Evening star., 1932-08-21
COMES FROM FAR
BEHIND TO SCORE
De Bruyn, Who Finishes Third
After Painting, Appeared
to Be Sure Victor.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.


"OR the second consecutive
r. year the National A. A. U.
Marathon championship is
Baltimore's. But the 1882
title, instead of being carried to
the Monumental City by its ia
nous Billy Agee, today will be
toted to Orioletown by pale, thin
youngster named Clyde Martak,
who yesterday provided one of the
most stunning marathon upSetS
in recent years by winning The
Stars Bicentennial race.
1t is doubtful if even Martak's
staunchest friends conceded him a
chance to beat the great Paul De Bruyn
of Germany. Clarence De Mar, Percy
wyer, Johnny Semple or his fellow
townsman, Agee. In fact, he ran ID
miles of yesterdays race without get
ting a tumble from the crowds or off-
cials, and not until the runners hit the
''home stretch" so to speak, at Con-
stitution avenue, did he give indication
OF earning high place in the classic.
When Martak crossed the finish line
at the Zero Milestone back of the
White House, with Percy Wyer. replac-
Ing Ot DIuyu, VIII 1ldo 4dAlCCN, az @iIo
heels, it was only the anti-climax of
the race The real climax occurred
between East Capitol street and Second
and B streets, when Martak thrilled
huge crowds there by drawing up on
even terms with the sturdy German.
DE BRUYN was several hundred
- yards out in front going up East
Capitol street and appeared un-
beatable. De Bruyn declared. only n
mile or so back, that he "felt fine" But
when he appeared around the turn at
Second and B streets, on his way to the
Zero Milestone and victory. Martak was
at his elbow, and, unlike Agee, he
stayed there.
The comparative slowness of the time
g hours, So minutes and Is seconds)
does not detract from Martaks victory.
He licked one of the classiest marathon
fields ever assembled and came from
behind-far behind-to do it. Like manv
of the other runners who were behind
the flying De Bruyn and Agee in the
early going, he was handicapped by
the traffic.
While the final result was stunning
and unexpected, 1t bore out the con-
tention held by many that it is the
lighter runner who holds the edge in
rangy. Wyer, runner-up, weighs only
SO pounds.
NfARTAK'S victory was thrilling
Iv1 climax to Washington's first big
marathon race and startling news
20 the entire distance-racing world. 1t
brought back fame that once was often
the Cross Country Clubs in Baltimore.
It's early history is replete with notable
triumphs, but Martaks is the first
major win for the club in some years.
The very element that De Bruyn,
champion marathoner Of Germany and
Boston A. A. champion, had prayed for
brought about his downfall. At Mount
Vernon he remarked the day was not
as warm as it might be-" Cold days
are not for De Bruyn, as his failure in
the Olympic marathon attested. But
yesterday did prove to be warm enough.
1t was from heat and exhaustion that
he collapsed
1t is possible De Bruyn, young In
years and marathoning experience, may
have made a mistake in running the
race as he did. Neck-and-neck he
raced with Billy Agee away from the
field at the start. He may have killed
himself off in the first 10 miles and
when he hit the Capitol Plaza found
himself without reserve strength to
finish. Agee couldn't stand the ter
rife pace, either, quitting with leg
cramps.
CLARENCE DE MAR and Johnny
~ Semple, other favorites, found the
pace and the weather too hot also