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    At Last He Comes: The Greatest Race in History
    At Last He Comes: The Greatest Race in History
    At Last He Comes: The Greatest Race in History
    Ebook122 pages1 hour

    At Last He Comes: The Greatest Race in History

    By Norman Harris

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    About this ebook

    It is London 1908, and the huge crowds will not be seen again until London 2012. But it has been a controversial and often unhappy Olympics, riven by American-British tensions. The marathon has promised to rise above the ill-feeling. It has taken on a life all of its own, and been hyped as the greatest long-distance race in the history of the world. And so it proves, as its climax goes beyond the hype, introducing quite unimaginable drama. and yet greater controversy.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAuthorHouse UK
    Release dateAug 7, 2013
    ISBN9781491800485
    At Last He Comes: The Greatest Race in History

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      Book preview

      At Last He Comes - Norman Harris

      © 2013 by Norman Harris. All rights reserved.

      No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

      Published by AuthorHouse 08/02/2013

      ISBN: 978-1-4918-0047-8 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4918-0046-1 (hc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4918-0048-5 (e)

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      CONTENTS

      Acknowledgements

      Illustrations

      Principal Athletics Books By Norman Harris

      After The Race

      ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

      Many thanks to Ken Pearce of the Uxbridge Local History Society.

      And to those who so willingly shared their enthusiasm for athletics

      history, in particular Hugh Farey, Bob Phillips, Colin Shields,

      Neil Shuttleworth, Dave Terry and Bob Wilcock.

      Des Williams for text preparation.

      ILLUSTRATIONS

      The start © The Royal Windsor Website

      William Clarke and Arthur Burn in Thames Street

      © The Royal Windsor Website

      Tom Jack near Eton College © Bob Wilcock, Society of Olympic Collectors

      Joseph Forshaw (right) pacing Lewis Tewanima

      Charles Hefferon in mid race © British Olympic Association

      Dorando Pietri in Wembley © Bob Wilcock, Society of Olympic Collectors

      Johnny Hayes at Harlesden clock tower © Brent Archives

      At Willesden Junction water station:

      Hayes (top) © Bob Wilcock, Society of Olympic Collectors

      Forshaw (left) and Hefferon (right) © Ken Cook, Society of Olympic Collectors

      Pietri reaching finish line

      Hayes at finish, with Jack Andrew © Bob Wilcock, Society of Olympic Collectors

      Hayes and trophy © Bob Wilcock, Society of Olympic Collectors

      Image of Fred Lord: © Jonathan Rosenthall, Society of Olympic Collectors

      Cover image: Brent Archives

      THE MARATHON ROUTE

      Mile sections 1 to 25 of the route extracted from the original Polytechnic Harriers map, courtesy of Westminster University Archive. [mile 26 independently created].

      PRINCIPAL ATHLETICS BOOKS BY NORMAN HARRIS

      Lap of Honour

      The Legend of Lovelock

      Champion of Nothing

      The Lonely Breed

      Running: The Power and Glory

      Scottie

      ‘A story of strong, endless conflict within a man whose strengths and weaknesses ebb and flow like the tide. It’s a powerful read.’

      KINGSLEY FIELD, WAIKATO TIMES on Scottie

      ‘I can’t think of anything that’s been written more movingly about athletics.’

      BOB PHILLIPS, TRACK STATS JOURNAL, on Scottie

      ‘… told with a spare tenderness that reminds us that success can be found in the strangest of places.’

      THE OBSERVER, LONDON on Scottie

      ‘Lovelock’s efforts, his successes and triumphs, are here treated with sympathy and much journalistic skill. The description of his greatest triumph could hardly be bettered.’

      TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT on The Legend of Lovelock

      ‘I have no hesitation in saying that The Lonely Breed is the most interesting athletics book I have ever read.’

      P.W.GREEN, ATHLETICS WEEKLY, on The Lonely Breed

      Joseph Forshaw is the first to come down for supper, but the other six soon follow him into the dining area. The landlady of The Chequers, Annie Flood – Mrs Flood to the respectful Americans – has ensured that their meal is ready a little earlier this evening, on account of their big day tomorrow.

      The seven have been here in the centre of Uxbridge all week. No other competitors know they’re here, and certainly not the newspapers. Though some other runners have been onto the course few have ventured so far into it, for a run from start or finish, and return, is tantamount to a marathon in itself. Only the USA team management know they’re here. It has cultivated a feeling among the seven that they’re on a mission. They’re expecting a visit this evening from Mike Murphy, the American team trainer, after his day at the athletics stadium, but that will not delay their eating.

      Of Annie Flood’s boys, the most visible is Joseph Forshaw. At 27 he is the oldest of the group, and by a margin the tallest. He does not necessarily have the certain stamp of a distance runner. There is, rather, the stamp of commerce about him, an impression no doubt enhanced, in those who know him, by the knowledge of his involvement in the Forshaw family business in St Louis, manufacturing and selling kitchen stoves and fireplaces.

      Not that you can always tell with the marathon men, when it comes to appearance.

      One who is definitely of that stamp is Johnny Hayes: a smallish, compact figure, 22 years old, with sharp Irish eyes, purposeful jaw, a very directed-looking character.

      To Mrs Flood, and any of her patrons who have cast an eye over the Americans, another young man apart is the dark-skinned Lewis. Tonight, as usual, he has taken his place next to Forshaw. No one would instantly take him for a runner, as one does with the fabled Longboat, the black Canadian who runs with a miraculous long-loping stride. Lewis looks more of a slogger, and could perhaps be more easily taken for a fighter in the ring. But he is only 20, a student at the Carlisle Indian School, Pennsylvania, and with his lack of English it is really only Joseph Forshaw who can converse with him, albeit in rudimentary manner. No one uses his surname, and few outside the group know it, but it is Tewanima.

      You will be taking your usual meal in the morning? asks Annie Flood. You have a big day before you.

      Some of the runners murmur their agreement with as usual. One or two ask for steak where previously they had relied on rashers of bacon and eggs.

      The landlady is not long gone from the dining room when she returns, bringing another dish and pausing to say that she has heard some talk in the public bar that may be of interest to you boys.

      There is talk, she says, of a race that was suspended, or somesuch … I did not understand all that was said.

      To a man, the seven runners have turned to her.

      Edward Squires has been speaking of it, she says. He was at the Stadium today. You know him, don’t you?

      They do know this Ted Squires, a teacher interested in athletic sports. A good man, whose understanding of running, and runners, has been clear in a long discussion at the Chequers two nights previously. American competitors may have excited controversy elsewhere at these Games, but here at the Chequers it is a different story. Mrs Flood’s boys are special customers, acquiring a status akin to honoured guests, and make the Chequers an Anglo-American house.

      In that discussion on Tuesday night Ted Squires had reasonably put the case for British experience in distance running. It was true, he conceded, that this had not produced any victories in the principal events on the track: a South African had taken one sprint and a Canadian the other, and America’s impressive Mel Sheppard had taken both the 800 and 1,500.

      But there had been British victories in the longer track races of the Five Miles and the Three Miles team race. The apparent curiosity that the metric distances had not been used in these events seemed to help the Englishman make his case. The five miles and the three

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