Author : Matthew Algeo
Publisher : Chicago Review Press
ISBN 13 : 1613744005
Total Pages : 276 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (137 download)
Book Synopsis Pedestrianism by : Matthew Algeo
Download or read book Pedestrianism written by Matthew Algeo and published by Chicago Review Press. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Strange as it sounds, during the 1870s and 1880s, America’s most popular spectator sport wasn’t baseball, football, or horseracing—it was competitive walking. Inside sold-out arenas, competitors walked around dirt tracks almost nonstop for six straight days (never on Sunday), risking their health and sanity to see who could walk the farthest—more than 500 miles. These walking matches were as talked about as the weather, the details reported in newspapers and telegraphed to fans from coast to coast. This long-forgotten sport, known as pedestrianism, spawned America’s first celebrity athletes and opened doors for immigrants, African Americans, and women. But along with the excitement came the inevitable scandals, charges of doping and insider gambling, and even a riot in 1879. Pedestrianism chronicles competitive walking’s peculiar appeal and popularity, its rapid demise, and its enduring influence.