Johnny Hayes facts for kids
Johnny Hayes in 1908
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Born | April 10, 1886 New York City, United States |
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| Died | August 25, 1965 (aged 79) Englewood, New Jersey, United States |
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| Height | 1.62 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 55 kg (121 lb) | ||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||
| Event(s) | Marathon | ||||||||||
| Club | I-AAC, Queens | ||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | Marathon – 2:26:04 (1908) (at 24 mile distance) | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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John Joseph Hayes (born April 10, 1886 – died August 25, 1965) was an American runner. He was a member of the Irish American Athletic Club. Johnny Hayes won the marathon race at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London.
His Olympic win helped make long-distance running and marathons more popular in the United States. He was also the first person to win a marathon at the official distance of 26 miles 385 yards. Olympic officials made the race longer so the finish line would be in front of the Royal Box. Before this, Olympic marathons were usually shorter than 25 miles.
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Johnny Hayes's Early Life and Career
Johnny Hayes was born in New York City. His family had moved there from Nenagh in County Tipperary, Ireland. He is most famous for winning the marathon at the London Olympics, which was a very talked-about race.
Hayes is one of only three American men to win the Olympic Marathon. The others were Thomas Hicks in 1904 and Frank Shorter in 1972.
In 1905, Johnny started working at Bloomingdale Brothers. He was an assistant manager in the sports department. At night, he trained on a cinder track on the roof of the Bloomingdales building in New York. After his Olympic victory, he was promoted to manager of the department.
Running Towards the Olympics
Johnny Hayes began his running career in 1906. He finished fifth at the Boston Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 55 minutes, and 38 seconds. He ran for the St. Bartholemew Athletic Club.
The next year, he did even better. He finished third in Boston with a time of 2 hours, 30 minutes, and 38 seconds. He also won the first-ever Yonkers Marathon.
In 1908, he came in second place at the Boston Marathon. He was only 21 seconds behind Thomas Morrissey. His time was 2 hours, 26 minutes, and 4 seconds. This strong performance helped him qualify for the Olympic Games in London that same year.
The British Olympic Association wanted the marathon to start at Windsor Castle. They wanted it to finish in front of the royal viewing area at the White City Stadium. This made the race exactly 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195 kilometers) long. It took until 1921 for this distance to become the official length of a marathon. Before that, races were usually about 25 miles (40 kilometers).
The Famous 1908 Olympic Marathon Win
The 1908 Olympic marathon was very dramatic. Dorando Pietri from Italy was the first runner to enter the stadium. But Pietri had pushed himself too hard and was very tired and dehydrated.
When he entered the stadium, he took the wrong path. Officials helped him go the right way, but he fell down for the first time. He got up with their help, in front of 75,000 cheering fans.
Pietri fell four more times, and each time officials helped him up. He managed to cross the finish line first, with a time of 2 hours, 54 minutes, and 46 seconds.
While Pietri was struggling and getting help, Johnny Hayes entered the stadium. Hayes finished the race second, with a time of 2 hours, 55 minutes, and 18 seconds.
After the race, US officials protested. They argued that Pietri got too much help from the officials. Because of this, Pietri was disqualified, and Johnny Hayes was declared the winner. Even though he was disqualified, Pietri became very famous. Queen Alexandra even gave him a special silver cup.
All the Olympic officials at the time were British. The Pietri incident, along with other controversial decisions in the 1908 Olympics, led to a big change. The International Olympic Committee decided to start choosing judges from many different countries, not just the host country.
Life After the Olympics
After the exciting Olympic race between Pietri and Hayes, people were very interested in them. So, professional promoters set up a special race between them in November 1908. This race took place at Madison Square Garden. Pietri won that race by 75 yards. A second race was held on March 15, 1909, and Pietri won again. Both Pietri and Hayes became professional runners after the Olympics and gained a lot of fame.
Johnny Hayes later became a trainer for the US team at the 1912 Summer Olympics. He also taught physical education and worked as a food broker. Johnny Hayes passed away in Englewood, New Jersey.
The Shore Athletic Club of New Jersey now keeps Johnny Hayes's collection. This collection includes many trophies and his 1908 Olympic gold medal for the marathon. This medal was the first Olympic gold medal won at the modern marathon distance of 26 miles, 385 yards.
See also
- Dorando Pietri
