The first Marathon race, held in 490 B.C., was a classic. Only one lone Greek entered and he covered the distance of twenty-six miles and 385 yards in something over four hours. A careful scrutiny of the record book reveals the fact that this long distance mover passed out colder than February ninth immediately after his lively trot.
Well, only the other day a group of thirty-seven young men lined up in front of the City Hall and awaited the starter’s gun. They were competing for the Metropolitan A.A.U. marathon running championship.
Bill Steiner, twenty-two year old Jewish lad, who is galloping for the German-American A.C., covered the twenty-six mile event in what is believed to be one of the fastest times ever recorded for this distance. The watches clicked off 2:23:05 for this magnificent run.
Steiner’s mark is more than eight minutes faster than the Olympic record set in 1932 by Juan Carlos Zabala, Argentine newsboy, at Los Angeles. In all probability this new time will be accepted as a new world’s record.
RACE A THRILLING ONE
A mile run is considered a gruel-ling grind, but when we stop to consider the stamina and courage that are needed to finish in a race twenty-six times as long, it is remarkable indeed that even seven-teen men out of the field of thirty-five entrants completed the course.
Steiner’s victory assumes new proportions in view of the fact that he was the only Jew to cross the finish line.
The last mile proved the greatest thrill of all. After running on practically even terms for nearly twenty-five miles, Steiner and Paul De Bruyn, both entered from the same club, realized that the race was to be decided between them. The rest of the field was far behind.
Matching stride for stride, these two running machines approached the last half mile marker. Here it was that Steiner unleashed a burst of speed that was heartbreaking to his teammate and rival, De Bruyn. The latter matched steps with Bill for one hundred yards, but found the pace so terrific and gruelling that he had to fall back. Steiner crossed the line 220 yards in front of De Bruyn, a winner and new champion.
PRENEZ GARDE!
If you are akin to Miniver Cheevy and like to hear the ringing clash of steel upon steel in thrust and riposte, come down to the strips of the Hotel Commodore today and tomorrow. Here the swordsmen of twelve eastern universities will salute each other in the forty-first annual college title fencing meet.
The fiery glamor of Old Heidelberg dueling will again be seen when New York University. defending champion, measures off against such formidable opposition as Navy, Army, Princeton, City College, Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Hamilton, Pennsylvania, Columbia, and M.I.T.
JEWISH FENCERS OUTSTANDING
For grace, poise, finesse and skill, the only other sport that we can liken unto fencing is fancy figure skating. We can proudly point to a regiment of foilsmen, epee wielders and sabremen who have thrust and parried their way to recognition.
Captain Mehlman of N.Y.U. and Captain Abushevitz of Yale, Jewish swordsmen, will lead the field in these inter-collegiate fencing wars. Last year Abushevitz saved the Elis from a complete shutout and he did so at the expense of Alexander Mehlman.
KEEN CONTESTS EXPECTED
Besides Mehlman, who is fencing number one in foils and sabres, Fred Kornfeld is another Violet swordsman who has seen championship competition. He is number two in the foils. Phil Wels is third man on this team. David Herman, Mehlman’s companion in arms in sabre foray, rounds out the Jewish members of the N.Y.U. duelists squad.
Columbia will depend on Abrams and Potter to show the way to victory. Navy will place on the strips Midshipman Scherer, who is rated as one of the leading contenders to slash the crown from the Yale captain’s head.
THE GOLDEN GLOVES
The Windy City boxers breezed into town and were blown right out again. Evidently the boys from the big city had more than wind wrapped up in their gloves and so accounted for this hasty departure.
The Chicago lads hit with punches that had the wide, sweeps of the prairies behind them, but the New Yorkers weathered the storm. The Metropolitan punchers came out on top with the score nine to seven in their favor.
HEAVYWEIGHT BATTLES SWING FIGHT
When Bob Pastor, Jewish sophomore from New York University, stepped through the ropes, the tally was eight to seven in favor of the Gotham fighters. A victory for the Chicago team would tie the score. It rested with Bob to swing the tide of battle for the home town boys.
Pastor, in excellent form, handed Otis Thomas, colored boxer from the midwest, a terrific lacing. He won the decision of the judges after three rounds of hectic punching.
Despite the fact that Pastor was handicapped by his opponent’s twenty-pound weight advantage he came through with flying colors.
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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.
