The 100-miler: Part 9 (1961-1968) First Death Valley 100s

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By Davy Crockett

For the first time, Death Valley became a harsh target location for athletes that are now long-forgotten to prove they could overcome suffering and cover 100 miles during intense summer heat. These attempts received national attention and also frustrated Death Valley Monument rangers. But they would lay the foundational idea of what eventually became the Badwater Ultramarathon.

During the 1960s, formal 100-mile races took a backseat to the shorter ultrarunning distances that were starting to draw talented runners into the sport from marathon running. The 50-mile distance was on ultrarunning centerstage as London to Brighton emerged as the premier world ultrarunning race along with Comrades Marathon, competed in South Africa.

In New York City, Ted Corbitt started to organize ultradistance races with an eye to qualify runners for London to Brighton. In 1967 the first American 50-mile National Championship was held in Poughkeepsie, New York. Ultrarunning was growing again.

In America, a 50-mile craze took place by the general public in 1963 due to comments made by President John F. Kennedy (see episode 4) and some bold individuals proved they could do a double: 100 miles.

100-mile races were waiting to the wings to being competed seriously again. However, the 100-mile distance on foot fascinated the general public, especially men in the military. Many people in all walks of life found ways during the 1960s to achieve it.

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100 Miles Across Death Valley

Missing and forgotten in the famed Badwater Ultramarathon history are the earliest 1960s attempts to go more than 100 miles in Death Valley during the hottest part of the summer. These brutal hikes received intense national attention at the time and certainly planted ideas that progressed to the formal race established two decades later.

Death Valley is in eastern California contains the point of lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below sea level. The Average daily high temperature in July is 116 degrees F.

Jean Pierre Marquant’s 1966 Death Valley 100-miler

Jean Pierre Marquant was an ex-paratrooper from Nice, France. He went to the United States in early 1965 and hitchhiked around the country. In 1966, Marquant, age 28, set off to walk across Death Valley in the heat of July. Officials thought he was the first person to deliberately attempt a crossing of Death Valley in the summer.

Marquant had experience. He earlier spent 103 days hiking over 1,000 miles of Algerian desert. He said, “It was desert country, but of course not nearly as hot and dry as Death Valley.” He spent five days before his start conditioning himself to the heat, taking short walks near the national monument headquarters. Marquant’s extremely difficult route was not along the paved roads. He planned to make a huge circular route that include scaling 9,000-foot Wildrose Peak and 11,000-foot Telescope Peak along the way. He left a map with the rangers outlining his route and gave estimates for arrival at various places in the valley.

Officials said, “Because of the extreme heat, a ground search party will not be sent to look for Marquant if he should fail to turn up at a checkpoint. The only help we can offer is to place a call to Edwards or George Air Force bases and request a helicopter fly the area to try to spot him. We admire Marquant’s courage. We have serious doubts he will succeed.”

Marquant knew the dangers, “It is a challenge. The sun is so hot it scorches every part of the body. You become dehydrated and your strength is sapped. But because it is a challenge and no one has ever made a long hike in such heat, I relish the opportunity. I would hate to have people sent in my tracks to find my remains. I will not do anything foolish.”

When asked why, Marquant said he was making the hike to show Europeans there is still adventure in the States. It was later discovered that he was being sponsored by Coca Cola. He had been picked up hitchhiking by Arthur D. MacDonald, head of the bottling company. A friendship developed and MacDonald offered to furnish a crew truck and supplies.

Marquant started his trek at sundown on July 20, 1966, “wearing a 10-gallon hat, three T-shirts, gloves, short pants, three pairs of socks and tennis shoes. He also had blue-tinted glasses and a large umbrella.” A support party, including Collet Reumont and two others traveled by truck and were scheduled to meet Marquant daily to provide fresh water, iced Coke, clothing and other supplies. In his large 46-pound rucksack, he carried 2.5 gallons of water, baby food, salt tablets, dried fruit, snake bit kit, a bright orange sleeping bag, and other incidentals including a volume of poetry.

After two days he reappeared soaking from perspiration at the ghost gold town of Skidoo, 24 miles from his starting point. He next headed to scale Wildrose Peak. The ranger reported, “He’s in pretty good shape and we’re maintaining contact.”

After four days, Marquant reached the half-way mark. There was some concern when he arrived at his checkpoint 12 hours late. He said that rough terrain forced him to reduce his pace and spend the night on the slopes of Wildrose Peak. On the peak it had been a cool 80 degrees but then he headed down in the valley where it was 116 degrees.

On day five, he said that he narrowly missed death when he slipped three times on loose shale while descending 11,059-foot Telescope Peak. But he eventually made is safely down the eastern face and arrived at Shorty’s Well, 262 feet below sea level. His shoes were ripped, and his clothing tattered.

He said, “I about killed myself, but I just hung on with a grip.” He then followed burrow tracks because he knew they took the safest routes.

Marquant was overdue again and rangers drove a four-wheel-drive truck into a canyon finding Marquant about four miles away. “I don’t know what this Frenchman’s secret is. I’ve never seen anyone do this before.” Rangers convinced him to alter his next route of salt flats so that they could keep him under observation. That same day an army reservist was found dead of exposure and dehydration a few miles away from Death Valley Monument.

On the sixth day, Marquant trudged into Furnace Creek on blistered feet during the night. He had not been visible since the afternoon when he started a tough, hot cross-country five-mile stretch. Ground heat was estimated at 190 degrees causing his shoes to fall apart and burn his feet. “He bound his feet with gauze and adhesive tape and replaced his shoes with sandals on the last three miles.” He had covered 84 miles during the six days. He took the next day off to recover and soak his blistered feet in Epsom salts.

On the eighth day, Marquant planned to walk 18 miles from Furnace Creek to the Sand Dunes near Stove Pipe Wells, his starting point. “Shortly after noon, rangers found the Frenchman on the ground under his umbrella about five miles from the day’s starting point.”

He was unconscious and dehydrated. They revived him with ice water and after 45 minutes, he said that he had to keep going. “Under close surveillance by two rangers, Marquant struggled along the trail for about 3 ½ hours, consuming three gallons of water by both drinking and rinsing himself.” After a total of eleven miles, he stopped for the night with seven miles to go because he needed sleep.

In the morning of the ninth day, he told rangers, “Don’t worry about me today. I know I will be able to make it.” On July 28^th, at 7:30 a.m. he finished. He said, “I am going to shake DeGaulle’s hand. I am going to kiss Brigitte Bardot!” He then admitted, “I’m happy it’s over.”

News of his incredible walk went worldwide and when he returned to Paris his tale started to expand in miles and details. He claimed that in September 1965 he had made the same trip in about the same time but no one believed him so he did it again. (There is not evidence of that trip). It was discovered his true name was Jean-Pierre Faynot and he wasn’t from Nice, he was from Charleville. He declined to comment why he went by the alias. Obviously Marquant was a typical self-promoter whose tales needed to be taken with a grain of Death Valley salt.

Death Valley 100-mile Frenzy

McAdams and Ritzman South to North 120+ miles

Once the news of Marquant’s accomplishment went viral, many others thought that they could do better. A few weeks later, others we,re putting plans together to outdo Marquant. Two Southern California men, Cliff McAdams, 36, a newspaper travel editor and Gordon E Ritzman, 32, a freelance photographer, set off in 113-degree heat hoping to complete a 130-mile south-to-north journey through Death Valley.

They started on August 25, 1966 from the southern edge of the valley at a place called Saratoga Springs and hoped to finish at Scotty’s Castle in eight days. They were said to be energetic as they set off. Fred Welch headed up the support team who would be in constant contact with the two by walkie-talkie. Their motivation for the hike was to uphold America’s honor (beating the French). Park rangers expressed doubt if the two could succeed.

The two covered 38 miles on the first two days and arose early on the third when it was already 80 degrees and then reached 110 degrees during the day. They wore special shoes to protect their feet against the heat and said that when they poured water on themselves, it evaporated before they could put their canteens away. After four days, they were ahead of schedule at about mile 81 and faced gusty winds. They were both suffering from badly blistered feet and exhaustion. Rizman had a sore knee and swollen hands. He was taken to a service station to get his wedding band cut off.

On the sixth day, August 30, 1966, the two men accomplished their 130-mile hike and arrived at Scotty’s Castle, four miles from the northern edge of the national monument and a couple mile from the Nevada border. They said, “The last four miles was the hardest part of the whole trip because of the steep grades.”

The two soon reported that along the way they discovered the wreckage of a World War II Navy fighter near Deadman Pass. It was believed to have crashed 20 years earlier. They found a machine gun bore a 1942 plate and it contained live ammunition. There were no signs of human remains. Authorities organized a party to investigate. “The condition of most of the wreckage was relatively unaffected by the prolonged exposure in the elements. Some pieces looked almost new. The propellers lay near the crumpled engine.

More Death Valley “nuts”

Also on August 30, 1966, three more hikers joined in on the Death Valley frenzy. A ranger said, “It’s getting pretty crowded out here.” The news press called them nuts. Boris “Yake” Yankoff (1915-1998), a Russian immigrant, former Army paratrooper and a burglary alarm repairman from Broderick, California started his own trek.

Yankoff, age 52, started running at the age of seven when his family was forced to flee Siberia during the Russian revolution. In China, he became involved in sports and was invited to represent China in the 1932 Olympics but war in China stopped that chance. He joined the Chinese army, went to Hawaii, and eventually joined up with the American army and served in World War II and the Korean War. He later settled in California and graduated from Sacramento State University. In 1966 when he heard about Marquant’s Death Valley trek, he said, “The Frenchman took too long. You should be able to walk that far in no more than five days.” His dissenters said, “Big talk, old man, why don’t you put your feet where your mouth is.” He explained, “In the Army we used to hike 100 miles in three days. Not everybody is weak at my age.” Yankoff took up the challenge.

He covered the same circular route taken by Marquant, but in the cooler temperatures of early September. He said, “I didn’t want anyone to say I picked an easier route.” His support crew reported that he kept up a steady pace and completed the journey on September 3, 1966, two days faster than Marquant, in four day and 18 hours, adding more miles. After he finished, he said, “I’d have to be paid a million dollars to go through that again.”

Imant Samilas, 24, of Marion Ohio and Dick Kittson, 30, of Twenty-Nine Palms, California, also started their own trip trying to raise funds for a hospital. They roughly attempted the route covered by McAdams and Ritzman but apparently only covered 30 miles.

Roy Swell’s dangerous Death Valley solo attempt

The following year, on July 9, 1967, Roy Frankilin Sewell (1927-1998), a casino bartender from Reno, Nevada set out on a very dangerous 269-mile solo hike through Death Valley, without a support crew. He planned to start in Beatty, Nevada and do a huge loop in the desert to prove to himself he could do it. He carried only a half-gallon of water, a pup tent, two sun-reflecting aluminum blankets, seven pounds of concentrated food, a pistol, knife and change of clothing. He planned to obtain water by placing a canteen in a hole in the ground covered with plastic and a mound of dirt, with the theory that moisture condensation would end up in the canteen. He took salt every hour and was dressed in white denim trousers, a t-shirt, a plastic-foam helmet and custom-coated sunglasses.

About three days into his journey, after 100 miles, Sewell came across two motorists who were stranded out in the middle of the desert with car trouble and helped them fix the car. He did most of his miles in the cooler morning and evening hours and rested during the heat of the day. A search had been started for him, but when he reported in, he said, “Oh, don’t worry about me. I wasn’t worried at all.”

He should have worried more. As he went on, he became ill at some point and found a culvert under a highway to get in the shade. He passed out, but when he woke up, he felt just fine. His plan was to follow the west edge of Death Valley where wells were spaced every five miles or so.

On July 14, 1967, it was reported that Sewell was in a Las Vegas hospital being treated for heat exhaustion and sore feet. The day before he started suffering chest pains and was found by a truck driver sitting under a mesquite tree. He was driven to Shoshone and then on to the hospital.

His brazen and dangerous journey had lasted for five days and covered about 125 miles. He stayed in the hospital for three days and planned to resume his journey and return to his stopping point. But pressure from his friends and park officials convinced him to quit.

John Stratton, superintendent of Death Valley National Monument stressed that all hikers should be taking better safety precautions. “We don’t have enough people to keep an eye on a hiker out here all alone. We’re concerned with human life and safety primarily. If someone wants to hike out here, they can do it with a support party or during the wintertime.” The monument had only seven rangers to patrol two million acres.

Public opinion turned against the dangerous hikes. A Sacramento, California newspaper editorialized, “It would be a welcome exercise of good sense if this business of walking across Death Valley in the summer were ended. Just what the recent hikers in Death Valley are trying to prove is difficult for the adult mind to grasp. Teenagers pass through a stage when they feel compelled to prove they can endure suffering. There is tremendous sanity in refusing physical challenges and in finding as much comfort as this uncertain life affords.”

Boris Yankoff’s second Death Valley Run

But the mid-summer Death Valley treks continued in 1967. Boris Yankoff came back and set out again on foot on August 2, 1967 with a three-person support crew providing food and water. He took on the South to north route accomplished by McAdams and Ritzman but wanted to do it much faster. When asked what motivated his return trek, he replied, “I wanted to show today’s youth the importance of good physical training and fitness. Keeping in shape is more important than sitting around smoking marijuana.”

At one point a ranger met him running through the sands of a remote desert trail and asked, “What’s happening?” Yankoff’s reply was, “I just do this for fun.” “You call that fun?” was the ranger’s reply that he shouted as Yankoff continued trotting. He finished the 120+ miles in 68 hours, with very little sleep, walking the final 57 miles without stopping. He drank about five gallons a day and suffered bruised feet from all the rocks.

Bill Emmerton’s Death Valley Run

In April 1968, Bill Emmerton (1910-2019), of Australia, tried to break Yankoff’s end-to-end record. He was a self-promoting, professional ultrarunner legend from Australia who previously had run 800 kilometers from Melbourne to Adelaide in 1965. His wife followed along supporting him from a camper. He would sleep in it during the night.

A monument spokesman said, “He’s got guts, but the Valley demands more. Something will give, and it’s a tossup whether it’ll be his feet or his lungs.” Emmerton countered, “I’ll get there, even if it’s on my knees.” He was a true runner and wore a lightweight woolen track suit. Emmerton ran south to north but curiously started at Shoshone which was further north of the Saratoga Springs starting point the others used and his route was likely 110 miles.

At about mile 30, he claimed a stinging, blinding sandstorm and lifted him up and bounced him 15 feet along the road. He continued but contended against breathing in sulfur fumes. He suffered from bad blisters on his feet from relatively cool 95-degree heat. Emmerton finished in front of about 100 cheering people, with a time of 75 hours 23 minutes, well short of Yankoff’s time. He said to the adoring crowd, “It’s a great pleasure to have this Death Valley conquered.” But he later complained about blisters, losing a toenail, and losing 10 pounds. He said, “I never want to see Death Valley again as long as I live.”

Once recovered, he promoted his accomplishment heavily to the press. He claimed falsely that he was the first man in history to run 125 miles through Death Valley. He said, “I did it for Australia. I’m very, very proud of it. It was the best run of my whole career. I’m pleased to think I’m the first man to have ever done it.”

Cliff McAdams Returns to Death Valley

Emmerton publicly challenged anyone to beat his south to north “record” and Cliff McAdams, who was the first to complete the route in 1966, accepted the challenge and tried to do it in cooler weather. this time solo with a crew. He had produced a film “130 miles Across Death Valley” that was been airing on television and wanted another adventure. He said that he was attempting to set a “winter record” and do better than Emmerton’s time a few weeks earlier. He did not recognize Yankoff’s 1968 finish because Yankoff hiked at night when it was cool and he thought that was easier and cheating, that his own “summer” record should still stand. Since he was a newspaper man, he made sure the newspapers knew that he was the true record holder. Yes, it was silliness and clearly an effort to keep attention on himself for his film and a book he hoped to write.

McAdams journeyed in 101-degree heat by alternately running, hiking and resting, reaching 48 miles on the first day. On the second day he had quit his attempt after pulling a leg muscle. He had reached 63 miles.

Two weeks later McAdams returned for another attempt, starting again on May 12, 1968. He reached 52 miles on the first day and arrived at Stovepipe Well Junction, mile 85 on day two. He was ahead of Emmerton’s pace by eight miles. The high temperature was 112 degrees. Day three was a very cool 80 degrees and he cruised to the 125-mile finish in a record time of 65 hours 13 minutes, even beating Yankoff’s time. In 1982 McAdams published the book Death Valley, Past and Present: Guide and Reference Book

Emmerton’s Death Valley to Las Vegas Run

Two months later in August 1968, Emmerton ran from Death Valley to Las Vegas, Nevada, which he claimed to be 211 miles, but it likely was as low as 160 miles because he did not start from Scotty’s Castle as was commonly reported because a flash flood had closed the road. He started much further south. He called it his second Death Valley run, however, only about 30 miles was actually in the Death Valley Monument. He stayed on paved roads and stopped frequently to rest in an air-conditioned van. Curiously, newsmen in a helicopter reported that five hours after his start he was resting in his support van only seven miles from his starting point. His entire run is suspect.

He was sponsored by a citrus drink company and said he drank seven gallons of orange juice during his run. The high temperature reached about 120 degrees. On the first day he claimed to run 50 miles, walking ten of it, and then slept for the night.

The entire run took him 87 hours, 40 minutes elapsed time. One journalist wrote, “There was mixed concern about his condition when he finished. Some thought he should have a doctor examine his feet while others were for having a doctor examine his head.” He was asked how often people suggest that he “post a vacancy sign on his head.” He responded, “Running is the healthiest of all exercises and extends the life span. A lot of people have suggested I’m nuts, but today a lot of them are bloody well dead, too.”

Boris Yankoff’s third Death Valley Trek

Yankoff said that he was through with Death Valley, but in July 1968 he was back doing it again because his record had been broken. He explained, “I’ve decided to go during the hottest time of the year and run the 125 miles in less than 60 hours. Maybe I’ll do it in less than 50.” Despite being ill midway from taking in too much salt and stopping for 12 hours, Yankoff successfully finished in a new record of 62 hours 31 minutes.

A few days later, Arch Edwards, 26, a Hollywood actor and his brother Dennis Owens, 25, both of Los Angeles set out from Scotty’s Castle hoping to do a north to south hike and beat Yankoff’s record. They did finish but were 21 hours slower. They both were very glad the ordeal was over.

In 1969 monument officials tried to bring the Death Valley frenzy under more control when they issued a special sheet of regulations and suggestions for hikers. But more naïve hikers would continue to try to break the Death Valley length record into the 70s and others would bring in the era of “Badwater” by attempting to go from Badwater to the top of Mount Whitney.

Attempts to run from Badwater to the top of Mount Whitney started in the early 1970s. For all the details see episode 70.

Operation Wingfoot 100-miler

100-mile marches continued in the military. In September 1961 a 48-hour 100-mile endurance march was held in Delaware put on by the Delaware Nation Guard. It was called Operation Wingfoot. The route was from the Wilmington Airport to Indian River Inlet. Lt. Colonel William Paul Joseph Drakeley Jr. (1916-1997), Marine Corps Reserve officer in charge of the Guard’s physical fitness program explained, “This grueling march is open to those volunteers who think they are tough enough to keep up with Castro’s guerillas.”

Drakeley got the idea a few months earlier when a peace march went through Delaware. He first conducted a 70-miler with another man to contrast the march “by the pacifists.” He said, “I admire those peace marchers, but they’re living in a dream world. We’ve got to learn how to survive in this world and one way for Americans to survive is to be physically fit and prepared.”

Those who signed up for the 100-miler had to have previously accomplished a 15-mile hike. Forty-six men started. The 100-milers wore uniforms, a soft cap, and carried a light marching pack with a helmet attached. Other equipment included a poncho, cartridge belt, canteen, and carbine. Each man was required to bring four extra pair of socks.

The first man that fell out received an award of a blister kit and a crying towel. Those who reached 50 miles received a State of Delaware Medal. Ten reached as far as 75 miles.

It was reported, “The hikers rested a total of 13 hours and consumed liquids mostly for nourishment. They had one C ration meal” Most of those who failed to finish had bad blisters or were affected by the heat of the day. “Some men who fell out were treated by a traveling field hospital and returned to action. Despite the rest periods no one slept well. The most any marcher got was four hours of sleep.” Many spectators cheered them on along the way and motorists kept stopping to offer rides which were declined.

Six men finished the 100 miles with a time of 48.5 hours. They included four military men and two civilians. Col. Drakeley was among the finishers. They were all awarded the Medal of Military Merit.

Cat and Mouse 100-miler

In June 1961, A group of eleven Marine Corps reservists participated in a “cat and mouse” 100-mile trek in New Mexico to see if they could go from the Jemez Mountains to Albuquerque undetected by the public.

It was reported, “Most of the marching was done at night, to avoid detection. Private Nix tumbled down a 15-foot cliff during a march in the desert. The men made their toughest march across the desert, covering 25 miles in 12 hours with little rest. The group saw more than 100 fishermen, picnickers and other civilians during their march and came within 25 yards of a group. One night a barking dog prodded a woman outside her home to search the area with a flashlight, but she missed the Marines, flattened in a nearby ditch.”

The most difficult hazards included things as rain, cold at night, blazing sun in the day, mosquitoes, sore feet, restricted diet, lack of water, bush and just plain fatigue.” Private Andres Montes (1938-1983) of El Paso said, “I don’t feel like skinning any more rabbits.” He was one of the cooks and used a two-gallon tin to stew three rabbits at a time. They also ate toads, ant eggs, berries, roots, cactus blossoms and other vegetation.

Word got out about the 100-miler and huge groups of civilians came to the area over the weekend to see if they could spot the party. A state patrolman was assigned to handle extra traffic in the area. But they were undetected and slipped into the reserve training center on South Yale one morning at 4 a.m. finishing their journey.

They succeeded in 5.5 days. Their leader congratulated the group, “A lot of people thought you couldn’t do it, but you did it, and did a bang-up job. It proves a group of men can be molded into an efficient unit in a few days.”

Other Serviceman 100-milers

Worldwide news attention was given to soldiers in New Zealand who conducted a 100-mile hike. A Maori, Sergeant Percy Retimans, was the first to finish in 37:37. This got the attention of British servicemen. In November 1961, Brian Marshall, 25 of the Royal Engineers marched 100 miles from Longmoor to London in full battle gear in 28:15.

The United States Marines weren’t going to be left out and wanted to prove that they were the best. In January 1962, in Okinawa, Japan, four Marine corporals put on their own 100-miler. They started from Nago, in northern Okinawa in strong winds and rain. They went 50 miles to Naha Air Force Base and back. A military vehicle traveled with them carrying sandwiches, orange juice, honey and cocoa. All four arrived at the halfway point and after a 20-minute rest, started the return trip. Two dropped out coming back.

The remaining two finished, Corporal Henry W. Hartmann of Tacoma, Washington and Corporal Peter Paul Zych (1941-2013) of Grand Rapids, Michigan. During the last mile, an entire company walked with the two accompanied by the division drum and bugle corps blaring “The Marine Corps Hymn.”

They finished in 24:58 and were congratulated by two generals as they crossed the finish line. They claimed that they had set a new world record and were pleased that they crushed the time achieved by the Brits. Zych said, “I’m dog tired.” Hartman added, “I’m going to get a lot of sleep.”

Darold Dent – American 100-mile record

Darold R. Dent was born in Burwell, Nebraska in 1942 and grew up on a farm. His mother said, “He developed his hiking and track interests on his own. I had hoped that he would be interested in music, and he was some, but his music teacher told me he was a born athlete.” In high school he became a very successful athlete, earning four letters for football and track. He won the one-mile race at the Nebraska Stake High School Track and Field Meet in 1960 (4:35) and 1961 (4:34). He also set a Midwest Junior Division AAU mile record of 4:31.4 in 1960.

After graduating, he entered the Marine Corps in May 1961. In 1963 Dent was stationed at Okinawa, Japan. While there, he ran a 4:19 mile at a track meet and the next day ran 25 miles in 3:25 to get in shape to attempt running a 100-miler.

On February 4, 1963, Dent attempted to break the 100-miler record on the Okinawa course. In 1962 a group of marines, members of the Third Marine Division, had lowered the 100-mile serviceman record to under twenty hours. Dent ran through rain and sleet and at the halfway point he received a physical examination and changed from field boots to dress shoes. He fueled on a sandwich, three cups of soup, tomato juice, honey, and drank water. Many members of his regiment accompanied him at one time or another and a Navy doctor followed along and gave him periodic checkups.

Dent finished in an astonishing 16:42:48, beating the record by about three hours. If the distance was correct, this was the fastest American modern-era 100-miler at that point. Dent continued to win servicemen running competitions at various distances during 1963. What happened to Dent? Did he run ultradistances again?

Once out of the service, he started competing in marathons and won the Nebraska Curtis Marathon in 2:56 at the age of 23. In 1966 he started attending Pasadena City College and competed on the track team, clocking a 4:11 mile for a State Junior College best in 1967. He also ran a 4:09 mile in a distance medley. For 1967 he set the nation’s fastest two-mile Junior College time of 9:02. He finished his first collegiate season undefeated.

In 1967 Dent started attending San Jose State and started to compete again tougher national competition at the NCAA level in track and cross-country. He excelled in the 3000-meter steeplechase. In 1968 he won the junior National AAU one-hour run with 11 miles, 839 feet, beating 60 competitors. He brought his marathon time down to a lifetime personal best of 2:34 finishing fifth in a competitive Pacific AAU marathon.

Dent graduated and moved to Billings Montana where he went into real estate and was active in the running community and was president of the Billings Distance Runners and Joggers Team. He continued to race for several years and broke age group records but never again ran past the marathon distance. It is likely that he never heard about ultramarathons. In 2020, Dent was 77 years old.

Boys 100-milers

Boys proved that they could go 100 miles too. In Quebec, Canada, John Berry, 15, took a $50 bet with his father that he could hike 100 miles from the family’s summer camp at Georgeville to their home in Montreal. He accomplished it in three days and said, “the last six miles were the hardest.”

Four high school boys from Ottawa, Canada set off on a 100-miler in April 1963. Two dropped out early but Norbert Frank and Larry Carruthers continued. After covering 50 miles in 15 hours on the first day they found beds in jail cells to sleep in. But their sore bodies couldn’t stand the hard cots, so they went to a nearby motel instead to rest their blistered feet. After a night’s sleep, they seriously considered hitch-hiking back home.

The boys decided to continue. They said, “People encouraged us all the way. Whenever we stopped to rest, drivers would honk their horns and tell us to keep going. and finished hobbling home with painful blisters in three days. Their homecoming prize was a steaming breakfast from their happy and relieved parents. They both said the challenge was fun and “really not so tough.”

1963 100-mile hike craze

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) unintentionally played an important role that provided a spark to ignite interest for ultrarunning in America and elsewhere. Back in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order that every Marine captain and lieutenant should be able to hike 50 miles in 20 hours. In 1962 Kennedy discovered this executive order and asked his Marine Commandant, David M. Shoup (1904-1983), to find out how well his present-day officers could do with the 50-mile test. News leaked out about this test. The article inspired many across the country, who were eager to test themselves too. Naïve, untrained, citizens immediately decided to hit the road. Many wanted to double the challenge and go 100 miles.

Sailors go 100 miles

In Texas, four sailors stationed at Corpus Christi set out to go 100 miles to Sinton and back twice. All four were office workers with no previous hiking experience. The four suffered. Words recorded in a logbook included, “Feet sore, probably bleeding, afraid to look.” Another entry, “My foot is one big blister.” People along the way offered them coffee and sandwiches. One sailor said, “Boy these Texas miles sure are long.” Another said, “We’ve had a lot of fun, but I sure wanted to cheat a lot of times.”

It was reported, “Three of them were about ready to quit yesterday, but Kusch held out. He said he thought they were going to beat him up for a while if he didn’t stop, but finally they all decided to keep going.” They finished. Their leader, Jere McFadden (1935-2003), of Okeen, Oklahoma said, “I don’t advise it for people who don’t get along together though.”

The next month, another group of three sailors in California believed they could do it, saying, “whatever the Marine Corps can do, the Navy can do better.” Well, they didn’t make it and the one who went the furthest quit at 50 miles. The headline read, “After All, Navy Men Aren’t Foot Soldiers.”

College students walk 100 miles

In February 1963, two University of Vermont students set on their “walking for cake” event with one of their mother’s awarding them a cake at the finish. Their motivation was to outdo the thousands of 50-miler hikers in the nation by doing double distance and walk 100 miles from Burlington to Dorset, Vermont. They hoped to finish in 35 hours. “Wearing windbreakers, corduroy pants with no long underwear and a Tyrolean type walking shoe, they contended with bitter weather, heavy trailer truck traffic that forced them to dive into snowbanks to avoid being hit, and as the miles paced by, blisters on their feet.” These naïve young men quit after 10.5 hours at mile 36 and did not taste the cake.

In March 1963, 18 members of Gamma Sigma Fraternity at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, set off on a 100-mile walk to commemorate their 100^th year fraternity anniversary. Their course was from Corvallis to Forest Grove. On the way in Salem they stopped to meet with the governor. Four were successful.

In New York, eight LaSalle College students conducted a 100-mile basketball dribbling relay hike from Philadelphia to New York City. Each student dribbled or bounced the ball for two hours and was then relieved by another student who then took over. The relieved student rested in a car until his turn to bounce again.” They made it to the City but were thwarted by officials on the Staten Island ferry.

Businessmen 100-milers

In Jackson Mississippi, Meridian City Commissioner Tom Marshall went on a 100-miler with two others to prove they could hike twice as far as the 50-miler crazies. His companions dropped out at mile 75 but Marshall finished and said that he was happy it was over.

Marion Pearson, a Grand Rapids, Michigan businessman, and very experienced distance walked wanted to walk 100 miles in less than 24-hours on this 65^th birthday. He DNFed at mile 67 because his right shoe fell apart. Four friends had been crewing him with a station wagon but Pearson had sent them ahead and was stuck. He hobbled to the next town and called his wife who came and rescued him. Pearson continued his very public long-distance walking career into his 70s.

Saugerties Boy Scouts 100-miler

In the mid-1960s several Boy Scout troops attempted 100-mile hikes rather than the 50-mile hike that was becoming popular. A few successfully completed 100 miles in an impressive three days. But one troop did it in close to two days. This troop from Saugerties, New York.

On April 3, 1964, the troop, including nine boys, climbed in two station wagons headed to New York City for their planned hike back to their home. The senior patrol leader, sixteen-year-old, David Lewis recalled, “When we were near Tarrytown, I remarked to the boys in our car that we had to walk more than this distance back home. That remark almost cost me my hide.” The boys were very fit and had trained for this grueling challenge by hiking the Appalachian Trail for 50 miles, cycling 100 miles from Vermont, and canoeing for 100 miles on Lake Champlain and Lake George.

They started from the Bronx courthouse at about 3 p.m. and hiked until dark when they ate for the first time at a diner. Lewis said, “A girl asked us if we were on a campout. We told her we had hiked from New York and she replied, ‘you’re kidding.’” They continued to hike for quite a while in the dark after supper wearing fluorescent belts, reaching Tarrytown, escorted by a police car, after a 20-mile first day.

They got started on the second day at 6 a.m. and hoped to hike 50 miles. In stiff winds they reached Fishkill (about 36 miles) by late afternoon and then continued to reach their 50 miles getting into Poughkeepsie. “We were dead on our feet but managed to get to Vassar Brothers Hospital for a checkup. Our feet were so sore that it caused many of us to limp. I told the other boys that we shouldn’t complain in front of the doctor unless we really didn’t want to finish.”

As they walked on Sunday, they halted at 11 a.m. to let the Catholic boys attend Mass. They all seemed to be getting stronger and managed about 15-minute miles when they started up again. As they reached closer to their home, many people in cars stopped to take pictures. Lewis remarked, “We were too tired to smile much less wave to the camera. I do not know what kept us going. Some say it was internal fortitude, but I say it was perpetual motion. I was thinking of just getting home to a nice warm bed and trying to out-sleep Rip Van Winkle.”

As they approached the Saugerties town line, they could see many people awaiting their return. “The crowd got bigger and bigger. We then were greeted by our families and rushed to the cars.” They were taken to the town hall to be photographed and interviewed by reporters. Sixteen-year-old David Lewis reflected, “Many people ask me why I went on it while others chickened out. I merely say you are not a man if you chicken out.” The group finished 100 miles in a little more than 48 hours.

The parts of this 100-mile series:

Sources:

The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia), Jul 4, 1955
Lincoln Journal Star (Nebraska), May 16, 1960
The Alliance Daily Times-Herald (Nebraska), May 14, 1960
The Observer (London, England), Oct 16, 1960
The Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware), May 24, Aug 28, 1961
Albuquerque Journal, (New Mexico), Jun 22, 1961
Star-Phoenix (Saskatoon, Canada), Jun 29, 1961
Oakland Tribune (California), Nov 14, 1961
The Pittsburgh Press (Pennsylvania), Jan 20, 1962
Herald and Review (Decatur, Illinois), Jan 20, 1962
Edmonton Journal (Canada), Aug 15, 1962
The Dispatch (Moline, Illinois), Dec 26, 1962
Muncie Evening Press (Indiana), Dec 26, 1962
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Feb 6, 1963
Lincoln Journal (Nebraska), Feb 6, 1963
The Daily Advertiser (Lafayette, Louisiana), Mar 11, 1963
The Ottawa Citizen (Canada), Apr 17,18, 1963
Valley News (Van Nuys, California), Feb 5, 1965
The Burlington Free Press (Vermont), Feb 20, 1963
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times (Texas), Feb 21, 1963
Bennington Banner (Vermont), Feb 26, 1963
Medford Mail Tribune (Oregon), Mar 7, 1963
Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), Mar 11, 1963
Chula Vista Star-News (California), Mar 14, 1963
The Bridgeport Telegram (Connecticut), Mar 16, 1963
The Kingston Daily Freeman (New York), Feb 25, Apr 6, 27, 1964
The Holland Evening Sentinel (Michigan), May 8, 1964
The Lincoln Star (Nebraska), Jun 1, 1966
The Evening News (Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan), Jul 7, 1966
The Los Angeles Times (California), Jul 22-29, 1966, Aug 16, 1968
The San Francisco Examiner (California), Jul 22-30, Aug 28, 1966, Jul 5. 28, 1968
Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio), Jul 22, 1966
Oakland Tribune (California), Aug 5, 1966
The Press-Tribune (Roseville, California), Aug 25, 1966
The San Bernardino County Sun (California), Aug 26, 1966, Apr 5, 1968
Independent (Long Beach, California), Aug 29, 1966
Santa Cruz Sentential (California), Aug 30, 1966
The California (Salinas, California), Sep 5, 1966
Redlands Daily Facts (California), Sep 5, 1966, Jul 12, 1967
Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada), Jul 13,17-18, 1967, Aug 6, 1968
Daily News-Post (Montrovia, California), Mar 22, 1967
Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona), Apr 21, 1968
Arcadia Tribune (California), May 18, 1967
The Sacramento Bee (California), Aug 31, 1966, Sep 5, 1966, Jul 25, Aug 3,6,14, 1967, Apr 3,5, 27-28, May 13-14, Jul 25, Aug 18, 1968
The Amarillo Globe-Times (Texas), Jul 18, 1968
Daily News (New York City, New York), Jun 29, 1969
The Billings Gazette (Montana), Aug 5, 1975
Anthony Thornton broke the world record for distance walking
50 years after Jean Pierre Marquant’s impossible trek across Death Valley

62: The 100-miler: Part 9 (1966-1968) First Death Valley 100 Milers

By Davy Crockett

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