Evening star., 1932-08-09
OLYMPIC CHAMPION
HAS WORTHY RIVAL
World Mark Is Only Minute
Faster Than Time Made
by U. S. Title Holder.
BY r. n. THOMAS.

w WHETHER or not Juan Car
W. los Zabala competes in
' The Evening Star mara
thon a week from Sat-
urday. the luSter of his name may
be paled a bit by the victor.
In his world Notwithstanding
Olympic triumph. the young Ar
gentine ran the 26 miles 385 yards
in only one minute and fifth of
a second faster than did Billy
Agee of Baltimore last year to win
the United States championship,
which he will defend in The Stars
Bicentennial race.
zsbala galloped over level course;
Agee over a stretch of road frequently
punctuated by heart-breaking hills. The
same performance over course with
out hills, or with slight grades to re-
lieve the monotony in all probability
would have resulted in better time
for the bounding Baltimorean than
achieved by the Olympic champion.
A GEE, who for the last several
n years, has added steadily to his
speed over the long reaches, hoped
to set world record early this Sum-
mer, but not only failed to reach peak
condlJlon for the Olympic try-out at
Salisbury, Md, but went lame and was
forced to drop out. He was accounted
~ IN thp wOrld
at Los Angeles, and his disappointment
at Salisbury whetted his ambition for
the classic here.
The course over which The Stars
race will be run is one of the finest
ever devised according to Agee him
self. It will include in its entirety
the Mount Vernon Highway, with just
enough roll to be interesting and not
Rruelling; a turn around Hams Point,
a stretch of Constitution and Penn
eylvania avenues and whirl around
the Ellipse, with the finish at the
milestone, in back of the White House.
A GEE is training for the August 20
"A grind as he has for no other race
in recent years and hoping ar
IDENTIFY that the best of the Olympic
runners will be his rivals. The wish
probably will be gratifed. for the entry
OF the invading runners has been urged
by high A. A u. and Olympic officials
and several already have tentatively ac-
cepted invitations to race for special
trophies
Not in many marathoning campaign3
have the countryS leading distance run
ners been so wrought up over national
championship and day by day the con-
test assumes the proportions of one OF
the greatest events of its kind ever
staged. A letter from Bill Kennedy Of
Porchester, Conn, several times winner
of the famous Boston Marathon and
victor in countless other races, Is quite
typical. Says he: 'I haven't trained in
10 years as I'm training for this race"
A ND from the illustrious Clarence
"A De Mar, whose name is synon-
ymous with victory In the Boston
classic: I'm glad the race is in August.
run best in hot weather"
The field will be the largest ever to
take part in a distance race in this
part Of the country. it appears assured.
Approximately so entries already have
been received, with about 20 cities rep
resented. and invariably the bulk of
entries comes only a few days before a
contest.
Final arrangements for the race will
5e made at a meeting tomorrow night
Of the Marathon Committee at The
Star sports department. A large force
will be required in the management of
the contest. including officials, check
ers, directors Of control stations, ETC.,
not to mention ambulance crews sup
piled by the Red Cross. patrol cars by
the American Automobile Association
and park and metropolitan police TO
handle traflc.
THE ciCy's sport-managing ranks have
l. been called upon heavily and the
cooperation is Al straight down
the line.
The District Bicentennial Commits
sicn. with DR.. George c. Havenner
taking leading hand and with Champ
Pickens. Bicentennial sports director,
very much on the job, is bending every
energy toward making the race one OF
the country's outstanding athletic
events Of the year A number of
famous marathoners will be guests Of
the commission,