C.c. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-coast Run Across America

"The world had never seen anyone quite like him, at least not since the days when circus entertainer P. T. Barnum drew crowds. C. C. Pyle was a sports agent by trade and a bit of a con artist. But he was a likable rogue, and his idea for an endurance contest to trump all endurance contests was no trick. He decided to stage a foot race - from Los Angeles to New York City." "On March 4, 1928, a total of 199 men from around the world embarked on an odyssey unlike anything that had ever been attempted before in this nation's history. In pursuit of a $25,000 grand prize, they ran 3,422 miles - on a new highway that needed some publicity: Route 66. The men ran 7 days a week, usually logging daily distances the equivalent of two or three marathons. Some participants were world-class athletes, but most were not. Still, they all had something in common: Each craved a better life. Not everyone would get a happy ending, however. During the 84 days it took to reach New York, dozens endured harsh weather, crippling ailments, death threats, and startled automobile drivers, who often didn't expect to round a bend and see a runner in their path." "C. C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race is the riveting narrative of an incredible foot race across America, the men brave or foolish enough to attempt it, and C. C. Pyle, the legendary sports promoter who masterminded the event."--BOOK JACKET.Williams, Geoff is the author of 'C.c. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-coast Run Across America', published 2007 under ISBN 9781594863196 and ISBN 1594863199.