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98: Six-Day Race Part 6: Weston vs. O’Leary (1875)

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Content provided by Davy Crockett. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Davy Crockett or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
By Davy Crockett You can read, listen, or watch In 1875, Edward Payson Weston was the most famous ultrarunner (pedestrian) in the world. Like a heavyweight boxing champion dodging his competition to keep his crown, he avoided repeated challenges to race against the up-and-comer, Daniel O’Leary of Chicago, Illinois. The two were the most famous American athletes in 1875. During August 1875, it was announced in New York City that plans were unfolding to hold “a grand international pedestrian tournament” in October that would include a six-day race with $1,000 going to the winner. It was hoped that all the great pedestrians including Weston and O’Leary would compete. Unfortunately, that race never unfolded, but Weston and O’Leary would soon battle head-to-head, not in New York City, but on O’Leary’s turf in Chicago. Please consider becoming a patron of ultrarunning history. Help to preserve this history by signing up to contribute a few dollars each month through Patreon. Visit https://ultrarunninghistory.com/member Weston vs. O’Leary - Finally Finally, on October 30, 1875, it was announced that Weston and O’Leary would compete in a six-day race on November 15th, with $5,000 going to the winner and $2,500 to the loser. O’Leary’s men had approached Weston offering $500 extra to cover his expenses. It was just too much money for Weston to resist, potentially about $140,000 in today’s value if he won. The venue would be in the massive new Interstate Exposition Building in Chicago. The building, measuring 800x400 feet, had opened in 1873, just two years after the Great Chicago Fire. It was rented with promises of receiving 15% of gross gate receipts. The announcement created great excitement across the country. To many at the time, it was similar to the dream matchup between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1971, regarded as the greatest boxing match in history. However, there were critics against holding the event. In Ottawa, Illinois it was written, “What excites our wonderment is, who pays the $7,500? What benefit can it be to anybody whether they walk 100 or 1,000 miles in six days. A horse or mule able to walk 600 miles in six days might be worth something, but who cares how many miles Weston or O’Leary can walk in a day or month, so long as they don’t kill themselves?” Similarly, in Mobile, Alabama: “Suppose these men had ploughs, wouldn’t they add something in this way to the wealth of the world?” Pre-Race Gardner House Weston arrived in Chicago three days before the race with his two black servants and stayed at the luxurious Gardner House, next to the Exposition Building on the Lake Michigan lakefront. It was reported, “He is in good condition and confident of success. O’Leary also is in excellent trim, and confident of victory as his opponent. The contest will no doubt prove very exciting.” Wagering was heavy with Weston being a slight favorite. Exposition Building Map The Chicago Tribune gave a pre-race commentary about the two pedestrians. “O’Leary has made some excellent feats, and has but one failure to his credit, while Weston, with also a good record at times, has a considerable number of bad fizzles on his list of attempts. Both men have before attempted the 500-mile walk, and both have succeeded. O’Leary made the distance in a little over 153 hours, while Weston covered the same ground in ten hours less. However, some doubt was cast on the accuracy of the timing and measurements which resulted.” O’Leary visited Weston and talked over plans for the race. Weston inspected the track and gave his approval. Two separate tracks would be used, the outer six laps to a mile, and the inner, seven laps to a mile. Weston was offered his choice and he picked the inside track. The Start Spectators began to assemble in the building an hour before the start. There wasn’t a huge crowd, only about 100 people, and consisted mostly of men interested in sports.
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155 episodes

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Manage episode 318126365 series 2680589
Content provided by Davy Crockett. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Davy Crockett or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
By Davy Crockett You can read, listen, or watch In 1875, Edward Payson Weston was the most famous ultrarunner (pedestrian) in the world. Like a heavyweight boxing champion dodging his competition to keep his crown, he avoided repeated challenges to race against the up-and-comer, Daniel O’Leary of Chicago, Illinois. The two were the most famous American athletes in 1875. During August 1875, it was announced in New York City that plans were unfolding to hold “a grand international pedestrian tournament” in October that would include a six-day race with $1,000 going to the winner. It was hoped that all the great pedestrians including Weston and O’Leary would compete. Unfortunately, that race never unfolded, but Weston and O’Leary would soon battle head-to-head, not in New York City, but on O’Leary’s turf in Chicago. Please consider becoming a patron of ultrarunning history. Help to preserve this history by signing up to contribute a few dollars each month through Patreon. Visit https://ultrarunninghistory.com/member Weston vs. O’Leary - Finally Finally, on October 30, 1875, it was announced that Weston and O’Leary would compete in a six-day race on November 15th, with $5,000 going to the winner and $2,500 to the loser. O’Leary’s men had approached Weston offering $500 extra to cover his expenses. It was just too much money for Weston to resist, potentially about $140,000 in today’s value if he won. The venue would be in the massive new Interstate Exposition Building in Chicago. The building, measuring 800x400 feet, had opened in 1873, just two years after the Great Chicago Fire. It was rented with promises of receiving 15% of gross gate receipts. The announcement created great excitement across the country. To many at the time, it was similar to the dream matchup between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1971, regarded as the greatest boxing match in history. However, there were critics against holding the event. In Ottawa, Illinois it was written, “What excites our wonderment is, who pays the $7,500? What benefit can it be to anybody whether they walk 100 or 1,000 miles in six days. A horse or mule able to walk 600 miles in six days might be worth something, but who cares how many miles Weston or O’Leary can walk in a day or month, so long as they don’t kill themselves?” Similarly, in Mobile, Alabama: “Suppose these men had ploughs, wouldn’t they add something in this way to the wealth of the world?” Pre-Race Gardner House Weston arrived in Chicago three days before the race with his two black servants and stayed at the luxurious Gardner House, next to the Exposition Building on the Lake Michigan lakefront. It was reported, “He is in good condition and confident of success. O’Leary also is in excellent trim, and confident of victory as his opponent. The contest will no doubt prove very exciting.” Wagering was heavy with Weston being a slight favorite. Exposition Building Map The Chicago Tribune gave a pre-race commentary about the two pedestrians. “O’Leary has made some excellent feats, and has but one failure to his credit, while Weston, with also a good record at times, has a considerable number of bad fizzles on his list of attempts. Both men have before attempted the 500-mile walk, and both have succeeded. O’Leary made the distance in a little over 153 hours, while Weston covered the same ground in ten hours less. However, some doubt was cast on the accuracy of the timing and measurements which resulted.” O’Leary visited Weston and talked over plans for the race. Weston inspected the track and gave his approval. Two separate tracks would be used, the outer six laps to a mile, and the inner, seven laps to a mile. Weston was offered his choice and he picked the inside track. The Start Spectators began to assemble in the building an hour before the start. There wasn’t a huge crowd, only about 100 people, and consisted mostly of men interested in sports.
  continue reading

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