Olympic Games 1908 - London
MEN MARATHON - 2:55:18 John Joseph HAYES (usa)
Rome had been awarded the organization of the 1908 Summer Olympics, but, after the 1906 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, had to decline and pass the honours to London.
The marathon at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London was set to measure about 25 miles (40 kilometers) and to start on The Long Walk, a magnificent avenue leading up to Windsor Castle in the grounds of Windsor Great Park. The Princess of Wales wanted her children to watch the start of the race, so the start of the race was moved to the east lawn of Windsor Castle, increasing its length to 26 miles (42 km). The race was to finish at the Great White City Stadium in Shepherd's Bush in London; however, Queen Alexandra insisted on having the best view of the finish; so, in the words of the official Olympic report, "385 yards were run on the cinder track to the finish, below the Royal Box". The length then became 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards or 26 7/32 miles).
Fifty-six racers started. The day was unusually hot by British standards and the race was started at 2:33 p.m. on July 24, 1908. The Italian Dorando Pietri began his race at a rather slow pace, but in the second half began a powerful surge moving him into second position by the 32 kilometer mark, four minutes behind South African Charles Hefferon. When he knew that Hefferon was in crisis, Pietri further increased his pace, overtaking him at the 39 kilometer mark. The effort took its toll and with only two kilometres to go, Pietri began to feel the effects of extreme fatigue and dehydration. When he entered the stadium, he took the wrong path and when umpires redirected him, he fell down for the first time. He got up with their help, in front of 75,000 trembling spectators. He fell four more times, and every time was helped up by the umpires. Not far from the finish, again two officials took him by the arms and brought him to the line. In the end, though totally exhausted, he managed to finish the race in first place. Of his total time of 2 hours 54 minutes 46 seconds, ten minutes were needed for that last 350 metres.
Second was American Johnny Hayes. The American team immediately lodged a complaint against the help Pietri received from the umpires. The complaint was accepted and Pietri was disqualified and removed from the final standings of the race. Pietri's feat touched all the spectators of the stadium. As a compensation for the missing medal, Queen Alexandra gave him a gilded silver cup: an award proposed by the writer Arthur Conan Doyle who, according to some sources, was the megaphone bearer who supported Pietri at the finish line.
Results: 1. Johnny Hayes (USA) 2:55:18.4; 2. Charles Hefferon (RSA) 2:56:06.0; 3. Joseph Forshaw (USA) 2:57:10.4; 4. Alton Welton (USA) 2:59:44.4; 5. William Wood (CAN) 3:01:44.0; 6. Frederick Simpson (CAN) 3:04:28.2; 7. Harry Lawson (CAN) 3:06:47.2; 8. Johan Svanberg (SWE) 3:07:50.8; 9. Lewis Tewanima (USA) 3:09:15.0; 10. Kaale Nieminen (FIN) 3:09:50.8; 11. Jack Caffery (CAN) 3:12:46.0; 12. William Clarke (GBR) 3:16:08.6; 13. Ernest Barnes (GBR) 3:17:30.8; 14. Sydney Hatch (USA) 3:17:52.4; 15. Frederick Lord (GBR) 3:19:08.8; 16. William Goldsboro (CAN) 3:20:07.0; 17. James Beale (GBR) 3:20:14.0; 18. Arnošt Nejedlı (BOH) 3:26:26.2; 19. Georg Lind (RUS, but he was an Estonian living in London) 3:26:38.8; 20. Willem Wakker (NED) 3:28:49.0; 21. Gustaf Törnros (SWE) 3:30:20.8; 22. George Goulding (CAN) 3:33:26.4; 23. Julius Jørgensen (DEN) 3:47:44.0; 24. Arthur Burn (CAN) 3:50:17.0; 25. Emmerich Rath (AUT) 3:50:30.4; 26. Rudy Hansen (DEN) 3:53:15.0; 27. George Lister (CAN) 4:22:45.0 ♦ Did not finish: Victor Aitken (ANZ), Fred Appleby (GBR), Henry Barrett (GBR), George Blake (ANZ), Umberto Blasi (ITA), Wilhelmus Braams (NED), George Buff (NED), François Celis (BEL), Edward Cotter (CAN), Alexander Duncan (GBR), Thomas Jack (GBR), Georgios Koulouberdas (GRE), Anastasios Koutoulakis (GRE), Seth Landqvist (SWE), Johan Lindqvist (SWE), Tom Longboat (CAN), Joseph Lynch (ANZ), James Mitchell-Baker (RSA), Tom Morrissey (USA), Frederick Noseworthy (CAN), Jack Price (GBR), Fritz Reiser (GER), Michael Ryan (USA), John Tait (CAN), Frederick Thompson (GBR), Arie Vosbergen (NED), Albert Wyatt (GBR) ♦ Did not start: Thure Bergvall (SWE), Augusto Cocca (ITA), Felix Kwieton (AUT), James J. Lee (USA), Frederick Lorz (USA), Ivar Lundberg (SWE), L. Merenyi (HUN), A. B. Mole (RSA), Hermann Müller (GER), Paul Nettelbeck (GER), James W. O'Mara (USA), Georg Peterson (SWE), C. E. Stevens (RSA), Samuel Stevenson (GBR), W. F. Theunissen (NED), Alexander Thibeau (USA), Vincent (RSA), W. Wood (USA) ♦ Disqualified: Dorando Pietri (ITA).
