Ultrarunning History

42: Around the World on Foot – Part 5 – Dumitru Dan

December 16, 2019

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:08 — 41.3MB)

By Davy Crockett

During the early 1900s, hundreds of people were claiming falsely that they were walking around the world and were given free room and board by the trusting public as they came into towns. Nearly every “around the world on foot” walker mentioned a wager as their motivation for making the attempt, similar to Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg’s wager in his 1872 novel “Around the World in 80 Days.” More than 95% of these globetrotters made claims that were false.

Beginning about 1904, a new twist emerged. A few of the globetrotters claimed that they were part of a race or competition with others to be the first to circle the globe on foot within a certain period. Such a competitive event created a stir of interest when walkers came into town. Wow, it sounded like the modern-day “Amazing Race” reality show.

One common thread involving these race claims was that they were organized by the “Touring Club de France.” Did this organization really get involved in Pedestrian races? One participant in such a race was a famous Romanian globetrotter, Dumitru Dan. Numerous articles about him in recent years claim that he was the first person to walk around the world and he is considered a Romanian local hero. Was he truly a participant in a race and did he really walk 62,000 miles around the world as he claimed? For the first time, this will be examined closely. First, I will analyze carefully Dumitru Dan’s walking story which he sadly fabricated. It was not true. Then I will examine the similar false race tales of others.

The story of Dumitru Dan and other globetrotters is told in the new book by Davy Crockett, Around the World On Foot: The Early Globetrotters.

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41: Around the World on Foot – Part 4 – The Bizarre

December 4, 2019

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:07 — 37.7MB)

By Davy Crockett

Before returning to more serious ultrarunning history, three more “around the world on foot” tales must be told. These stories are so bizarre that they are hard to believe, but they did happen. These individuals gave up years of their lives to gather attention by walking thousands of miles enduring much hardship. Eventually as world conflict exploded into World War I, much of what the public thought was nonsense, disappeared for a time.

These three stories involved a “masked walker,” an English man who tried to walk around the world in an iron mask. Also, an Austrian man who tried to push his family in a baby carriage around the world. And finally, the “king of the casks”, two Italians who tried to roll a giant barrel around the world. While wager conditions surrounding all three were hoaxes, the extreme walking efforts that took place were genuine. Attention was given worldwide to their efforts. Commenting on one of them, it was written, “He is one of the oddest of the cranks that have started to go around the earth.”

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40: Around the World on Foot – Part 3 (1894-1899)

November 26, 2019

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:35 — 34.9MB)

By Davy Crockett

During the very late 1800s, people from various countries started to attempt to walk around the world for attention, money, and fame. In Part 2 of this series on walking around the world, I shared many stories of “fakes” who took advantage of the American public by traveling around the Midwest United States claiming to be on treks around the world, but making little or no effort to actually leave the States.

However, others at that time made more sincere attempts and successfully did extended walking on multiple continents, accompanied by newspaper stories confirming their presence in different countries. Several walkers were well-educated and certainly not the typical tramps and drunks that were highlighted in Part 2. Some of the individuals covered in this article became famous as explorers and were given credit for conducting valid walks around the world. But did they actually do it? What was their motivation for spending months and years in this activity? What did they do with their lives after their walk? Here are five intriguing stories of individuals who became very famous. They were a Russian, a Frenchman, a Greek. and two Americans.

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39: Around the World on Foot – Part 2 (1894-96)

November 20, 2019

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:30 — 36.6MB)

By Davy Crockett

In Part 1 of this series, about walking around the world, I covered the very early attempts. By 1894, dozens, if not hundreds of walkers, started to participate in an “around the world on foot” craze. For many it was a legitimate ultrawalking attempt, but for most it was just a scam to travel on other people’s generous contributions.

The typical scam went like this: They claimed that they were trying to walk around the world to win thousands of dollars on a wager, but they had to do it without bringing any money. They needed to be funded through the generosity of others, get free room and board, and free travel on ships. Walkers came out of the woodwork and the newspapers were fascinated by these attempts.

Eventually some in the press started to get wise. These walkers started to be referred derisively as tramps, globetrotters, cranks, fools, or “around the world freaks.” One reporter wrote, “A great majority of these wanderers upon the face of the earth are men who would rather do anything than work.” Another astute reporter identified many of these walkers as “frauds, traveling over the country practicing a smooth game in order to be wined and dined.”

Sprinkled in with these self-promoting frauds were also those who were legitimately striving to circle the globe on foot. Their efforts were real and very hard. They underestimated the difficulty involved yet had amazing experiences. There were too many of these “globetrotters” to even list. This article will share some amazing and bizarre tales of the naive, those that failed, the cheats, and the fakers. In the next article, I will share stories about successful walks around the world.

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38: Around the World on Foot – Part 1 (1875-1895)

November 10, 2019

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:31 — 35.4MB)

By Davy Crockett

In 1873, Jules Verne published his classic adventure novel, Around the World in 80 Days, which captivated imaginations of the possibility of traveling around the world in a given time and the wonders that could be seen.

Also at that time, Pedestrianism, competitive walking, was in its heyday. Starting in 1875 individuals began to discuss if it would be possible to somehow walk around the world. Wagers were made and attempts began. They had no true idea how far it was or how long it would take. It wouldn’t be until more than 100 years later that some guidelines would be established for those who truly wished to walk around the world.

Yes, such an activity was real and still is today. How far is it to walk around the world? Today the World Runners Association has set a standard that it must be at least 16,308 miles. Early pedestrians were estimating that it would be between 14,000-18,000 miles. Today the fastest known recognized time is 434 days returning to the point of origin.

It all started in earnest around 1875. During that year, circumnavigation ultrawalkers emerged along with frauds who fooled the public to win wagers and made a living off giving lectures about their “walk.” Most American transcontinental walks of the 1800s involved fraud and fabrication. Some examples are covered in: “Dakota Bob – Transcontinental Walker.” The same was true for most early attempts to circle the globe on foot, but their tales are still fascinating. This multi-part article will share the stories and make some corrections on false claims that have been published in many books.

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The Greatest 100 km

November 6, 2019

By Andy Milroy

In 2018, Nao Kasami of Japan won the Lake Saroma 100km in a world best time of 6:09:14 on a significantly wind-aided 100 km course. A wind-aided course like this, has caused statisticians to look again at the way 100 km times are interpreted and understood. Wind-aid offers a real problem. Is a good time due to a strong effort by the runner or just due a strong tail wind? It is time to look again at the fastest non-aided 100 km performance, the forty year old track mark of 6:10:20.

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37: Soldier Barnes – Six-day Race Relic (1846-1916)

November 1, 2019

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:12 — 34.6MB)

By Davy Crockett

Old Soldier Barnes was a Civil War veteran from Pennsylvania who became a very popular professional ultrarunner in 1900 when he was in his early 50s. He must have not worn his age well, because people always thought he was much older than he really was. He entered the sport when the six-day race was making a comeback in Pennsylvania, about 20 years since its heyday in the 1800s when it was a huge spectator sport, watching walkers and runners go in circles for six days trying to travel as many miles as possible.

There was a brief resurgence of six-day “go as you please” races in America from 1898-1903 until states passed laws to halt these all-day and all-night running affairs along with similar six-day bicycle races.

Soldier Barnes, in his 50s, became a highly competitive tough multi-day runner who was well-respected and always a crowd favorite. He was one of the most prolific six-day runners of that time. This article will follow his participation in the sport and hopefully leave readers with a deep understanding of the fascinating six-day running races that were held about 120 years ago.

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36: Ruth Anderson – Pioneer Ultrarunner

October 2, 2019

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:53 — 36.3MB)

By Davy Crockett

Ruth Anderson pioneered women’s marathon and ultrarunning in the 1970s, at a time when virtually no American women participated in the sport. She established numerous American ultra women’s records and became an inspiration for the first generation of American ultrarunning women.

She was a nuclear chemist and began running at all distances, especially marathons, in her 40s. Thus, all of her many running accomplishments, including world records, were achieved as a masters runner. She became an icon and inspiration in the Northern California running community where she was probably its most prolific runner in local races.

But her greatest impact on the sport was made behind the scenes. She aggressively worked hard to open up the doors for women and masters runners to compete in long distance running. The famed ultramarathon London to Brighton race was opened up to women in the 1970s largely because of her persistent lobbying. The women’s masters division was established in running because she wouldn’t accept “no” as an answer. She strived to tear down decades of bias and false beliefs about women and their capability participating in the sport. Ultrarunning legend, Ann Trason said, “I don’t think the sport would be where it is today without Ruth. She was a very fair, generous and kind person who you could really share the love of running with.”

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