OLYMPIC GAMES END

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 25, 25 October 1920, Page 5

OLYMPIC GAMES END

HOW THE MARATHON WAS RUN.

Han's Koehlemainen, a Finn, the MaraOion race winner at tho Olympic games in Brussels, which event was the final one in one of the most brilliant and successful gatherings every known. TL jvoeHlemainen was known by his record to be a wonderful runner. In 1911 lie won the four miles championship oi England, in 1912, at the Stockholm Olympiad, he won both the 5000 and the 10,006 meter races, and since then he has won a Marathon in America. He had a scarcely less famous brothJir, moreover, who also was a candidate in the Mara--thon. finishing tenth, while two othei Finnish runniyrs came fifth and ninth, respectively. The course was understood to demand from the men a run out and home of 2G„ miles, approximately. It was rough going, not only because much of it was along cobbled roads, but also because the day was miserably wet, ano the race was run under showers of rain. The attendance at tho Stadium, however, was very large, crowding the enclosure; and the scene of enthusiasm (it the ono memorably thrilling. Tho competitors numbered 48, of many nations. They ran once round the Stadium track ano thence through the triumphal arch ant. out into the country, and their progress thereafter was_ reported by motor messengers, and signalled to the spectator* by means of beflagged and lettered disci within tho area. The stort was mad* Bhortlyaafter i o'clock, and the first news of the men showed their positions at It kilometres, when Gitcham, of South Africa (second in the 1912 Marathon) was leading, Blasi, of Italy, second, Broos, oi Belgium, third, H. Koehlemainen fourth, and Mills, Great Britain's hope, seventh. At 15 kilometres Glisham still led, with Koehlemainen second, and Broos third, and at 20 kilometres that was still the orderl Soon came the half-distaice and tho turn for home, at which point the Finn moved up and took the lead, while at

the 30 kilometres mark a group of runners who had been lying behind pushed forward, and Gitsham vanished.. Somewhere here a big Esthonian, who had been noticed at the start, came with a rattle from some 500 metres behind the leader, and took second pkco. Knoniinski, of Finland, was third, firooi. the Belgian, was fourth, and Valerio, of Italy, fifth. TJv>y were then close to the Stadium. The gymnastic displays, which had been providing spasmodic interest for the thousands whose real thoughts wero upon the invisible runners, had now and the excitement of the crowd worked up to fstvor pitch, wit!* al) eyes turned to the great arch of the .Stadium entrance. And presently a mighty chber went up to a solitary runner coming strongly through the Stadium gate and on to the- track for the one lap between him and victory. It was Hans Koehlemainon, not more than 150 yards behind whom came the Esthonian, Lossman, and if both wwe fresh Lossmnn was tho fresher, and the prise onTy just beyond his grasp. But Koehlemainen won, in the world's record time for a Marathon of 2 hours S2 min. 35 4-ssec., with Lossman less than 13 seconds liehind him. Moreover, thp previous record —M'Arthur's, of Stockholm—had been one of 2k 36m. 54 4-ssec., for a distance) of 25 .miles, whereas the course of the Antwerp Marathon measured 26 milos 1211 yards.

The winner was at once crowned with a gilded wreath of laurel, & bunch of red roses was placed in his hand, and the flag of Finland was thrown around him. So adorned ho made another tour of the tract, Losstuan striding 'behind him, what time the Stadium roared un&r the cheers of many thousands. It was a great scene, and into it entered presently the third man. Vnlerio. of Italy, who was a long way hehind tVij leaders, hut finished hilariously, turning handsprings on the track by way of demonstration of his form, and after him, fourth,' came Broos, of Beligum, whose reception by the crowd was.in the nature of a national oration. Americans finished 6cvt>nth, eleventh, and twelfth; and Mills, (f Great Britain, anxiously awaited by the British spectators, got no closer than fourteenth! place. Thus the Antwerp Marathon justified itself as an event r.s great as any of its predecessor Marathons, and one which brought the running events of thfi 1020 Olympic Games to an imposing end.