By John B. Manbeck
a Brooklyn historian
Special to The Brooklyn Eagle

While last Sunday’s New York City Marathon faced pleasant weather, the Brooklyn Marathon in 1909 — a century ago — prepared Brooklynites for any possible threatening climatic challenges.

Started the year earlier, the race tried the endurance of the 150 runners because it was run on Lincoln’s Birthday, February 12. The runners started at the 13th Armory in Crown Heights, ran along Ocean Parkway, then past Coney Island’s silent amusements to Sea Gate and back, a 26-mile run. In 1909, the temperatures dipped to the 30s, as can be attested by the 250,000 fans in the photo, all wearing overcoats.

The favorite, James Crowley, is shown after the race posing with warmly dressed supporters. Crowley, a member of the Irish American Athletic Club was known as “King of the Marathoners� because he had finished more marathons than anyone else. The year before he had won the Yonkers Marathon on Thanksgiving Day before a crowd of 20,000. Later, in December 1908, he finished second in the marathon from Rye to Columbus Circle, Manhattan. By 1910, Crowley hit his stride again by breaking all records at Celtic Park, Queens.

Unfortunately, Crowley came in second in the 1909 Brooklyn Marathon, losing to James Clarke. Crowley entered the Boston Marathon later the same year but came in fourth up in Beantown. Possibly it was because Crowley was barefoot while Clarke wore garters on his stockings. Edwin White came in fifth.

A second 26-mile Brooklyn Marathon took place the following week, February 22, on Washington’s birthday, with 100 runners starting. Using a similar route, Clarke was the favorite this time. (Crowley opted out on this one.) Clarke started ahead of the pack but began to fail at mile 22, according to The New York Times. The race finished in the armory with several turns around the inside track where Clarke hopelessly tried to catch up. He came in third with Albert Raines of the Xavier Athletic Association second; the winner: Edwin White of Holy Cross Lyceum!

The route of this Brooklyn Marathon started at the Armory to Prospect Park West to Grand Army Plaza; then from Albany Avenue to Clarkson to Flatbush to Cortelyou to Ocean Parkway; finally from Surf Avenue to West 31st Street. They returned from Surf to Ocean Parkway to Parkside, then from Ocean Avenue to Flatbush to Prospect Park West finishing at the Armory.

The Brooklyn Marathon continued until 1915. By then, February temperatures had dropped to zero, so the wiser minds cancelled it.

A modified 15-mile version of the Brooklyn race took place in Coney Island in 1922. In 1928, a marathon sponsored by Il Progresso, the Italian language newspaper, started at Elm Street, Manhattan, finishing at Luna Park amusement center in Coney Island. That race was marked by runner-automobile collisions with several major injuries. In other races, spectators often joined the competition.

But the serious runners had to wait until 1970 when the five-borough New York Marathon was founded. The Cherry Tree Marathon (on Washington’s Birthday with blizzard dangers), established in 1959, preceded today’s marathon; it ran through Bronx streets and finished near Yankee Stadium. The first New York City Marathon restricted itself to Central Park with four loops around the roadways. In 1973, the event attracted sponsors. The race was routed through all five boroughs in 1976 in honor of the country’s bicentennial. By 1981, the competition earned media status with the race being televised.

Today’s marathon races date back to the first modern one run in Athens in 1896, a 25-mile race between Athens and Marathon, Greece. Boston started their marathon race in 1897, still the oldest continuous one being run. In the New York vicinity, Yonkers began one in 1907, which raced in November. A marathon in December 1908 started in the Bronx, passed through Harlem to a finale at Columbus Circle. Another marathon in 1909 was held at the old Madison Square Garden (at Madison Square at 23rd Street) and a “marathon derby� took place at the Polo Grounds the same year.

With an American winner, Meb Keflezighi, in 2009 as well as six Americans finishing in the top 10, the marathon has again become an American sport after 27 years of natives losing out. The 40th New York City Marathon has become an event New Yorkers are proud of. It’s just too bad the winner lives in California, not Brooklyn.

Information about the history of the Marathon came from New York City Parks web site and The New York Times. Photos came from the Library of Congress.

© 2009 John B. Manbeck manbeck@brooklyneagle.net

© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2009 All materials posted on BrooklynEagle.com are protected by United States copyright law. Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net

© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2009 All materials posted on BrooklynEagle.com are protected by United States copyright law. Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net