26 Hour Walking Race Championship Belt
date: label: date made
content: 1879
notes: label: Description
content: Blue and white leather belt with three oval shaped, brass medallions and one square brass medallion attached to front; two straps and buckles on back for attaching to waist.
label: Description
content: This belt was awared to competitive walker Earl Tracy, who in 1879 travelled 95 miles in 26 hours. Tracy was the only competitor to finish the race, which began at the Concordia Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland and concluded in Washington, DC. The donor's father claimed that Tracy later wore the belt to state and country fairs.
label: Description
content: Competitive walking, also known as pedestrianism, was among the most popular activities for wagering during the 18th and 19th centuries. The sport has evolved into modern racewalking.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: name of sport
content: Racing
label: name of sport
content: Walking
label: web subject
content: Sports
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Frank E. Shumard
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1992.0041.01
label: catalog number
content: 1992.0041.01
label: accession number
content: 1992.0041
objectType: label: Object Name
content: belt
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: leather (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 4 1/2 in x 36 1/2 in; 11.43 cm x 92.71 cm