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First US Marathon winner from Ireland

  • 28-10-2010 2:13pm
    #1
    dna_leri
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,623 ✭✭✭


    Maybe its a well-known fact, but I did not know until today that the first marathon run on american soil was won by an Irishman.

    This event, started in Stamford, CT, and finished 25 miles away at Columbia Oval in New York City on Sept. 19, 1896. The winner was an Irish immigrant, John J. McDermott of the Pastime Athletic Club, who crossed the line in 3:25:55.
    McDermott went on to win the first Boston Marathon of roughly 24 miles from Ashland to downtown Boston in 2:55:10 on April 19, 1897.

    Anyone know anything about John J. McDermott ?
    Where in Ireland was he from? Did he go on to do anything else after these initial marathon exploits?
    Are his achievements widely recognised in Irish Athletics?


Comments

  • #2
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    dna_leri wrote: »
    Are his achievements widely recognised in Irish Athletics?

    No, as he wasn't obviously a top-tier athlete with that time. He'd never get on telly anyway.


  • #3
    shels4ever
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭shels4ever


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    No, as he wasn't obviously a top-tier athlete with that time. He'd never get on telly anyway.

    Your joking right? Check out the year and if you read the history of marathons you can see how good that time was.


  • #4
    darkvalley
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 216 ✭✭darkvalley


    ThisRegard wrote: »
    No, as he wasn't obviously a top-tier athlete with that time. He'd never get on telly anyway.

    This for what its worth would suggest he was very competitive for the age http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_world_record_progression


  • #5
    ThisRegard
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,833 ✭✭✭✭ThisRegard


    Obviously. It's an elbow in the ribs to the DCM on telly thread.


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