How far is YOUR marathon?
"Ever been asked that question before?! One hundred years ago, through the great Tom Longboat, Toronto and Canada were consumed in the excitement that set the distance of the marathon precisely, exactly, and unequivocally, at 42.195 km. We're proud to be dedicating the 2008 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon to the 'celebration of the distance' in North America." Race Director, Alan Brookes
Come Join Us to Celebrate 100 Years of the Marathon Distance:
26 miles, 385 yards or 42.195 km. Longboat, Dorando and Hayes.
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Weekend,
September 26th, 27th, 28th, 2008.
Photo Essay of 1908 London Olympic Marathon, courtesy of Bob Wilcock and The Society of Olympic Collectors: START HERE
"42.195. It's the distance that runners are measured by!"
All rights to this image strictly reserved. This image may not be reproduced, copied or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the copyright holders and The Society of Olympic Collectors.
One hundred years ago, on July 24th, 1908, the magical distance of 26 miles 385 yards [42.195 km] was run for the very first time at the London Olympics Marathon.
Prior to 1908, a marathon was anything from 15 miles to 25 miles.
Why and how did it become the quirky, magical distance of 26 miles 385 yards?
How did the distance get set?
Be inspired by the heroics of "the three kings of the marathon", Dorando Pietri, Johnny Hayes, and Canada's Tom Longboat—"the greatest of all road runners and Marathon winners".
Thanks to the legendary Tom Longboat, Toronto was at the epicenter of the first "marathon boom" that followed the high drama of that sweltering summer race in 1908, along with London, New York, and Carpi, Italy.
Join us for the North American celebrations of the Centenary of THE Distance at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. London have already celebrated at the Flora London Marathon in April; Carpi will celebrate at the Enzo Ferrari Italian Marathon, October 10th-12th.
"42.195. It's the distance that runners are measured by!"
FOUR WAYS TO CELEBRATE:
"This is an important, perhaps the most important, moment in the history of the Marathon. The drama and the characters of 100 years ago guaranteed the distance a place in the hearts of runners and spectators everywhere." John Bryant, The Marathon Makers.
1. Be enraptured by the DISPLAY at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon EXPO, Friday September 26th and Saturday 27th.
Visit the Expo display — the only chance in North America to see a photo display of the 1908 race; Dorando's legendary "Queen's Cup", considered almost a national treasure in Italy; Longboat's 1907 Boston trophy; and Hayes' original 1908 gold medal. Have your photo taken with them for inspiration!
- When: Friday September 26, 2008 (11am-8pm) and Saturday September 27, 2008 (10am-6pm)
- Where: The Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West, Downtown Toronto.
"42.195. It's the distance that runners are measured by!"
2. John Bryant, The Marathon Makers and
Bob Wilcock, The 1908 Olympic Games, the Great Stadium and the Marathon: A Pictorial Record,
ON SALE at the Expo Display.
The souvenir books that tell the full story of how we got THE Distance. Take a copy of each home!
"42.195. It's the distance that runners are measured by!"
3. EXPO SPEAKERS.
Be further inspired as John Bryant, author of The Marathon Makers, re-tells the
drama of the 1908 race that set the world on fire and set the distance, on the stage at the Expo, on Friday and Saturday!
Prof. Bruce Kidd, Canadian Olympian, author of The Canadians: Tom Longboat,
will re-live the highlights of Longboat's career, including his most-famous victory at Boston in 1907, and the ensuing
"marathon mania" that engulfed Edwardian Toronto.
John Bryant and Bruce Kidd will speak in joint sessions on Friday at 11:15am and again at 4:30pm;
on Saturday, John Bryant will speak at 10:30am, 1pm, and 3pm.
"42.195. It's the distance that runners are measured by!"
4. The best way of all to celebrate…RUN the Distance.
Join two "Dorandos" from S. G. La Patria in Carpi, Modena, Italy [Dorando's Club], three "Hayes" from Shore A.C. in New Jersey, and 9 members of Toronto's Longboat Roadrunners running as "Longboats" on Sunday morning, September 28th, in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half & 5K. And if you're not able to run, PLEASE join in the fun and celebrations by coming out to CHEER for the 3,000 marathoners, 7,000 Half marathoners and 3,000 5K runners from 35 countries, every Canadian province and 40+ American states as they go THE distance, on Sunday morning, 7:30am start, Bay St. just north of Queen, at City Hall, Nathan Phillips Square.
Everyone who runs on Sunday will have as their first and last kilometre the route that Longboat was paraded and celebrated in an open car on his victorious return as Boston Marathon Champion in 1907!
Above: The "Dorandos" celebrate at Flora London Marathon, April 13th, 2008
"42.195. It's the distance that runners are measured by!"
A bit of the story, to whet your appetite …
Marathon Mania 1908, the London Olympics and "the distance": Longboat, Dorando, and Hayes.
"Tom Longboat! You hear it everywhere. The children on the streets speak of little else. It is in the hotels, in the homes, yes, even in some of the churches. [He] has gained world-wide fame as the greatest of all road runners and Marathon winners."
One hundred years ago, between 1907 and 1910, Toronto was at the epicenter of the first "marathon boom", alongside London, New York, and Carpi, Italy — and "marathon fever" was everywhere apparent.
Longboat was centre stage, along with the "little Italian" Dorando Pietri and New Yorker, Johnny Hayes. These three men became the "kings of the marathon", and their "near-death" duels captured the world's imagination. The London Olympic Marathon of 1908 was the spark that set the world afire. It was the first time ever that a "marathon" was run over a distance of 26 miles 385 yards [42.195km]. Between that date of 24th July 1908 and October 1909, the three kings met 15 times in professional re-matches in the USA, before huge crowds, with enormous sums gambled on them. An unknown Russian Jewish immigrant called Izzy Baline immortalized "Dorando", in a popular music hall song — just one year before he wrote "Alexander's Ragtime Band" and changed his name to Irving Berlin. In the re-matches, the confectioner from Carpi won 5, Longboat 3, a Frenchman Henri St.Yves won 2, and Hayes none.
"42.195. It's the distance that runners are measured by!"
But it was London 1908 that ignited it all.
Tom Longboat, an unknown 18-year old from the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford had handily won the Around the Bay Road Race in the Spring of 1906, then the 15-mile "Ward Marathon" in Toronto, then the Boxing Day Ten Miler in Hamilton. That set the stage for his most famous victory at the 1907 Boston, in a course record of 2:24:24 for the 25 mile "marathon" route.
"A sea of celebrating humanity engulfed Longboat," when he arrived back at Union Station. "The champion was placed in an open car… and taken to City Hall in a torchlight parade," where the Mayor of Toronto pinned a gold medal to his chest and awarded him a gift of $500 from the City.
Longboat went into the London Olympic Marathon as the odds-on favourite. The Yanks had protested, unsuccessfully, that he was a professional and tried to stop him running — as they had done at Boston in April 1908.
The course was laid out at 26 miles from the East Terrace at Windsor Castle where there would be a safe and private Start, to the "Great White City" stadium in Shepard's Bush. A further 385 yards were required to enter the stadium and finish under the Royal box.
The Olympic Marathon started at 2:33pm on July 24th, on a sweltering day of 27 degrees Celcius. "I will win or I will die!" the diminutive Italian was heard to whisper at the line. Longboat held the lead in the early miles but was eventually forced to drop out at 20 miles with cries that he was "got at". Dorando entered the Great Stadium first, to almost 100,000 spectators. He collapsed 5 times before being helped across the line by officials — captured in perhaps the most famous historical marathon photo of all time — to be disqualified for being assisted. American Johnny Hayes who'd paced himself well, crossed the line 2nd and was subsequently awarded the gold medal. Dorando was such a huge crowd favourite that Queen Alexandra awarded him a special cup and called him the "de facto winner". Sir Arthur Conan Doyle raised a collection for him. Back home in New York, Bloomingdales decorated their entire Manhattan store in honour of their most-famous employee, Johnny Hayes, and promoted him to Manager of the Sporting Goods department. Longboat came home to T.O. and turned professional.
"42.195. It's the distance that runners are measured by!"
The world was in awe, and wanted more. And they wanted more over the exact distance of 26 miles 385 yards. It was the high drama of London, and the 15 "match" races over the next 15 months that set the magic distance, consistently at 42.195 km.
The "marathon mania" continued for two more years. When Dorando collapsed after 25 miles in a re-match against Longboat at Madison Square Garden [262 laps required!] the poor Italian immigrant barber in Irving Berlin's song lamented, that he "sell da barber shop, and make da bet Dorando he's a win." But then, "Dorando he's a drop! Good-bye poor old barber's shop."
Come to Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2008 and join us in "Celebrating 100 Years of The Distance: Longboat, Dorando, and Hayes."
Come to the Expo at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Friday and Saturday 26th & 27th to see a display of historical photos and artifacts that include Longboat's 1907 Boston trophy and Hayes' original 1908 Gold medal. We may even have Dorando's "Queen's Cup" from La Patria Club in Carpi.
On the stage, John Bryant, author of The Marathon Makers, has come all the way from London to regale us with all the drama of the 1908 race, the legends, the "marathon fever", and how we got "the distance".
Prof. Bruce Kidd, Canadian Olympian [1964], Dean of Physical Education at the University of Toronto, and author of The Canadians: Tom Longboat, will inspire us with the story of "the greatest distance runner of the age."
And on Sunday morning, September 28th, 2008, you'll know exactly how and why we got "the distance that defines us", 42.195km.
If you're a participant in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half or 5K [all 3 distances], your first and last kilometre will be between Old City Hall and Union Station, where Longboat was paraded and celebrated in 1907. If you're a spectator come out along that stretch of Bay Street, or any of the 42.195 kms of the course and witness the drama and excitement of the marathon today.
And look out for the 9 members of the Longboat Road Runners Club of Toronto running as "Longboats", the 3 members of the Shore Athletic Club in New Jersey running as "Hayes" and the 2 members of S.G. La Patria, invited from Carpi, to run as "Dorandos"!
Let the Games begin!
"42.195. It's the distance that runners are measured by!"
Our thanks go out to Dave Bedford, Race Director of the London Marathon, whose brilliant idea this was; to Bob Wilcock of The Society of Olympic Collectors, who provided with permission to reproduce all of the marvellous 1908 images; to authors John Bryant and Bruce Kidd; Cristina Luppi, Presidente, and S.G. La Patria of Carpi, Italy, for bringing their national treasure, "the Queen's Cup"; Wayne Baker and the Shore A.C. for much assistance and Hayes' medal; Toronto's Longboat Roadrunners and Phyllis and Brian Winnie, Tom Longboat's daughter and grandson for Longboat's 1907 trophy; our Expo Manager and project designer John Beeden, and our Photo/Video Manager and designer Inge Johnson — all of whom helped turn the vision into reality.
"42.195. It's the distance that runners are measured by!"
PHOTO ESSAY OF 1908 LONDON OLYMPIC MARATHON, courtesy of Bob Wilcock and The Society of Olympic Collectors.
Click here to start
All rights to these images strictly reserved. None of these images may be reproduced, copied or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the copyright holders and The Society of Olympic Collectors.