By Davy Crockett 


For some reason, many of today’s ultrarunners think that ultrarunning was invented during their lifetime. An article appeared in April 2020 Ultrarunning Magazine that stated, “the format that most of us know as ‘ultrarunning’ today (trail and road races, typically 50k to 100 miles) is barely 50 year old.” Such statements are ignorant of the rich history of the past and the ultrarunners who paved the way, running ultradistances on dirt roads and trails.

Also in April 2020, Runners World published an article proclaiming falsely that the first 100-mile ultra was held in 1974. This is part 4 of a rich 100-miler history prior to  World War I, an era when more than 500 ultrarunners finished 100 miles in less than 24 hours in races or in solo attempts. If you missed the other parts, start with Part 1.

Ultarunning and the 100-miler face extinction

Madison Square Garden II

During the late 1800s, for only about seven years, 100-milers and Pedestrian six-day races were held indoors, when they were a unique spectator and gambling sport until about 1882. 100-mile races and even solo attempts disappeared nearly entirely for the next 15 years.  In 1889 the home of Pedestrianism, the original Hippodrome, Madison Square Garden was demolished. It had become a “patched-up, grimy, drafty, combustible old shell.” A new Madison Square Garden arena was constructed on the site and opened its doors to the golden era of multi-day bicycle races.

From 1898-1903 multi-day running races made a brief come-back, mostly in Pennsylvania, and many new ultrarunners achieved 100 miles in less than 24 hours during various fixed-time races and wagers.

1900 Bike race in Madison Square Garden

As local laws in America were more widely passed outlawing multi-day running and bike races, indoor 100-milers ceased and the 100-miler faced the threat of extinction again. In the former heart of 19th century ultrarunning, New York City, it was written, “These protracted tests of physical endurance serve no good purpose. They prove nothing beyond the fact that some men can force themselves to harmful exertion even when every fiber of their physical being is in active revolt.”

But a flicker of life still remained in America. Starting in 1905 the 100-miler reemerged into the outdoors on the dirt roads in Illinois, thanks to some legendary marathon runners from Chicago who sought to attain the 100-mile distance.

The 1906 mountain trail 100-miler

However, there was a place in the world where ultra-distance running never took a vacation. Running 100 miles or more was ingrained into the culture of the Tarahumara, a civilization of about 30,000 people who seemingly were untouched by the modern world. They lived in Mexico, in the northern portion of the Mexican Sierra Madres.

In the early 1900s, American railroad contractors, who were building a mining railroad to the Tarahumara village of Bocoyna, were spellbound with the running exploits of the people who lived in the canyons. The workers amused themselves by wagering large sums of money on long-distance running races.

William Deming Hornaday

A historic 1906 race was held from Bocoyna to Minaca and back, about 110 miles on “exceedingly rough” trails over the mountains. William Demming Hornaday (1868-1942), an American journalist, and the publicity director for the National Railways of Mexico, was there to watch this race and reported that the Americans collected a purse of $100 for the winner.

“Great interest was manifested in the race, for the sum offered was quite a fortune to the members of the tribe. A council of war was immediately held by the chiefs, and two of the fastest runners were selected to do battle for the prize. The pair were also subjected to a close inspection by the Americans, who wagered large sums on the result.”

On the day of this historic mountain trail ultramarathon, the two Tarahumara set off running through the rugged mountains.