Stu Mittleman of New York City took second place in the recently concluded six-day “ultra-marathon.” The endurance run took place on the quarter-mile track at Downing Stadium on Randalls Island. The first-place winner was Siegfried Bauer, of New Zealand who logged slightly more than 511 miles in 144 hours. None of the runners broke the record of 623 miles, which was established in Great Britain in 1888.
Mittleman, a 32-year-old college professor, set an American record by covering more than 488 miles, including close to 100 miles in the final 24 hours of the run. He became the first American to run more than 460 miles in this event. His total record of 488 miles and 1,331 yards broke the old mark of 460 miles established six weeks ago in Pennsauken, N.J. by Don Choi of San Francisco.
Mittleman is the holder of the American record for the 100-mile run. In describing his feelings concerning the marathon, he said: “After the second day I was prepared to drop out of the race. I was very much discouraged, however, the crowd gave me added encouragement, so I continued.”
The event was sponsored by the Road Runners Club, whose president is Fred Lebow Lebow turned his back on a lucrative textile design business to devote all his time to road running. The six-day run, which ended last Sunday, was the first one held in New York since 1903. There is no cash award for winners, just a trophy or two.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
