Evening star., 1932-08-21
10000 LINE WAY
IN MARATHON RACE
Largest Crowd in History of
Washington Sports Cheers
Runners.
Continued From First Page)

Continued From First Page)
holstered automobile seats along the
broad highway.
Race officials and police soon found
that the automobiles were cluttering up
the highway and serving as an actual
handicap for the runners who chose to
remain off the pace that was being
made by the big, blond German, de
Bruyp, and. for the first eight miles,
William Agee, veteran OF many mara
thons, from Baltimore.
The German had practically clear
sailing all the way, but those in the
ruck, as were all who stayed behind
him. were dodging in and out of heavy
traffic for many miles, breathing into
the lungs that we're expected to carry
their weary bodies to the far-of finish
the noxious fumes of automobiles ex-
hausts.
Before de Bruyn had reached Alex
andria police had cleared a lane on
the right-hand side of the road and
were routing pleasure cars out OF the
way of the runners, but throngs were
lining both sides ct the street as the
vanguard trotted into Alexandria.
From there on into Washington the
roads were kept pretty we'll clear OF OBJ
structions, and the runners were able TO
cut corners and save every possible
inch of ground between them and the
Zero Milestone.
Roadways Choked.
Down in West Potomac Park every
roadway leading to the West Speed
wav. the route of the marathon, was
choked with automobiles, and on both
sides of the West Speedway cars were
parked with hardly standing space in
between, while their occupants lined
the roadway fully an hour before the
big, blond German hove into sight
leading the pack of 83 starters into the
Capital.
A few sought to pull their cars in be
hind the leaders and trail them around
the Speedway but the pclice soon put
a stop to that and only the officials
cars, the cars of the runners handlers
and the medical cars were allowed on
the roadway around the Speedway ana
through the streets of Washington. At
every vantage point, however, the same
crowds were encountered and the police
were confronted with the problem OF
clearing away motorists who sought 10
follow the leaders. Martak, the winner,
who ran third most of the time he was
WlLIllIl lIlc bSIllIO u SOidlilbAo AAAiA4No'
was out Of sight of the leader continu-
ally because Of the crowds which ran
into the streets and the automobiles
which followed the faltering De Bruyn
and he was continually lodging about
amcng the throng as he sought to
shorten the gap between himself and
the German in the final stages OF the
race.
On up Fourteenth street, along Con-
stitution avenue and around the Capitol
the runners on their course encountered
throngs in Washington streets which
are usually practically deserted on
Saturday afternoon.
Next in size to the throng which wit
messed the finish as the sun was sinking
low over the Ellipse was that which was
gathered about the Capitol and In the
Capitol plaza, cheering wildly as the
first and each succeeding runner round
ed the legislative seat of the Nation ana
swung pack down Pennsylvania avenue
to the finish mark.
Avenue Is Crowded.
Pennsylvania avenue was lined as for
an inaugural parade as the Straggins
line of runners passed, thinning out oy
this time until one runner was out OF
sight before another would appear wear
ily plodding along, mopping his head
with a wet sponge, his feet actually
sinking into the sun-softened asphalt.
With each man came his handlers IL
automobiles, frequently replenlshlng the
cooling water in the sponges. and al
most as frequently handing the runner
bottle of drinking water or a wal OF
ammonia to whip up his tagging legs;
AI.,-, Ivay
crowd. Washington has seen mara
marathons' they have
been called-little jaunts OF 10 or 10
miles through the city streets. but those
runs. while grueling enough to the men
who have been running in them, were
nothing like that run from the Shrine
of the Father of His Country to the
backward of the President yesterday
afternoon, and the handling OF the run
ners provided. the showmansh1p winch
the marathon races washington has
seen heretofore lacked.
The crowds gasped with the tagged
runners in those last long miles, but
found breath enough between gasps to
cheer hearteningly as each sweating
figure plodded by.
And as the 1.-the Martak, his I'll
year-old muscles still long and stringy,
came swinging up Pennsylvania avenue
and into the Ellipse, mighty cheer
went I'D from the thousands which had
gathered in the cool shade OF the great
trees to see the plucky little lad come
Looping into victory-to leap from the
obscurity of Just another marathon
runner to the limelight Of the national
champion.
And. as the race horse men would
say. he finished with something to
spare
But, while the crowds had seen the
race won, it stayed to see more of 1t
run, lingering until almost dark, as
runner after runner came into the
finish line, some walking doggedly.
others managing, just at the finish to
jog up little dog-trot and win q cheer
from the watchers.