The Six-Day Race: Part One: When Ultrarunners Were Called Pedestrians (1875-1879) (Ultrarunning History)

By Davy Crockett

The six-day race is an endurance event to see how far you can run or walk in 144 hours, or six days, on roads, tracks, or trails. Most people are surprised to learn that ultra-distance races have been held for more than 150 years. The six-day race was the most popular ultra-distance race during the late 1800s. The golden age for six-day races began in 1875, thanks to the great American showman, P. T. Barnum, who put on the first race in his Hippodrome, in New York City. From 1875 to 1879, at least 137 six-day races were held, mostly in America and Great Britain, and became the #1 spectator sport in America. Crockett has conducted deep research into the six-day race, uncovering long-forgotten tales of inspiring endurance. Previous books on pedestrianism have missed important aspects and events of the sport. The races were more widespread and lasted for more years than historians thought, with at least 460 such races in 30 years. This book is part one of the six-day race history that covers the birth of the sport to the golden year of 1879. Part two is now available, The Six-Day Race: Part Two - The Pedestrian Mania (1879-1880) which covers the peak era of the six-day races.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CW6B53QD
• ISBN13: 9798880316823
• Release Date: February 2024
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.7" x 6.0"