Home Edenometer Calendar Results Maps & Routes Training EA/JR Race Series Members Contact
Home » forum » Anonymous message

Johnny Hayes in Bangor (1909)

Johnny Hayes
Johnny Hayes

Olympic Victor Comes To Town

Hayes to Go 15 Miles in Auditorium Tonight Against John H. Neary and Pat Dineen, Relay.

Bangor Daily News, April 15, 1909

Johnny Hayes, world-famous as winner of the Olympic Marathon race from Windsor Castle to Sheppard’s Bush, London, last year, came to town Wednesday from Boston in steamer City of Bangor and since his arrival the trim little runner has been gazed upon admiringly by about 99 per cent of the sport-loving natives of this part of Maine. The others couldn’t break away from their jobs Wednesday, but they will be on hand tonight when Johnny starts away on the Auditorium track to travel fifteen miles as fast as Pat Dineen of South Boston and John H. Neary of South Natick, Mass., can do the distance in replay. All three men are here, all fit, and as they say, each confident of having just a bit the best of it.

ABOUT JOHNNY HAYES

John J. Hayes is a product of Old New York, having been born in that step-lively metropolis 23 years ago this April. He is what John L. Sullivan would call “a good little man,” for although far-famed as an athlete of wonderful endurance and great speed, he is only five feet, three and a half in his shoes and weighs but 124 pounds. Beaming with natural intelligence, well schooled, modest and of very agreeable personality.

It was five years ago that Hayes took up running and he has been a professional since October, 1908. Besides countless races at various distances, he has competed in eight Marathon events, always finishing in the money. In 1906 he started with a field of a hundred men in the Boston A.A. annual event, Ashland to Boston, finishing fifth in 2:55, carrying the colors of the St. Bartholomew A.C. New York. This was the race won by Tim Ford of the Cambridgeport Gymnasium. In 1907, over the same course, 25 miles, when Longboat won in the record time 2:24.26, with Bob Fowler second, Hayes ran in 2:30, or within one minute of the previous record for distance. Following this, he won the first New York Marathon race on the hilly Yonkers course, 25 miles, in 2:43, and that same year was third in the Junior National cross-country event, New York, afterward winning several cross-country races.

In 1908, carrying the colors of the Irish-American A.C., Hayes ran second to Morrissey of the Mercury A.C., New York, on the Boston A.A. course, which entitled him to start in the Olympic event in London, where he competed in a field of sixty. His famous victory there is athletic history.

Since the London Olympics, Hayes has taken part in three Marathon events – two with Dorando Pietrl in Madison Square Garden, New York and one at the Polo Grounds, the results of which are well known. In the second Garden race he ran fifteen miles in record time for that distance in a Marathon contest – 1:26. It is the belief of Hayes’s supporters and of many other sport followers that if he had not been held back by his handler at the Polo Grounds, and had started his speed a mile earlier, he would have finished second, or, if he had cut loose two miles earlier, he would have bothered the fleet Frechman, St. Yves, and possibly won. As between the Frenchman and the Svanberg, the Swedish wonder, Hayes says: “Well, you can’t tell – there’s a new one coming every day.”

Hayes is accompanied on this trip by Jimmy Johnson, one of the front row sporting men of New York, who has managed the affairs of many athletic stars.

DINEEN IS A VETERAN

These few lines will serve to introduce Patrick J. Dineen, a strudy little County Limerick man who came to America in 1890 and settled in South Boston, where when not running for money and fame, he gets the dough in another way – for he is a first rate baker. Dineen is a veteran of the track, as all followers of sporting events know. He was 39 years old in February last, and since he began running in 1892 he as competed in 35 races, at all distances from five to ten miles up to six days. In those 35 events he has finished first 21 times, second eight times, third five times and fourth once, so that it is plain that he has not been running entirely for the benefit of his health.

In 1902 Dineen won the Weston gold belt and the six-days championship of the world in Philadelphia, doing 519 miles on a 17 lap track against a field numbering 48 starters, including such men as Peter Heggleman, Peter Golden, George Noremac and George Cartwright. He won the Madison Square Garden 72 hours race (12 hours a day, six days) in the fall of 1903, in a field of 70, and also won the last 72 hours race run in the United states – that in Detroit last December, where he was the best man in a field of 27, doing 376 miles. He won the professional Marathon event in Boston last New Year’s eve, and was second last Saturday’s race in Boston, won by Louise Orphee.

Dineen is five feet four and a half inches in running shoes, and weighs about 122 pounds. He is, like most runners, a man of the best habits, and is seldom far out of racing condition. While in Bangor he is stopping at the Penobscot Exchange.

Asked for a line on tonight’s event. Dineen said that he had no idea what kind of a race he would run and couldn’t tell anything about it until he started. He says very little, boasts not at all – but believes that the relay team will beat Johnny Hayes.

John H. Neary, something of whose running career was told in the News the other day, was in Bangor Wednesday, bright and smiling, and with the others called at the News office. He also, smiles confidently when asked about the relay’s chances.

Thanks for the great article, RK

The style of journalism was so different then. I love imagining the voice of the reporter, all scratchy and slightly hurried...in sepia, of course.

By Chris G. at 6 December, 2005 - 18:32 | login or register to post comments

6 easy on treadmill

Interesting article RK. Thanks. Footnote to Haye's 1908 Olympic victory run:

"At the 1908 Olympic Games in London, the marathon distance was changed to 26 miles to cover the ground from Windsor Castle to White City Stadium, with 385 yards added on so the race could finish in front of royal family's viewing box. This added two miles to the course, and is the origin of the Marathon tradition of shouting "God save the Queen!" (or other words relating to the Queen) as mile post 24 is passed." (from Marathon History site)

I guess that is similar to the modern tradition of yelling at Yankee fans as you pass Fenway today.

By Frank H at 6 December, 2005 - 23:30 | login or register to post comments

Johnny Hayes Wins In Handy Fashion

RK - Road race results...

Johnny Hayes Wins In Handy Fashion

Speedy Little Olympic Victor Too Much For Dineen-Neary Relay In Bangor Auditorium – Fest Time and Plenty of Excitement

JUST WAKING UP.

One would suppose that the mere fact that a runner of Hayes’s fame took part in the race would draw thousands to the hall, but the weather was ugly and raw, and the streets muddy, and more than that, running is rather a new sport to most of this generation in Bangor. The excitement of 25 years ago may be revived, but that can’t be done in a minute. They’re not quite up to it yet, and just as one swallow doesn’t make a spring, neither does one flight of the Marathoners make a new sporting population. But it helps, and last night’s opening was a fine beginning.

HAYES-DINEEN FIRST OFF.

It has been intended to have Neary run the first half of the relay against Hayes, but for some reason best known to the management and the men themselves the order was reversed, and Pat Dineen, the grand old man of the six-day track, was first to toe the line with the fleet and handy little boy fro New York. It was close to nine o’clock when Starter P.H. McNamara got the men on the mark, held aloft a shining revolver and shouted “make ready – set!” Then the revolver went bang! And the band played, the crowd roared and the hot foot was on.

Little Hayes started away with the confidence and ease of a boy running a block to hear the bank play, while the veteran Dineen, struck a regular long-distance gait, as if he was setting out for a week’s travel. Hayes had the style and the speed and soon opened a gap on the South Boston man, who didn’t seem to mind it at all. Steadily for twelve laps the Gotham wonder widened the gap and then he passed Dineen, while cheers echoed among the rafters. Hayes finished the first mile in 5.26, fine time for the track, and pushed on for a better lead. In the ninth lap of the second mile he again passed Dineen, finishing the mile in 11.8. After that he gained at the rate of nearly a lap to the mile, lapping the long-distance ped. In the sixth lap of the third mile, ninth lap of the fourth, ninth of the fifth and ninth of the seventh. Dineen finished his seven and a half miles in 46.18 1/4 , just six laps back of Hayes, and then Neary took it up.

NEARY MAKES IT LIVELY.

When the tall and speedy Neary took up the relay burden against the fleet little boy from Manhattan there was a roar of applause. Everybody had been looking for excitement when the South Natick man came on, and everybody got his fill of it. The turns were easier for Hayes than for the tall runner, else it would have been more exciting, but as it was, no one had any reason to complain that there was not plenty doing.

Neary started off at a tremendous clip, evidently with the intention of taking away from Johnny some of the six laps that he had tucked away in his racing bank against a rainy day. But the Irish-American A.A. crack was there every time with more of the same sort that he has displayed on so many tracks, and Neary couldn’t seem to shake him off. From start to finish of the last half it was a race worth going many a mile to see, and the crowd was not slow in absorbing the fact. A rush was made from the rear balcony to the floor and the stage, and at times it was with great difficulty that the track at the tape was kept clear.

‘Round and ‘round they went, “the little one and the big one,” as the runners were commonly dubbed, first one a few strides in advance, then the other, and Bedlam reigned in the big hall. Cheers for Neary and shouts of “Hold him, Johnny – go it, Hayes!” “Look out – he’s after you!”, “He can’t catch that kid”, “Yes he can”, and so on rose above the poundings of rubber soled shoes on the track and the trumpetings and blarings of the band.

In the seventh lap of the 12th mile Neary, with a great burst of speed, passed Hayes, and the din became indescribable. When they disappeared around the turn down the west side of the hall Neary was eight yards in the lead, but, to the surprise of everybody and the joy of Johnny’s friends, the little New Yorker was in front when they came up the east side and turned in for the tape.

Thus it went all through – a constant see-saw, with Hayes leading perhaps two thirds of the time by a few yards or a single stride, Neary having a like advantage the rest of the time. Towards the close both men put on steam, and the finish was lively.

Hayes crossed the line good and fresh in 1.27.14 1/2 , about two yards in advance of Neary, Dineed ran a full half, seven and a half miles, of the distance in 46.18 ¼, while Neary ran seven miles and two laps in 40.56, or at the rate as they were going of about 43.14 for a full half. The race stopped, of course, when Hayes finished fifteen miles and as he had six laps lead when Neary started, the latter, who held him even, had just that much less than a full half to travel. It was a fine race and everyone got, literally, a “good run for his money.”

AMATEUR MILE.

The mile run for amateurs, which preceded the big event, had four entries, Harry Burns, Arthur Hiller and Frank Miller of Bangor and Carl Haggerthy of Brewer. The boys were sent away to a good start and Hiller jumped into the lead as though he was going to run a 100 yard dash. His burst of speed slackened, however, and then Miller took the lead. Miller ran consistently, but all the time Harry Burns was going along smoothly and in the 12th lap took first position, lapping Hiller, who had dropped from first to last position in the race. Burns had a good stride and maintained his even gait throughout, and he didn’t seem to be forcing himself at any time during the run. Burns crossed the line a winner in 6.51. Miller was second, Haggerty third and Hiller fourth.

By rk at 9 December, 2005 - 12:54 | login or register to post comments

Very interesting

Is that 12 laps to the mile? Crazy, that's like 134 meters per lap. Must have been intesting to run that far like that. And with a relay that long for it to be that close must have been a sight to see. Cool.

By Cake at 9 December, 2005 - 13:48 | login or register to post comments