DANCING MARATHON

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 300, 10 March 1928, Page 10

DANCING MARATHON

FIVE-MILE FOX TROT CLOSE FINISH Humorous scens were witnessed at Altona, near Williamstown recently, when Australia’s first marathon road dance was conducted over five miles of some of Melbourne’s worst roads. The conditions were that the contestants could dance either singly or in couples, but the steps were restricted to the fox trot and the Charleston. Motor-cars, drays, jinkers, bicycles, and a crowd of 2,000 followed the 19 entrants when they set out from Altona, for the Newport Picture Theatre, five miles distant. There were seven couples and five male solo dancers. The Gates Closed H. Edwards, who Charlestoned all the way, led the field until he entered the straight, 100yds from the finish, when the railway gates closed ahead of him, allowing the field to close in. Along tlfe thronged street, the contestants fought it out neck and neck, and the result was a dead-heat between H. Edwards and O. D. Wood, both solo dancers. R. Lillie, another soloist, was third. Miss Cairncross and E. Weybury, the first couple to finish, came fourth. They fox-trotted all the way. The contest was promoted by the local pictrue theatres. There was one prize of £lO. The marathon started at 6.15, and ended at 7.35. All the contestants finished, and did not appear in any way exhausted.