Evening star., 1932-08-22
STEADY; EVEN PACE
DEFEATS SPR|NnNG.
Cooperation of Numerous
Agencies Makes Success
of Stars Title Run.

~ F all that group Of bronzed
1 and blistered men-old
" and young-who ran Is
miles 385 yards to finish
in The Evening Stars National A.
A. u; title marathon race, under
the auspices of the District Bicen-
tennial Committee, last Saturday,
none was more surprised than
Clyde Martak of Baltimore, Amer
ican-born Hungarian lad who ran
Paul de Bruyn, the rugged
Teuton, into the ground in those
last blazing five miles to finish
first in the grueling classic.
Not that he was surprised just to
win. Ebullient youth never expects to
lose. And not that he had left behind
Bill Agee, last years marathon cham
pion, back in the dust of East Potomac
Park as Bounding Bill nursed his ach-
ing dogs to the end of the marathon
trail for him-somewhere down in the
park.
Martak was surprised that all he had
to do was to run an even race. He had
expected somewhere along the mara
tfon trail that the leaders would put
on blistering pace that would leave
him far back in the ruck-too far back
to catch them. And that after this
burst of speed they would hold their
pace They did-for a while-De
Bruyn and Agee-aS they ran each
others heart out down there between
Fort Hunt and the Arlington Memorial
Bridge In the fastest opening Is miles
any recent marathon has seen. But
they did not put enough distance be-
tween themselves and the drifting black
ghost that was Martak to withstand
the even pace the youngster maintained
as his great heart urged tagging feet
toward the distant goal.
"nOWN there in Alexandria," the
l. 2l-year r-old stenographer said,
my dogs were about ready to quit.
I was pretty well tired out But some
where in that stretch between Alex
andria and the Memorial Bridge I got
my second wind. I didn't expect TO
catch De Bruyn. He was going like a
wild man. But I was in third place
=
was more surprised than I was when
caught him at the Capitol on the re-
turn journey. And was I surprised
when found that I didn't have to lift
my pace to keep ahead after had
caught him. Boy, I'll say was. !
expected him to come through with a
burst Of speed at any time. But he
didn't. And I didn't have to speed TO
keep in front Of him"
Great race, wasn't it?"' the black
haired champion grinned as he sat near
the finish wrapped in blanket, smok-
ing cigarette.
..ITS easy does it, says diminutive
i Percy Wyer, the 98-pound Cana
dian who finished in second place
far in front of many heavier men, pok-
ing his aldermanic little tummy and his
almost naked little chest out there to
finish a little more than minute be-
hind the flying Martak.
Wyer has theory evolved through
years Of marathoning. that short strides
such as he takes in distance runs beat
the distance eating gallop of bigger men
to a frazzle Watch this tiny little
runner from the land Of the maple
leaf. He hardly seems to run. 1t is
more a shuttle. Not the lope of the big
ger men, nor the swift effortless stride
of Agee. He runs as If he wore carpet
slippers without heel pads and was
afraid of losing them If he took too
long a stride. But he finished second
just the same.
There may be something to his theory
for Clarence De Mar, the New Hamp-
shire school teacher who finished elev-
enth in The Stars claSsis contest,
moves over the course in much the
same way. They say it conserves en-
ergy to lift 'em and put 'em down this