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By Davy Crockett
This is the story of the ultramarathon that was the most impactful of all races in the history of the sport. This race was witnessed by tens of thousands of people in Madison Square Garden and followed by millions in long daily newspaper story updates. It received so much attention that it sparked an ultrarunning frenzy on multiple continents and captured the imagination of millions of people who came to realize the humans can run hundreds of miles and not die. This is the story of the 3rd Astley Belt race, held March 10th through 15th, 1879 in New York City.
Make sure you get my new book on Amazon, The Six-Day Race Part One: When Ultrarunners were Called Pedestrians (1875-1879). You will read stories that have never been retold before. For the next few episodes of this podcast, we will return to the late 1800s as I research for part 2 of the six-day race history, and uncover amazing stories that have been missed by other pedestrian historians.
By the end of 1878, at least 44 six-day races had been held in America and Great Britain since P.T. Barnum started it all with the first race in 1875. Daniel O’Leary of Chicago was still the undefeated world champion with ten six-day race wins. He was a very wealthy man, winning nearly one million dollars in today’s value during 1878.
All the racing was taking a toll on O’Leary, and he had frequent thoughts about retiring. However, he still had obligations as the holder of the Astley Belt and the title of Champion of the World. If he could defend the Astley Belt one more time, three wins in a row, by rule, he could keep the belt. A Third Astley Belt Race was in the early planning to be held sometime during the summer of 1879. In January, he went to Arkansas to rest at the famous hot springs with its six bathhouses and 24 hotels.
Little did he know that the Third Astley Belt Race would be one of the most impactful spectator events in New York City’s 19th century history witnessed by more than 80,000 people. It impacted ten of thousands of workers’ productivity for a week and even distracted brokers on Wall Street away from their ticker tapes. The major New York City newspapers included more than a full page of details every day that revealed the most comprehensive details ever of a 19th century six-day race. Because of its historic importance, this race will be presented in two articles/episodes.
Read the details of the Third Astley Belt Race here:
You can also read the details of the race here: The Six-Day Race Part One: When Ultrarunners were Called Pedestrians (1875-1879).