Evening star., 1934-06-03
DISTANCE MEANS
LITTLE TO FINN
Komonen Will Come From
Interior of Canada to
Defend Title.
BY ROD THOMAS.
AVE KOMONEN, the fir!

AVE hOMONEN, Lne nrSJ
Finn to command the
J focus of the foot-racing
- world since Nurmi. yes
terday wired his entry into the
third annual Evening Star race
for the national A. A. U. cham
pionship, to be run next Sat-
urday.
Most illustrious in one of the swift
est fields of distance runners ever as
sembled, Komonen will travel farthest
to engage in the contest in which he
will be the defending champion. A
world wanderer, the United States
titleholder now is an unnaturalized
citizen of Sudbury, Canada, min
ing town 300 miles north of Toronto.
He will represent the Frood Mine
Athletic Association.
Komonen, about S feet S inches tall
and weighing less than 1870 pounds, if
permitted will attempt an unprece-
dented feat of endurance. He hopes
to win two major marathons over the
regulation length of 26 miles 385 yards
on successive Saturdays. On June
Is, the week end following The Stars
race, will be held the Canadian try-out
for the British Empire Marathon, and
Komonen has applied for entry into
this. The winner will be sent to the
final at London. Latest advices indi-
cate his application will be approved.
THE national championship here
last June and the classic Bos-
ton Patriots Day Marathon the
following April were breezes for the
letes.
1t is the thought of the Frood Mine
Athletic Association, directed by an
1rishman named N. w. Smith, that
the Canadian chase should be a mod
crate conquest for the Finn If he can
get over the hurdle at Washington,
where he will be called upon to wear
out such runners as Paul De Bruyn,
the German representative in the last
Olympics; Johnny Semple, still recog-
nized as the champion of Scotland,
though representing in the coming
gallop the United States Shoe Ma
chinery Athletic Association of Bev-
erly, Mass: Billy Agee Of the Stone
wall Democratic Club of Baltimore,
former national champion; Clyde
Martak, who carried to victory. in the
first Star Marathon, in 1882. the col
ors of the Baltimore Cross Country
Club (what was left of them after a
hot August afternoon) Mel Porter,
runner-up to Komonen here last year
and now member of the German
American Athletic Club of New York;
William Steiner, also German
American and holder of the Metro
politan New York title; August Slo-
boda. Chicago Bohemian, and a new
conner to distance game, who matched
strides with the leaders last year un-
til the last several miles; Pat Dongis
of Baltimore, who If his story were
told, would be one of the most inter-
esting figures in the realm of sport,
q favored victim of Nemesis, and half
dozen others who, If having a good
day. might be tough even for a
Komonen.
Course iseChanged.
,DUE to street repairs, it has been
necessary to change the course,
but not radically. The start
will be as usual at Mount Vernon and
the finish at the Zero Milestone on
the Ellipse. The route has been care
fully measured and triple checked by
the American Automobile Association,
with Dick Ham supervising the job.
Ham will make an official report to
the National A. A. u and the Inter-
national Marathoners' Association,
many members of which have ex-
pressed a belief that the course is
overlength.
It's not the length of the layout,
II we may believe Pat ~Dengis, who
collapsed with three miles to 60 last
year, but the heat and the exhaust
from automobiles that makes the way
seem uncommonly gruelling.