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By Davy Crockett
After Ted Corbitt’s disappointing 1952 Olympic marathon, he was determined to continue running. (Read Part One). His key takeaway was that he had to elevate his performance by running more often and covering greater distances. But as he continued to push his training, he experienced a series of chronic muscle strains for the next year.
Corbitt was focused on the marathon distance and continued to finish high each year at Boston. He believed that success would require training every day, reaching at least 100 miles per week. His perseverance finally paid off in January 1954, when he emerged victorious in a marathon held in Philadelphia, completing it in 2:36:08. He won again, at the 1954 Yonkers Marathon, considered the national championship, with a time of 2:46:13. He had proven that his 1952 Olympic selection was justified. In 1955, he made the team for the Pan American team in Mexico City but was cut from the team became of lack of funds. It bothered him that some newspapers listed him as a non-finisher in the race. He never started it. Throughout his long running career, he never had a “did not finish (DNF).”
| Learn about the rich and long history of ultrarunning. There are now ten books available in the Ultrarunning History series on Amazon Learn More |
The Astley Belt was the most sought-after trophy in ultrarunning or pedestrianism. This race series was recognized as the undisputed international six-day championship of the world. The international six-day race series was established in 1878 by Sir John Astley, a wealthy sportsman and member of the British parliament. Daniel O’Leary won the first two races and then lost the coveted belt to Charles Rowell of England at the 
The Barkley Marathons course (thought to be roughly 130 miles and about 63,000 feet of elevation gain) at Frozen Head State Park was the brain child of 
From 1875 to 1879, at least 130 six-day races were held, mostly in America and Great Britain. In 1879, the foot races became the #1 spectator sport in America. During that single year, at least 88 six-day races were held worldwide, with about 900 starters and witnessed by nearly one million spectators. Women played a significant role in these early six-day races, a century before they could take part in marathons. From 1875 to 1879, at least 30 six-day women’s races were held, involving 150 women starters who ran as far as 393 miles in six days. These daring women athletes caused a significant rift across the Victorian-era society. An editorial in the New York Times stated, “Today it is the walking match, soon the women’s vote will come.” It isn’t surprising that once the women competed, that New York City considered passing an ordinance banning “all public exhibitions of female pedestrianism.”
