User:Moloned/sandbox

Matt Maloney was born in Coolameen, Co. Clare on the 26th October, 1882 and baptised in his local Catholic church the same day. He took part in local Gaelic football matches but never took part in athletics. At the age of 20 he left for the US and did not take part in his first race till 1907 at the age of 25. Maloney never mentions anything about prior preparation but on the Celtic 6 Miles Cross Country course he finished 3rd in the National Junior Championships of New York and his club Trinity captured the team prize. This was his first ever race.

With a few more races under his belt he took to marathon running and here is how he describes the Yonkers Marathon race from Rye to New York City, 1908. “ When I arrived at Rye, the starting point, I was accompanied by my attendant, Harry McGrath. Among my friends in the automobile were J. J. Lynch, J. J Corkery, and D. C. Nolan. I made up my mind that I just had to beat Mike Crowley, the star of the Irish American club in New York. ‘“ Matt” said McGrath to me, "I want you to win to day, you can do it”, "I am sure. . .”, I answered, "I will try by best. Harry, and if I don’t land the prize it won’t be my fault”.

Just then a big brown dog trotted along and I said “ Harry, keep him with you until the start, and if he follows me I will win". Naturally it was my desire to win the Evening Journal’s big event and when I started off with the bunch my heart went pit-a-pat . . . “that will never do” . I said to myself, “ I must not get nervous" and 1 threw off that feeling at once. 1 set out on my usual pace, six minutes to the mile. After going a mile I looked around and sure enough, I was being followed by the dog, w ho. by the way, quit at the seventh mile. Shortly after this stage of the race I took over the lead from Crowley, who had been leading the field till then. I was going fine, not a bit worried and my stride was easy. My attendant in the autocar was right alongside me. There were many good runners behind me, such as Fred Lorz, James Clarke, and John Ressince, but I said to myself forget about everyone else in the race, but remember, you have to beat Crowley! At about 20 miles, reached in 2 hours 13 minutes, it seemed to me that Crowley who was still on my heels, was not going quite as well as I was. This seemed strange for Crowley had the best of the road. However, it was fair going where I was and I held my own. (this referred to the large crowds packing the road in autocars and impeding some of the runers). . . I knew in my heart that I had Crowley beaten and so I took my time about things. Gradually I forged ahead and inch by inch I opened up a gap between myself and my most dangerous opponent. We soon struck the City limits, I could hear the people shouting “who is that in the lead”? ... I could see the thousands of men, women and children and hear them cheering me on. It then came to me to try for the record. I let out a few links (an old country expression), increased my pace a little, but not too much, for I wanted to have a little left for a sprint. The time for the sprint finally came and I turned on full power. When I came to the finishing point, I had to ask people in an automobile where the actual finishing line was." Mike Crowley was some hundred yards behind in second place. My time ws 2 hours 58 mins. (In Matt Maloney’s letter he does not mention whether he beat the record, which I presume, meant the course record).