Bibliograph

Pedestrianism, when watching people walk was America's favorite spectator sport, Matthew Algeo

Type

Label

Pedestrianism, when watching people walk was America's favorite spectator sport, Matthew Algeo

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Illustrations

illustrations

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Pedestrianism

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

864709622

Responsibility statement

Matthew Algeo

Sub title

when watching people walk was America's favorite spectator sport

Summary

Strange as it sounds, during the 1870s and 1880s, America's most popular spectator sport wasn't baseball, football, or horse racing--it was competitive walking. Inside sold-out arenas, competitors walked around dirt tracks almost nonstop for six straight days (never on Sunday), risking their health and sanity to see who could walk the farthest. These walking matches were as talked about as the weather, the details reported in newspapers and telegraphed to fans from coast to coast. This book chronicles competitive walking's peculiar appeal and popularity, its rapid demise, and its enduring influence

Table Of Contents

Whiskey in his boots, or, He's the man -- Walking fever, or, Perhaps a foreigner could do it -- The Expo, or, Not an absorbingly entrancing sport -- Coca, or, Nature should not be outraged -- Rematch, or, Not silly little female cigarettes either -- The Astley Belt, or, More talked about than Constantinople -- Pedestriennes, or, Pioneers -- Terrible blows, or, A crackling was heard -- Comeback, or, A game old ped -- Black Dan, or, A dark horse -- Anti-pedestrianism, or, Bodily exercise profiteth little -- The national pastime, or, King of Harts -- Hippodroming, or, The suspicion was very general -- Bicycles and baseball, or, Too free use of stimulants -- The last pedestrians, or, Now about everybody rides

Classification