Evening star., 1928-04-20

Associated 9rr SPORTS Ed,torl
~ CSTON. Ap@n 90 0s4.-Tae Kan
kakee fiver. one tins king o.
milegS has passed ON and today
- its Jogging Jo;e Ray. tbs mara
ttoner, and latest hope OF
AAerica for the greatest of ali Olym-
pie distance running honorS,
Ii has been 20 years since the laurel
wreath that goes with Olympic mara
thy victory, has been perched on the
broAs as an American Today there are
three outstanding Yankee stars in the
distance running armament. where only
one held o secure place previously, and
hopes Of conquest this Summer at AM
Ster6am are fiaTing up,
There has never been much doubt
about the consistent class of Clarence
H. Demar as a great marathon runner,
hut whatever question existed is wiped
out by his record smashing victory yes
terdav in tie thirty-flISt annual classic
oE the BoStou Athletic Association,
Beats Great Fled.
Spread-eagling his field. the greatest
ever assembled for the historic event
Demar clipped more than 3 minutes
from his own course record, scored his
sixth triumph since 1911, gained the
national championship along with IT,
and clinche6 his place on the Olympic
team for 1928 beyond the paleSt shadow
Of a doubt His time was 2;37 ,oT As.
But somehow or other this WAS e%-
pected OF Demar. THIS lean. hrlght-eyeu
little typeSetter of NelVoSe has won
this gruelling iaunt from HopEinton 10
Boston Ave times in the last seven
years. He has done about everything
that could be asked of him on this
course except turn 8 few handsprinsS.
These hills and dales are his precincts.
and his pounding feet seem 10 suooue
them with ridiculous ease.
So it WAS that the surprise OF the
race was smiling Jimmy Henigan Of
Dorchester, who galloped up TO second
place with q whirlwind finish. and the
sensation was gallant little Joie Ray.
who overcaTne the terrific handicap of
hliStered. torn and bleeding feet TO
place third IN the FIRST marathon OF his
long career.
RAYS finish viii rank among the
most pulse -Quickaning and vivid o. dis
tance-running history. There was not
q shouting youngstsr. not an ordinary
onlooker nor q hardened critic in that
vast deslsley packed throng lining the
course that failed to feel a tingling
thrill as Jcie logged down the long trail
to the finish
Here was an athlete of 81, after IS
years of competition ct comparatively
short distances, the eight-times Amer
lean mile champion. tackling the most
difficult test of his career Here was q
foriorn, almost tottering little bundle
of running machinery. moving ahead on
sheer nerve and grit His eyes half
closed lips tightly pressed and his feet
burning from those last few torturing
miles TEiS ears we're deaf To the ciarf1Oy
that greeted him He iunged slightly
at the tape and then collapsed.
Had he tackled too much? Had he
done the seeming impossible. but ever
taxed that great listle running ma
chine? Not II you ask Joi2. and il was
not more ffa- IN hour after his des-
perate finish tnat he WIS ready 10 sit
up and tel the world he was just begin
ming 20 run.
Too much fer meq / should say not
Ms feet are SIRE bat that's 10 b. ex-
pected They haven been conditioned
Tor this kind Of STUFF But I did ii
foc2-. viii DO better the next time
and I'm there 70 stick,
"wiIl Beat Olympics."
Give me another month of training
and can break the record that Denar
made today / was less than five min
ufes behind him today. I'll run next
month in the Long Beach marathon
from New York and III be over there
running in the Olympics. Maybe III
win and maybe l won't. but I'll give
'em q race
This was the Old chesty Joie. conf
dent and himself again. even II bit
drawn and haggerd. From an athlete
vino had Just accomplished cne OF the