JOSEPH FORSHAW, MARATHON RUNNER by Christine Forshaw O'Shaughnessy London, late afternoon, July 24, 1908: the last moments of the Marathon. The crowd had waited in the withering heat for hours, and their frenzy over this final event of Olympiad IV had reached a fever pitch. "I shall never forget my first impression of the crowd cheering wildly as I entered the stadium. It was the most wonderful sight I ever saw." (Joseph Forshaw, bronze medalist [2:57:10.4]) Joseph FORSHAW, of the United States, would ever after describe the last two minutes of this race as the "zenith" of his athletic career. Fifty-five years later, he would still remember vividly the huge stadium looming before him, the momentary dark- ness of the entrance tunnel, and then, pounding into the late afternoon light on the track, the deafening roar rolling up around him from the multitude. He always said that the noise almost had the quality of dead silence, so great was its impact on his senses. Entering the stadium packed with that hysterical Joseph and screaming throng, with Dorando PIETRI'S FORSHAW in desperate struggle finished, FORSHAW was less 1904 Event than two minutes behind John HAYES, the winner, in St. Louis in time to be running on the track with both HAYES and Charles HEFFERON (second) before the winner "I was next to the last man to leave Windsor. crossed the finish line. My instructions from Murphy (Coach Mike After the race he wrote: Murphy, of Yale) were to hold Tewanina, (a Hopi "We followed the plan adopted at previous Indian from the Carlisle Indian School) back and Marathon races, eating a good breakfast of keep him with me, and if I gave out to send him steak, following this with two raw eggs, with along to win the race if he could do so. Coming some tea and toast. We planned to take nothing down the hill from Windsor I was in the second during the race except sips of water, if neces- to last row and took it very slowly on account of sary. I wore high shoes with leather soles, with the grade and cobblestones. This was the only a strip of rubber between the shoe and the foot, bad part of the course. I came through Windsor and had socks well-soaked in tallow. Most wore last of the Americans excepting Hatch." a head covering of some sort but I did not. I "Tewanina and I were abreast for twenty miles. I think it is unwise in the heat. I felt at home at passed Duncan, the English champion who was the start because I saw several St. Louis friends expected to win the race, evidently distressed, who had rented rooms in Windsor to see us off. twelve miles out, at Uxbridge. Tewanina, seeing Mr. Walker, the Central High School coach, was Duncan ahead, had gone up to tire him out, there as well. My bicyclist was Dr. LeCron, which from what I have heard since, he formerly of St. Louis. He did splendid work for succeeded in doing. None of us feared Duncan, me, both before and after the race." having seen his work at Brighton. Appleby Shrubbs' former conqueror, we thought the best After the Start of the of the English. I knew always, however, that the Marathon Englishmen would come back to me, realizing race in that they had no Marathon experience, although London 1908 being fine distance runners. I have always found waiting the best in these races. Spurting in the first three miles killed the English competitors." JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY 12(May 2004)2 - p. 10 Early in the Marathon (Corbis Bettman Coll.) FORSHAW pacing TEWANINA (Corbis Bettman Coll.) "I had planned my race so as to go slow and got a terrible stitch in my side. I made repeated keep strong, running as fast as I could without efforts to sprint, but every time doubled up with distressing myself, until about eleven miles from cramp. That was the only trouble I had the the stadium, doing my best work after that I whole way. Ordinarily, I don't believe in spirits, was thirty-first and at the halfway post was but I had to do something and the side was fifteen minutes behind the leaders. In eighteen giving me trouble, so I took a drop of brandy. I miles I had passed all the lesser lights, and was feeling strong and full of running yet began picking up on the prominent men. I tortured by a sharp pain when I tried, with extra noticed quite a few resting or exhausted along effort, to sprint. I could see Hefferon and Hayes the roadside. Many were walking. Personally I just ahead but was unable to get the last spurt ran all the way. I never rested a minute or myself. The last ten minutes of the race were walked." the worst of my life. However, I took a grip with my hand on the side and covered the last miles "Through Harrow, when I was making up in that manner. It was hard digging the last three ground, I was in great shape, and shortly miles, but when I got to the Stadium I felt fine. I afterward I came in sight of the leaders. By now did not exert myself on the cinder track, as the I knew Tewanina was weakening and having position I was in I could hold, and it was trouble keeping the pace, so I began pulling impossible to better it." away from him. Hayes, all this time, was well to the front, hanging to the heels of Dorando, who "I was strong at the finish. Nobody touched me was trailing Hefferon. I never caught up with anytime in the race or going around the Stadium, either him or Hefferon. The Harrow schoolboys' where I ran strong, but with my hand to my side enthusiasm greatly impressed me and really over the stitch. I recognized several friends from gave me new heart. It was a great contrast to America in the stands as I passed. I shall never the treatment of the American athletes later in forget the Queen of England, jumping up and the stadium at which we felt disappointed." down in her box, waving her parasol to and fro. The noise in the Stadium was like thunder. After "After we had run twenty-one miles I pulled out passing the post I had a dip in the swimming and passed Simpson, the Canadian. I was tank to bathe my head with water and then feeling fine and passed him with a burst of walked to the dressing room without assistance, speed, covering 100 yards to his 20, Tewanina where less than five minutes after the race I was doing likewise. I ran fast, too fast, in fact, with a rubbed down. I dressed and went to the hotel by view to taking the heart out of the Canadian. If it the underground car in less than half an hour had not been for this spurt, I believe I could feeling tired, but thoroughly fit That's what have overtaken Hefferon and won second place. Murphy's training did for me." Next I headed Welton, who was running well and retained perfect form to the finish." "The Americans owe the victory, first of all, to Murphy, who got us in splendid condition. I have "I did not know until three miles from home how been in seven long races, but I never entered many men were in front of me. Then, realizing one in better condition than I was today. It was that I was well up, I thought I had taken the only a week ago that I ran a trial of twenty-seven measure of the leaders and might win. But miles along the Brighton road without hurting down Oak Common Lane I thought otherwise. I myself. I also had good attendants, one doctor p. 11 - JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY 12(May 2004)2 Joseph FORSHAW at Harlesden Clock FORSHAW approaching Stadium (K. Rainham) who accompanied me in the Marathon at giving. He deserved more glory and was Athens, and the other an American doctor disappointed by so much honour taken away practicing in London. They encouraged me all from him by the crowd and given to Dorando, along the way, and I felt, having them there, whose race, although meritorious, was unequal nothing could happen to me. Apart from the to Hayes. The British newspapers, too, gave stitch in the side, I had no trouble of any kind. Dorando all the glory. The boys and I felt John My feet are as good as when I started." Hayes deserved better than that. He had won it fair and square, so we got a table and paraded Four days later on July 28, he wrote further about him around on it like a king for all to see." the race: "Enough credit cannot be given to Trainer Mike "The secret of the excellence of the American Murphy. America's success is due mainly to him. runners was well kept. Scarcely anyone knew He has proved a wonder in conditioning men. where we did most of our training. Newspapers Murphy made us work desperately hard from the said we had never seen the course, whereas we time we arrived and yet the work was done so had been all over it. I missed all the Stadium scientifically that I put on seven pounds in events, sacrificing everything to get in good weight, in spite of running ten to twenty miles condition, and trained as I had never trained each day, and was heavier than at any time before.