Read Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport

Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport

Matthew Algeo

4.9/5 (32517 ratings)

Description:Strange as it sounds, during the 1870s and 1880s, America's most popular spectator sport wasn't baseball, football, or horseracing--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--more than 500 miles. These walking matches were as talked about as the weather, the details reported in newspapers and telegraphed to fans from coast to coast. This long-forgotten sport, known as pedestrianism, spawned America's first celebrity athletes and opened doors for immigrants, African Americans, and women. But along with the excitement came the inevitable scandals, charges of doping and insider gambling, and even a riot in 1879. "Pedestrianism" chronicles competitive walking's peculiar appeal and popularity, its rapid demise, and its enduring influence.We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport. To get started finding Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
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Pages: 272

Format: PDF, EPUB & Kindle Edition

Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Release: 2014

ISBN: 161374398X

Description: Strange as it sounds, during the 1870s and 1880s, America's most popular spectator sport wasn't baseball, football, or horseracing--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--more than 500 miles. These walking matches were as talked about as the weather, the details reported in newspapers and telegraphed to fans from coast to coast. This long-forgotten sport, known as pedestrianism, spawned America's first celebrity athletes and opened doors for immigrants, African Americans, and women. But along with the excitement came the inevitable scandals, charges of doping and insider gambling, and even a riot in 1879. "Pedestrianism" chronicles competitive walking's peculiar appeal and popularity, its rapid demise, and its enduring influence.We have made it easy for you to find a PDF Ebooks without any digging. And by having access to our ebooks online or by storing it on your computer, you have convenient answers with Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport. To get started finding Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport, you are right to find our website which has a comprehensive collection of manuals listed.
Our library is the biggest of these that have literally hundreds of thousands of different products represented.

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Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport

Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk Was America's Favorite Spectator Sport

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