1901 Boston Marathon
1901 Hamilton Spectator | |
---|---|
Venue | Ashland to Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
Date | April 19, 1901 (Patriots' Day) |
Competitors | 36[1] |
Champions | |
Men | Jack Caffery (2:29:23) |
The 1901
The race
The race started at 12 pm local time, with conditions described as favorable with no wind.
This pace proved to be too fast for some of the anticipated favorites, including John Vrazanas of Greece who was not seen again after the first few miles. C. Crimmins tailed in third place, as William Davis led T. J. Hicks in fourth and fifth.
As the race advanced through Framingham and Natick, Hughson had built up a lead but was still closely tailed by Caffrey. 45 minutes in, Hughson passed the Natick town hall about 100 yards (91 m) ahead of Caffrey. McDonald at this point was 75 yards (69 m) behind Caffrey, and Sammy Mellor and Davis were running in fourth and fifth 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) behind McDonald.[1]
The race dynamic began to shift as the runners approached Wellesley. Caffrey made his move and overtook Hughson on the
With Caffrey now in the lead, the race progressed to
Caffrey passed 15 miles (24 km) in 1 hour and 21 minutes – 9 minutes faster than last year's split – with a significant lead. Hughson was still in runner-up position, but at this point he was visibly struggling and onlookers predicted he would not finish the race. McDonald was 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) behind, and Crimmins was 220 yards (200 m) behind McDonald in fourth position.[1]
At Waban, McDonald passed an ailing Hughson and was gaining ground on the leader Caffrey. With nine miles to the finish, McDonald had advanced to just 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) behind Caffrey. Meanwhile eventual runner-up William Davis was still only in fifth place, behind Caffrey, McDonald, Hughson, and Crimmins.[1] Davis began to speed up, taking advantage of an incline on Cedar Street in West Newton to pass Crimmins and eventually Hughson.[1]
Davis, now in third, caught up to McDonald over the next mile, and McDonald was alerted to his presence by the "Indian warhoops and catcalls" being made by the crowd of cyclist fans following Davis. McDonald's followers tried to encourage him to maintain position, but nonetheless Davis passed McDonald on a downhill en route to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. Behind them, Hughson struggled significantly, falling on the road several times, and he was eventually brought off in a carriage and did not finish the race.[1]
When the reservoir was reached, a "vast crowd" of spectators cheered on Caffrey and Davis, then about a mile back. There were so many onlookers on the reservoir that they blocked the runners, with some having to make a detour to pass by the pedestrians lined 20 or 30 deep. Confusion was heightened after a "young man clad in running togs" slid in from one of the side streets and joined the race behind Caffrey. The young man, noted for his "bad odor", fooled many of the spectators before he dropped out.[1]
Despite Davis' efforts, the gap was unsurmountable as Caffrey finished first, breaking his own course record by about ten minutes in 2:29:23. Spectators stormed the course to embrace Caffrey. Davis and Mellor followed, with Crimmins and Hicks taking the fourth and fifth positions. The race continued for about an hour after Davis finished, after which the final competitor completed the distance.[1]
Ronald McDonald poisoning allegations
With about five miles remaining, 1899 Boston Marathon champion
Showing visible signs of fatigue, McDonald was approached by Dr. J. S. Thompson of
McDonald was carried home, where he was bedridden for several days. At 10 p.m. the night of the race Dr. Thompson visited and said, "on examining the sponge used in wiping the face of the runner I found a very strong odor of chloroform. That was seven hours after he had used the sponge, showing that the dose must have been a powerful one". Dr. Thompson further stated, "The only reason I can see was that he was a dangerous man, and some one wanted to get him out of the race. I think the canteen of the soldier bicycle rider must have been tampered with at Ashland, and the drug inserted there."[6]
The Canadian delegation was not receptive to the poisoning idea, believing it to have cheapened Caffrey's win. They complained that "little, if any, attention was shown to" the Canadians and of the Boston Athletic Association's perceived exclusivity. They also noted that although McDonald was widely celebrated in Boston, the actual bettors did not place much money on him. The Hamilton Spectator stated, "A better excuse than this will have to be found for McDonald's defeat."[7]
Legacy
Being a member of the Mohawk people, William Davis was the first indigenous American to medal at a Boston Marathon, finishing second behind his countryman Caffrey. He went on to coach Tom Longboat, winner of the 1908 Boston Marathon.[8] John Vrazanis of Greece was the first Boston Marathon runner from outside North America, although he did not finish the race.[9]
Caffrey's win and course record was a significant highlight in his athletic career. He was aided by
Results
There were 36 reported participants, but not all names and times were recorded.[10][9][4]
Pos. | Athlete | Residence | Time |
---|---|---|---|
John P. Caffrey |
Canada | 2:29:23 3⁄5 | |
William Davis | Canada (Mohawk people) | 2:34:45 2⁄5 | |
Samuel A. Mellor Jr. |
New York | 2:44:34 2⁄5 | |
4 | C. Crimmins | Massachusetts | 2:47:15 3⁄5 |
5 | Thomas J. Hicks |
Massachusetts | 2:52:32 3⁄5 |
6 | John C. Lorden |
Massachusetts | 2:55:49 3⁄5 |
7 | James McAuliffe | Massachusetts | 2:56:44 3⁄5 |
8 | E. Grusell Jr. | Massachusetts | 3:02:02 4⁄5 |
AC | J. J. Kennedy | Massachusetts | Unknown |
AC[a] | Patrick Lorden | Massachusetts | Unknown |
John Vrazanis | Greece | DNF[1] | |
Ronald McDonald |
Massachusetts | DNF | |
Fred W. Hughson | Canada | DNF[9] |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "PEERLESS RUNNER. John Caffrey Again Wins the Marathon Race". The Boston Globe. 1901-04-20. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-04-12., "PEERLESS RUNNER. Continued from the First Page". The Boston Globe. 1901-04-20. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "Boston Marathon". www.arrs.run. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "RUNNER SAYS HE WAS DRUGGED". The Pittsburgh Press. 1901-04-21. p. 17. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ a b c d "HAMILTON'S CHAMPION LOWERS THE RECORD, THE MARATHON RACE WINNERS". The Hamilton Spectator. 1901-04-24. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "Here's How Fast the World's Best Marathoners Can Run". Runner's World. 2024-03-03. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
- ^ a b c "DRUGGED IN MARATHON RACE". The Sun. 1901-04-21. p. 8. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "Sporting: 1901 Boston Marathon". The Hamilton Spectator. 1901-04-22. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-04-12.
- ^ "The Boston Marathon: An Indian Tradition". NMAI Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
- ^ a b c "1901 Boston Marathon". Athletics Podium. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
- ^ "Boston Marathon Historical Results" (PDF).
Notes
- ^ Listed as 7th place in 2:55:49 3⁄5 in The Hamilton Spectator and BAA's results archive, but not listed in the original Boston Globe report.