56: The 100-miler – Part 3 (1879-1899) 100 Miles Craze

Ultrarunning History

By Davy Crockett Contrary to popular misinformed opinion, 100-mile races did not originate in California, with the Western States 100 in 1978. One hundred years before, by the end of 1878, more than 200 successful 100-mile finishes had taken place in the 19th century, most of them with times under 24-hours, on dirt roads, trails, and indoor tracks. Part 1 and Part 2 of this 100-mile series covered the stories of remarkable long-forgotten ultrarunning pioneers. By 1879, a remarkable shift started to take place. The most elite professional 100-mile walkers and runners became focused on competing in indoor six-day races for huge prizes and fame. That year more amateurs entered the sport and attempted to run or walk 100 miles for wagers or for nothing at all. More of the general public started to hit the roads and tracks trying to achieve ultra-distances on foot. The newspapers called this obsession “walking match fever,” “tramp fever” or “pedestrian mania.” A Pennsylvania newspaper reported, "One of the most absurd manias that has recently afflicted humanity is the pedestrian craze which at present disturbs the mental balance of several cities in the interior of this state. The pedestrian craze infects lawyers, tradesmen and physicians. Half the population walk habitually on a dog-trot, and the police are instructed to see that amateur matches on the public streets do not interfere with the transaction of business. To what purpose is this waste of energy and enthusiasm?" A Kansas newspaper wisely observed, "This is a great country for crazes. They sweep over the country like cyclones. Whence they come and whither they go, man knoweth not. Recently, the entire country was in the throes of the pedestrian craze. In every city, town and village athletes were wearily tramping around and around a sawdust circle, while thousands of spectators applauded the dreary exhibition. The men had had the red necktie craze and recovered from it in time to laugh at the suspender craze. America soon loves her fads to death." It was wondered what craze would come next. "How would it do to inaugurate 'standing on your head' matches as the next? They would certainly draw, and the man who will first stand on his head for a thousand consecutive hours will go down to posterity, and be remembered to the remotest generation." Ultrarunning historian Andy Milroy commented, “Dan O’Leary’s 1877 and 1878 six-day wins in London created a huge stir in the US. It inspired ordinary people to undertake Pedestrianism. Most could not afford the time to tackle a six-day, or even a 50-miler. That was beyond them. So, they became fixed on the 25 mile distance. There was an explosion of such events, newspapers wrote of a plague of such events gradually spreading out from New York.” For the successful ultrarunners of the time, the financial impact on their lives was significant. There has never been an era in ultrarunning when being a professional impacted so many runners and brought in so much money. The amount that was successfully won in one race could be the equivalent of a lifetime's earnings. Managing that wealth was another challenge. Edward Payson Weston won an enormous amount of money during this era but lived a lifestyle where he spent more than he brought in. He missed some key international events because he had to deal with legal troubles involving his finances. All this potential wealth also attracted greed and the potential for fraud. This article will include stories of that side of the sport. 1879: 100-mile craze continues In 1879, many daring new-comers sought for attention by trying the 100-mile distance either in races (matches) or in solo attempts. More than fifty successful 100-mile finishes that were found in the newspapers for 1879 and there were likely many more that weren’t reported. Numerous races were announced in papers to stir up attendance for the event, but often the results were not published.