Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:42 — 16.4MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | JioSaavn | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | RSS | More
By Davy Crockett
Both a podcast and a full article
For the common man, we frequently make history without knowing it at the time. As years pass, one can look back and discover that certain events, which at the time seemed insignificant, actually played an important part in history. Such events weren’t forgotten or pushed aside; their stories just had not been told. Such is the case with “The Last Day Run.”
Ultrarunning existed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The participants were mostly professionals who performed for spectators. As the Great Depression hit, events for professional ultrarunners dwindled and dried up in America. But rising from the tragedy and ashes of World War II, ultrarunning events slowing appeared again, but this time for amateurs looking to test their endurance. They were first hiking events such as the Padre Island Walkathon (110 miles) of the 1950s in Texas, and the JFK 50 starting in 1963 in Maryland. But soon running events surfaced and the term “ultramarathon” was first used around 1964.
Absent in the pages of very early American ultrarunning history is the story of the “Last Day Run.”
| Please consider becoming a patron of ultrarunning history. Help to preserve this history by signing up to contribute a little each month through Patreon. Visit https://ultrarunninghistory.com/member |
Crossing the Grand Canyon on foot is something many visitors of the spectacular Canyon wonder about as they gaze across its great expanse to the distant rim. Crossing the Canyon and returning back is an activity that has taken place for more than 125 years. Each year thousands of people cross the famous canyon and many of them, return the same day, experiencing what has been called for decades as a “double crossing,” and in more recent years, a “rim-to-rim-to-rim.”
Prior to the 1960s, most of the ultrarunners participating in ultradistance races were professionals. It was a spectator sport. The general public never had serious thoughts that they too could run ultradistances.
Paul “Hardrock” Simpson, of Burlington, North Carolina, was an elite colorful, professional ultrarunner of the late 1920s who worked to continue in the sport during the Great Depression. He was one of the very few talented ultradistance runners who bridged to the post-war modern era of ultrarunning in the 1950s. With creativity, charisma, and strong performances, he successfully captured the imagination of the nation during both the periods. During that time, he was recognized as one of the greatest long-distance runners in America.
What was the first American ultradistance race in the modern era? Perhaps the answer is the Padre Island Walkatahon 110-miler, a three-day stage race that was started in 1953. It may have even been the first modern trail ultra in the world. This unusual race was a point-to-point race that ran along the sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. Those who put it on were very forward-thinking, introducing features that would be used in ultras decades later. Previously long endurance races were mostly limited to professionals. This race was for everyone, the old, the young teenagers, and even women during an era when female participation in endurance events was viewed as inappropriate.
Welcome to 