The 1908 Olympics

The hero of the marathon

The Queen watching the marathon
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies

The event that most caught the public imagination was the marathon, with its dramatic ending. The original distance of 25 miles had been changed to 26 miles and 385 yards, this being the exact measurement from under the windows at Windsor Castle (so that the Royal children could see the start) to a point opposite the Royal box at White City, so that the Queen had an unobstructed view of the finish. It was estimated that 250,000 people watched the race.  

The winner?

  The first man to enter the stadium after 26 miles of running in hot and humid conditions was Pietri Dorando of Italy, but it was immediately apparent that something was wrong. Dazed and confused, he headed in the wrong direction and collapsed numerous times while trying to finish the last lap of the track. Officials ran to his aid and helped him to cross the finishing line, as a result of which he was disqualified for receiving outside assistance. Although the American runner Johnny Hayes was declared the winner, it was Dorando who became the hero of the Games and an international celebrity for his valiant attempt at victory. The day after the race he was presented with a special gold cup by Queen Alexandra.

This page was added on 23/07/2009.

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