Today in Running History

Today is Saturday, July 19, 2025 and on this day in 1900, 14 men started the second ever Olympic marathon, and only half of them finished.In this episode, we'll learn about the 1900 Paris Olympics - which were held as a component of that year's World Fair - and the inhospitable conditions that made a full half of the athletes who began the marathon able to complete it. Plus, the secret that the champion was keeping from Olympic officials... It's #SaltySaturday, which means that today's episode is sponsored by SaltStick. This is, hands down, my favorite way to consume electrolytes mid-run.  Right now until THE END OF TOMORROW, July 20th, SaltStick has a Strava challenge going on in conjunction with Fleet Feet. All you have to do is ⁠sign up here⁠, run 5K between now and next Sunday, and you will automatically receive a sample pack of SaltStick! Even cooler, one entrant will receive a $5,000 shopping spree to their local Fleet Feet! Listeners of the pod can also save 20% off of your SaltStick purchase by using ⁠this link⁠. This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confidant, Rob Garcia. Check out his podcast, ⁠⁠Rob on the Run on Youtube⁠⁠, or on Instagram as @robontherunpod. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share, then connect with me on ⁠⁠Instagram as well at @running_up_that_hillary⁠⁠, or check out my website at runningupthathillary.com. Bibliography:https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/68519https://www.olympedia.org/results/56066https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/paris-1900https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/paris-1900/results/athletics/marathon-menhttps://www.paris.fr/en/pages/the-incredible-story-of-michel-theato-1900-games-marathon-winner-27633https://www.runblogrun.com/2024/07/this-day-in-track-field-july-19-michel-theato-wins-paris-olympic-marathon-1900-by-walt-murphy-news-and-results-service.html

Today is Friday, July 18, 2025, and on this day in 2004, middle distance phenom Carrie Tollefson won the 1,500 meter final at the US Olympic track and field trials in Sacramento, CA. In this episode we will hear about Tollefson's devastating loss in the 5,000 meters earlier in the trials, learn how she pivoted her focus toward the 1,500 to win and make the Olympic team, and then we'll sit down with Carrie Tollefson herself to hear what that day was really like. This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confidant, Rob Garcia. Check out his podcast, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rob on the Run on Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or on Instagram as @robontherunpod. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share, then connect with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram as well at @running_up_that_hillary⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or check out my website at runningupthathillary.com.  Bibliography:https://mn.milesplit.com/articles/280307/olympic-legends-of-minnesota-carrie-tollefsonhttps://www.letsrun.com/2004/w1500mfinal.phphttps://ucan.co/blogs/energy-lab/olympian-carrie-tollefson-on-digging-deep-and-not-holding-backhttps://villanovarunning.blogspot.com/2012/05/carrie-tollefson-one-last-shot-to.htmlhttps://worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/carrie-tollefson-14322879https://2026specialolympicsusagames.org/get-involved/game-changers/carrie-tollefsonhttps://villanova.com/news/1999/6/21/tollefson_wins_fourth_career_national_championship.aspxhttps://www.alltime-athletics.com/w_5000ok.htmhttps://mn.milesplit.com/articles/325950/all-time-minnesota-class-a-state-champions-1975-presenthttps://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2004.pdf

Today is Thursday, July 17, 2025 and on this day in 1988, Florence Griffith-Joyner, better known as FloJo, celebrated breaking the women's 100m world record in an incredible time of 10.49 seconds. To this day, her record still stands.This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confidant, Rob Garcia. Check out his podcast, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Rob on the Run on Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠, or on Instagram as @robontherunpod. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share, then connect with me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram as well at @running_up_that_hillary⁠⁠⁠⁠, or check out my website at runningupthathillary.com.  Bibliography:https://apnews.com/article/olympics-2024-flojo-records-8b1b7f8cf40dbe90a80bd40e308ab590https://www.npr.org/2023/09/21/1200371618/remembering-olympic-gold-medalist-florence-flo-jo-griffith-joynerhttps://www.recognizepod.com/135-challenge/florence-griffith-joyner-the-rulerhttps://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/florence-griffith-joynerhttps://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1988.pdfhttps://lawattstimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=342:the-mother-behind-the-olympian-reveals-the-spirit-that-was-flo-jo&catid=12&Itemid=110Aaseng, N. “A to Z of African American Athletes”. (2011). Facts on File.https://books.google.com/books?id=iSxylfm58foC&q=florence+delorez+griffith&pg=PA91#v=snippet&q=florence%20delorez%20griffith&f=falsehttps://www.espn.com/classic/s/add_griffith_joyner_florence.htmlhttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-26-sp-8397-story.htmlhttps://sports.yahoo.com/elaine-thompson-herah-narrowly-misses-212228141.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Today is Wednesday, July 16, 2025, and on this day in 1978, the first annual Boilermaker race was held in Utica, New York - a race that would grow to one of the biggest and most iconic 15Ks in the country.In this episode we will learn about the radiator company that started it all, what that first race looked like back in '78, and then meet Joe Wilczynski, one of 7 athletes who has completed all 48 editions of the Boilermaker.This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confidant, Rob Garcia. Check out his podcast, ⁠⁠⁠Rob on the Run on Youtube⁠⁠⁠, or on Instagram as @robontherunpod. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share, then connect with me on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram as well at @running_up_that_hillary⁠⁠⁠, or check out my website at runningupthathillary.com.  Bibliography:Pitarresi, J. (2002), “Utica Boilermaker: America’s premier 15K road race”. North Country Books. Utica, Ny. https://uticaboilers.com/why-choose-us/company-history/https://www.wktv.com/news/boilermaker-founder-looks-back-on-46-years-of-race-history/article_9e98a256-1467-11ee-a772-67bdda303cbe.htmlhttps://www.romesentinel.com/boilermaker-2025-womens-15k-winner-veronica-loleo/article_eaa0ad7c-13d6-49e2-94fe-ee2277adba3a.htmlhttp://www.polymorphs.net/results/boilermaker/1978_boilermaker_res.htmlhttps://www.greatersyracusesportshalloffame.com/kathy-mills-parkerhttps://runsignup.com/Race/Results/13089/IndividualResult/BHYq?resultSetId=566284#U107227411https://www.uticaod.com/story/news/local/2025/07/13/boilermaker-utica-2025-live-updates-race-winners/84510160007/https://foundationhoc.org/community-impact/community-impactinitiatives/donor-profile-earle-c-reedhttps://www.cityofutica.com/community/events/Boilermakerhttps://www.boilermaker.com//15k/#1666200824667-5ba3b48c-a350

Today is Tuesday, July 15, 2025, and on this day in 1912, 68 men set out to run the Olympic Marathon in Stockholm, Sweden. In this episode we will hear about the 35 who finished, the one who collapsed and died, and the one who went missing, only to be found 54 years later. This episode is sponsored by MyRaceTatts, the awesome temporary tattoos with motivational phrases that I love to wear during races. Listeners of Today in Running History can get 15% of your purchase with this link, or by using my code "HILLARY" at checkout. This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confidant, Rob Garcia. Check out his podcast, ⁠⁠⁠Rob on the Run on Youtube⁠⁠⁠, or on Instagram as @robontherunpod. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share, then connect with me on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram as well at @running_up_that_hillary⁠⁠⁠, or check out my website at runningupthathillary.com.  

Today is Monday, July 14, 2025, and on this day in 2022, Jim Thorpe was finally re-instated as the sole winner of the 2 Olympic gold medals he won at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm.  First we'll learn about the logistics of Thorpe's events - the decathlon and the pentathlon - and then we will mee Dr. Matt Andrews, an American sports historian and professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Dr. Andrews will tell us how Thorpe's story played out, and why it took over a century to make things right.  This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confidant, Rob Garcia. Check out his podcast, ⁠⁠⁠Rob on the Run on Youtube⁠⁠⁠, or on Instagram as @robontherunpod. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share, then connect with me on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram as well at @running_up_that_hillary⁠⁠⁠, or check out my website at runningupthathillary.com.  Bibliography:https://www.unc.edu/discover/jim-thorpes-olympic-wins-restored-110-years-later/https://mylesapparel.com/blogs/journal/the-greatest-athlete-of-all-time?srsltid=AfmBOorPgbADvMckmBNQdxV-1HDpS_Gd--s8VjFF1_pVsIr9An50kBywhttps://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/jim-thorpe-backlash-olympic-medals-debacle-and-demise-carlislehttps://history.unc.edu/faculty-members/matthew-andrews/

Today is Sunday, July 12, 2025, and on this day in 1924, 58 men began the Olympic marathon in Paris - and only 30 were able to finish.In this episode we will learn about the conditions that made race day so brutal, hear about the men who dropped out and those who prevailed, and then discuss the lasting impact that the 1924 Olympic Marathon had on safety conditions and accommodations within the world of road running. This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confidant, Rob Garcia. Check out his podcast, ⁠⁠Rob on the Run on Youtube⁠⁠, or on Instagram as @robontherunpod. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share, then connect with me on ⁠⁠Instagram as well at @running_up_that_hillary⁠⁠, or check out my website at runningupthathillary.com.  Bibliography:https://www.runnerspace.com/gprofile.php?mgroup_id=44531&do=news&news_id=669366https://www.mediastorehouse.com/mary-evans-prints-online/olympic-marathon-runners-1924-paris-olympics-14126408.htmlhttps://www.thetimes.com/article/how-red-wine-fuelled-1924-olympic-marathon-runners-jzk6ngrxchttps://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/paris-1924/results/athletics/marathon-menhttps://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240725-how-climate-change-has-altered-paris-olympics-between-1924-and-2024https://www.olympics.com/en/news/stenroos-marks-marathon-comeback-in-stylehttps://www.paris.fr/en/pages/an-alternative-history-of-the-marathon-in-7-tales-27497https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173628/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1924/ATH/mens-marathon.html

Today is Saturday, July 12, 2025, and on this day in 1809, Captain Robert Barclay finished his final of 1,000 miles, walked in 1,000 consecutive days, a feat that took an astonishing 42 days in all.First we'll discuss the background of this so-called "father of pedestrianism", then we'll hear how the monumental walk played out over the course of 6 weeks, and finally we'll learn if anyone has been crazy enough to attempt the "Barclay Match" in the two centuries since. It's #SaltySaturday, which means that today's episode is sponsored by SaltStick. This is, hands down, my favorite way to consume electrolytes mid-run. Right now until July 20th, SaltStick has a Strava challenge going on in conjunction with Fleet Feet. All you have to do is sign up here, run 5K between now and next Sunday, and you will automatically receive a sample pack of SaltStick!Even cooler, one entrant will receive a $5,000 shopping spree to their local Fleet Feet!Listeners of the pod can also save 20% off of your SaltStick purchase by using this link. This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confidant, Rob Garcia. Check out his podcast, ⁠Rob on the Run on Youtube⁠, or on Instagram as @robontherunpod.If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share, then connect with me on ⁠Instagram as well at @running_up_that_hillary⁠, or check out my website at runningupthathillary.com. Bibliography:https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/9270https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/01/11/robert-barclay-allardice-is-the-father-of-pedestrianism-he-walked-1000-miles-in-1000-hours/https://sshf.sportscotland.org.uk/inductees/captain-robert-barclay-allardice/index.htmlhttps://ultrarunninghistory.com/1000-milers-part-2/https://ultrarunninghistory.com/1000-milers-1/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/london_marathon_2003/2945711.stm

Today is Friday, July 11, 2025, and on this day in 1912, not 3, not 4, not 5, but SIX men shared the podium for the Pole Vault at the Olympics in Stockholm. In this episode we will learn a brief history of the unique sport of pole vaulting, hear about how the competition at the 1912 Olympics occurred, and discuss whether a similar situation could play out today.This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confidant, Rob Garcia. Check out his podcast, Rob on the Run ⁠⁠here⁠⁠, or on Instagram as @robontherunpod. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share, then connect with me on Instagram as well at @running_up_that_hillary, or check out my website ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Bibliography:https://worldathletics.org/disciplines/jumps/pole-vaulthttps://www.gillporter.com/gill_store/blog/post/what-goes-uphttps://vaultermagazine.com/evolution-of-the-pole-vault/https://illumin.usc.edu/2702-2/https://sports.stackexchange.com/questions/27723/at-the-1912-olympics-pole-vault-why-were-bronze-medals-awarded-when-a-gold-andhttps://www.olympiandatabase.com/index.php?id=11269&L=1https://olympic.ca/team-canada/william-happeny/https://www.olympedia.org/editions/6/sports/ATHhttps://web.archive.org/web/20200417173914/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1912/ATH/mens-pole-vault.htmlhttps://www.olympedia.org/athletes/66080

Today is Thursday, July 10, 2025, and on this day in 1922, Jamaican sprinter Herb McKenley was born.In this episode we'll learn about his early years, discuss his versatile and record-shattering career as a professional runner, and hear how his contributions led to Jamaica becoming the track and field powerhouse that it is today. This episode was edited and produced by my good friend and confidant, Rob Garcia. Check out his podcast, Rob on the Run ⁠here⁠, or on Instagram as @robontherunpod. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like, subscribe, and share, then connect with me on Instagram as well at @running_up_that_hillary, or check out my website ⁠here⁠.  Bibliography:https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:7167b969-e183-4608-b3ab-a5e77b4038ef?viewer%21megaVerb=group-discoverhttps://www.trackandfieldjamaica.com/team/herb-mckenleyhttps://worldathletics.org/news/news/world-record-breaker-herb-mckenley-passes-awa-1https://jis.gov.jm/information/famous-jamaicans/herbert-henry-mckenley/https://joa.org.jm/olympic_athlete/herb-mckenley/https://www.jamaicaexperiences.com/blogs/details/article/top-10-jamaican-track-and-field-athletic-starshttps://nlj.gov.jm/Herb_Mckenley.pdfhttps://pennrelays.com/sports/2023/2/8/records-results.aspx