Evening star., 1933-06-14
WELSHMAN'S GRIT
/ IS MARKED TRAIT
CraWIs Across Finish Line
/ After Dramatic Collapse
in 31-MiIe Hike.
BY Il. ID. THOMAS.


NK ANY famous names dot the
Nl long list of entrants in Tht
40 Stars national A. A. U
marathon championship
to be run Saturday, but one of the
most feared contenders is man
unknown to the general sports
public.
Frank (Pat) Dengis of the
Stonewal Democratic Club OF
Baltimore, almost newcomer to
the running game, will go to post
with the thorough respect of every
rival, although he has never won
q major contest.
What the runners say of him with
regard to the classic Saturday is:
"Dengis is due. He can't be held off
longer!''
a FTER listening lot to Mike Lynch,
"A Haskell Clark and Jerry Looney,
Washington marathoners who move
about considerably, We got some para
graphs direct from Dengis, who, by the
way, is a transplanted Britisher. He
was born in South Wales.
He was the principal in one OF the
most dramatic sport episodes of recent
times in finishing second in the ma
tional A. A. U. 50,000-meter walk, al
Baltimore last month. But let him
tell it.
II ran my first race at Boston last
year and managed to get twenty eighth
place in hours and 81 minutes. Since
then I have been eighth in the Cana
dian marathon championship, fourth at
Portchester and last Fall finished fourth
in the 50,00o-meter walk at Atlantic
City.
SIT DECIDED to try an iron man
i stunt this year and tackle the two
Ions. distance events at running
and walking, your marathon and the
SO 0.OOO-meter walk, which is 31A miles.
To that end / put myself in the hands
of A. L. Montevarde, the old-timer at
Mays Landing, NJ j., the greatest figure
in the running world today.
well, he put me through a vigorous
course Of training and at Boston re-
Gently I finished fourteenth in 2:45 IN
all the way. But it was satisfactory to
me, as I was pointing for the national
championship at Washington.
In the 50,000-meter walk at Baltl-
more on May 81 came within an eye
lash of bringing of the first half OF my
double-victory plan. For 81 miles LED
the field by huge margin, but blew
fuse right near the end. had 150-
yard lead and only one lap OF the
Baltimore stadium to go - just 400
yards-and collapsed, exhausted and
unable to move for spell. After
terrible struggle crawled over the line
to finish second in a manner somewhat
similar to Paul De Bruyn's in your race
last year.
s.sA ND thus a national championship
II was grabbed right out OF my
hands. But I'm coming over to
washington to try to land the title, and,
believe me, some one will have to do
some plain and fancy running to head
me off this time, and don't care II 1t
SHOWS, rains or If it Is 120 degrees IN
the shade!
experts tell me no one can tackle
long distance running and walking, but
I'm out to prove them wrong. Anyway,
I'm the only man in Canada or the
United States who is competing with
any success in both branches OF the
lorig-distance game, and in year or
two more, when I've built up my legs
and had more seasoning, I'll be afraid
of no one"
Dangis is not a gifted boaster. He
was asked for a lowdown on himself
and merely gave it. He is an intelli-
gent, well-met chap. Compared with
what other runners say Of him and
his possibilities. the foregoing is mild
estimate of himself.