What started at the East Terrace of Windsor Castle, went through Slough and Pinner and past 28 Railway Cottages, Willesden Junction – all on the same day?
The answer, of course, is the 1908 Olympic Marathon – of which Oxo were the ‘official caterers’; no trendy energy drinks back then.
This race has entered folklore for one of the great ‘hard luck’ stories of sport, up there with Devon Loch and Crisp in the Grand Nationals of 1956 and 1973 respectively, among other near misses across a range of sports.
At the centre of this dramatic race (well, certainly dramatic finish) was the Italian athlete, Dorando Pietri, who, leading up to and during the race, was referred to as ‘Dorando’ by the British press, who had muddled his family name and first name.
Back then, the Marathon was the Blue Riband event of the Games in much the way the 100m sprints are today. According to the Sporting Life of July 23rd, 1908, “the country that wins the Marathon Race need not do anything more for glory.” Consequently, there was great interest and high hopes that one of Britain’s twelve runners might prove triumphant. In its preview of the race, the Life tentatively plumped for F Lord of Britain as its tip for first place. Pietri (referred to as ‘Dorando’) was, said the paper, “rather prone to overdo matters in the direction of pace” – presciently as it turned out.
The race saved its main excitement and controversy for the climax which took place in the old White City Stadium. Pietri was the first competitor to enter the stadium, to huge applause and cheers, but it was clear that he was struggling from fatigue brought on by the heat. He collapsed four times and was helped back to his feet by stewards. The photos of Pietri staggering across the line, with a handkerchief tied across the top of his head and marshals ready to catch him if he faints, are among sport’s most evocative images.
Pietri was declared the winner initially, but an appeal by the runner-up, Johnny Hayes of the USA, was upheld and the gallant Italian had to make do with winning people’s hearts instead of the gold medal he coveted. Royalty were touched by what they saw too: Queen Alexandra arranged for him to be presented with a special trophy to compensate for what he had missed out on.
The Daily News caught up with Pietri later, at the boarding house in Soho where he was staying (no Olympic Village?!). On the subject of his disqualification for being helped back to his feet, Pietri maintained that he could have finished the race unaided and, if anything, he “was rather impeded” by his helpers. As to why he had run himself into the ground, he explained that during the road part of the race he had heard people in the crowd shouting ‘Mile!’. Pietri thought that this meant ‘last mile’ and so had pushed on accordingly. With the probably bitter benefit of hindsight, he told the reporter, “I now know they meant another mile.”
Pietri wasn’t the only runner to have problems with the crowd. Third-placed South African runner, Charles Hefferson, reported “misplaced attention” in the form of people lining the route slapping him on the back from the 20-mile point. All this enthusiastic well-wishing tired him out even more. Nevertheless, he finished among the medals; meanwhile the Sporting Life’s tentative tip, Lord, came 16th.
Having won people’s hearts, Pietri turned professional and enjoyed three successful years of competing, winning many races (including at least one against Hayes). He may have missed out on the gold but, to return to the Sporting Life’s comment on the prestige of the Marathon, after his heart-rending efforts he perhaps did not need to “do anything more for glory”.
SteveTLooksBack 