth running Of
THE Evening Mail" modified Mara
thon through the streets Of Msnhst-
tan and The Bronx yesterday. For the
last four years Kyronen had taken the
dust Of his fellow countrymsn in cham
pionship and open competitions, and
the victory. although late, was none
+ the less sweet. This was only OBJ
tanned after n thrilling sprint in the
last twenty-five yards, and it was the
timely jump Of Kyronen that gave him
the coveted honor by inches.
II was duel between the two Finnish
runners for the last half of the jour
ney. with Kyronen taking upon him
self the burden of setting the pace for
the greater part Of the distance. 1t
was inspiring to watch the two stout
hearted athletes as they sped along in
machine-like fashion, with not the
slightest momentsry break in their
strides. During the entire period OF
running Kolehmainen kept nearest the
curb, compelling Kyronen to run in the
centre of the dust. and consequently
cover more ground.
Winners Brilliant Squirt.
After they had run neck and neck
7 Kyronen sprinted to the front. with
the finish one-quarter of a mile away.
The squirt continued for some 200
yards, when the Leaders again settled
back into fast stride on even terms.
/ Speeding into City Hall Park they
were still abreast, but rounding the
/ turn near the Nathan Hale statue Ky
ronen gained the jump on Kolehmainen
which enabled him to win by less than
"A foot. Cheers greeted the two run
ners as they hove into sight Of the
tape. The winners time for the zig
/ gag course of 1919. miles was l:09:l0,
with kolehmainen clicked one-ffth OF
a second slower.
( Always contender, and finishing
third, came Joe Organ, of the Pitts
burgh Athletic Club. Heavily built,
but with a chest indicating tremendous
lung power, the speedy but fat-footed
running OF Organ was surprise. Al
one stage Of the contest he was more
than half a mile behind, but he quick
/ ened his pace toward the end. to trail
/ home a little more than two full MIN
utes behind the Finnish pair.
That the residents OF the East and
I West sides appreciate foot racing more
keenlv than the citizens of Fifth Ave-
nue. was demonstrated by the large
+ crowds that thronged these sections OF
the course. There always was warm
word for the two leading runners, and
even the ponderous Pat Mcdonald. the
I Irish American champion shot-putter,
forgot his duties as traffic policeman
for second TO cheer on Kolenmalnen
as the leaders passed him in the Times
/ Square district.
Young Runners Weaken.
/ Future champions attempted TO out
/ run the two Finnish distancers, but
I they soon gave up the task when they
realized the strength and stamina nee
/ essacy. As the field wended its way
through Lafayette Street, the hnal
stretch OF the course, they practically
had to run through a fye-foct space.
with hundreds Of spectators forming
/ the line. II was estimated that almost
one million persons watched the run
ners. the throng being the greatest at
/ City Hall Park, where the trail ended.
/ Praise is due the charges of Police
/ Commissioner Woods for the capable
manner in which they policed the
( course.
I With thirteen hundred athletes
/ scheduled to start, only three hundred
/ of these failed to answer the call OF
/ the clerks at the starting point, at
/ 175th Street and the Concourse, where
/ they received the starting signal from
/ Sheriff Al Smith. Immediately there
b followed a scramble for the lead, with
Max Hahn. OF Seward Playground,
/ leaping TO the front. IL was won
! derfui sight TO behold as the flock OF
I white shirted runners ran bunched,
with Gordon of official automobiles
/ leading the way. HAHN held his COW
/ eted position for some two hundred
3 wards. when ne was passed by kyronen,
/ Kolehmainen and Harry McGinn, OF the
Paulist Athletic Club, who led for the
/ greater part of the first seven miles,
| but paid the penalty with stitch IN
| his right side, which compelled him to
retire from the race later, and with
the finish several miles away.
McGinn Early Leader.
The one-mile point, at 18th Street
/ and the Concourse, found McGinn IN
the van of the runners, with the two
| Finnish runners at his elbows, and
/ closely followed by Russell Spring
/ steen and Charles Pores. As the next
mile post was passed the lead had not
! changed, but the leading group had
| been augmented by Organ, Hugh Homo
| han. Of the New York Athletic Club,
/ and Louis Schmidt, representing the
| Bronx Church House. During the run
/ ming of the next mile McGinn increased
D the pace, and only kolehmainen and
/ Kyronen elected 10 follow suit. In a
/ few blocks the three had leaped away
/ 20 lead over their rivals, and the
4 third mile was reached with Pores, Or
{ gan, Schmidt and Honohan some TWEEN
/ ty-fve yards behind the three leaders.
/ Kolehmainen then went 70 the front
/ as they ran along Seventh Avenue, with
I Kyronen and McGinn sticking tena-
/ ciously at his side. The fourth-mile
/ point gave this group an advantage OF
| 100 yards over their nearest rivals, but
| with Pores and Organ in keen contest
/ for third position. The latter pair
pulled up TO within fifty yards OF Ko-
/ iehmainen, Kyronen and MeGinn at the
/ fifth mile. At 104th Street and Fifth
/ Avenue il was seen that MeGinn was
/ vigorously rubbing his right side, and
/ il was soon apparent that he was seized
! ....th o draadnA stiich In the side glow