TRAILPODDER Podcast 119 - Johnny Salo: TransContinental Race 1929

Guinness World Records: ”The longest race ever staged was the 1929 trans-continental race from New York City to Los Angeles, California, USA of 5,850 km (3,635 miles). The Finnish-born Johnny Salo (1893-1931) was the winner in 1929 in 79 days, from 31 March to 17 June. His elapsed time of 525 hr 57 min 20 sec (averaging 11.12 km/h (6.91mph)) left him only 2 min 47 sec ahead of Englishman Pietro 'Peter' Gavuzzi (1905-81).”

Runner’s World described the exciting last day in LA: ”It was no slow shuffle. That last day, 4 miles on the road and then an exact marathon around the track, Salo ran 7:35 per mile, Gavuzzi 7:59. That's 3:18/3:29 marathon pace, good for the top quarter of any 21st-century field.”

The episode highlights Salo’s remarkable resilience and dedication, facing various challenges like illness, weather and accidents. It explores the event’s history, the competition between Salo and his rival, Peter Gavuzzi, and the unfortunate financial problems faced by race organizer Charles Pyle, who ultimately failed to pay the runners their full winnings.

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