Oct25

pedestrianism.

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Walking was a competitive sport in the 19th Century

On March 10, 1879, the arena at Gilmore’s Garden in New York City (later, Madison Square Garden) was absolutely packed with screaming fans of America’s latest sports craze: pedestrianism. That’s right, competitive walking. At the venue, fans outside tried to shove themselves in, breaking windows and scaling the roof. It was no less chaotic inside, where ticketholders scrambled on top of tables, chairs, and each other’s shoulders to get a better view. That day marked the start of the Astley Belt, essentially the Super Bowl of walking. Contestants had to circle the 1/8-mile track for six days straight and reach a distance of at least 450 miles, and whoever traveled farthest was declared the winner. Athletes were not permitted to leave the track, and instead had tents or cottages where they were allowed to get a little rest or medical attention.

Americans’ fascination with pedestrianism can be traced back to one man, a New York Herald employee named Edward Payson Weston who had a penchant for long-distance walking. Recognizing his gift for endurance, he made a bet with a friend on the 1860 presidential race, in which the loser had to walk all the way from Boston to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration. Because Weston bet against Abraham Lincoln, he found himself on a 10-day trek through ice and snow that made him a media darling. He started organizing endurance walks against other people, which grew into pedestrianism.

The sport reached the peak of its popularity in the 1870s and 1880s, at which time it was far more than a novelty. Pedestrianism spawned America’s first celebrity athletes, complete with trading cards and brand endorsement deals. Weston was the first; he was so famous that scientists published studies on his urine. Many later superstars were immigrants and people of color: One of the last great pedestrian celebrities was Frank Hart, a Haitian immigrant with a record-breaking career that included a 565-mile, six-day walk. Plenty of women participated in the sport, too — as the March 1879 Astley Cup marched on in midtown Manhattan, five women were competing in their own six-day walk up in Harlem.

at first

I thought I might be a contender,

as an expert level pedestrian

but then I read on

 saw how far and how fast they went

 this was not to be

I will continue on my quest

to find my sport. 

(so far I’m leaning in the direction of ‘ yard sports’

in the realm of badminton and croquet, but not jarts)

—

‘i’m in competition with myself and i’m losing.’

-Roger Waters, Pink Floyd, bassist and co-founder

 

 

—

source credit history facts.com

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63 responses »

  2. And they are still doing it. Though the way they ‘walk’ is often debabtable.
    ‘Race walking is still an Olympic sport, and it includes the 20-kilometre race walk for men and women, and a new marathon race walk mixed relay introduced at the 2024 Paris Olympics.’
    Best wishes, Pete.

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  10. A very interesting trivia, Beth! It would be nice if they brought this back as a way to also increase social connection and to combat health related issues. It could do so well!

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  16. I thought I understood speed walking as a workout activity — somehow I think it must pale in comparison to what this event was. No thanks. Walking is one thing, even power walking is doable, but basically sprinting while in walking format makes my eyeballs itch. 🤣

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  20. One of my son’s friends did long-distance competitive running for a few years. How far? 100 miles. I don’t know all the rules, but I know there was a time limit to complete the run. His mom said that by the end, some of the runners were delirious. 0% chance I would ever do something like that. I don’t even like running one mile.

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  21. I had no idea. And you don’t think you’re a contender? Well, yard sports are important. I think I’ll try book buying and reading in a three day marathon. Who knows what will happen. This is such a fun post. Just know that I will never be walking 500 miles, for any reason at all.

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  29. I recently stumbled on this history of competitive walking when I read Grandma Gatewood’s Walk and it was part of the backstory. It was fascinating to me. I love both running and walking to the point that it annoys people because I cannot sit still.

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    • I love to walk, not run, and not for any long distance, so I would definitely not be a contender. my youngest daughter told me that she now has figured out why her one grandfather frequently used to tell her to walk around the outside of the house a few times when visiting, now that she has her own child with ADD,

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  30. It’s interesting to see that a topic that’s often overlooked is finally receiving the attention it deserves. The value of walking and being present in our surroundings made me appreciate the simple act of walking a little more.

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