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Show TED JOHNSON WILL DOFF RUiliG TOGS Famous Local Distance Man Says Denver Race Will Be His Last. Ted Johnson, king of western maratrton runners and the best long-distance man ever developed in Utah, has competed in his last race on Utah soil. The veteran Intends to take up poultry farming in the near future and said yesterday that his last race would be in Denver in June. Ted has been running for the past eight j years and during that time has made j a nation-wide reputation: He has clashed j with the best runners in the country and ; has usually come out of the events with , i flying colors. , I In Mav, 19W, fie entered his first race I and was returned victorious from a field ; of fortv well-qualified runners. The dis- ! tance was ten miles and the veteran covered cov-ered it in the remarkable time of fifty-eight fifty-eight minutes, and that record has never been lowered. The event was held under the auspices of the Y. M. C. A. and created cre-ated considerable interest among the fans of the city. The same year Ted journeyed to Denver and captured several long-distance events and in each "succeeding-race showed great improvement. He won several sev-eral races at Grand Junction, Alamosa and other cities in Colorado. He has competed com-peted in the Littleton-to-Denver ten-mile grind four times and has won the event twice. He is credited with one second and in his first race finished seventeenth after running the entire distance with a cramp. In 1914 he entered the Denver race in perfect condition and established a record which no doubt will stand for some time. He covered the course in 1 hour, 4 minutes 4 and 4-5 seconds. The spring of 1913 found Johnson battling bat-tling such world stars as Sidney Hatch and William Forshaw. Both of these men were running in Denver under the colors of the Illinois Athletic club. Fans from every part of Coloralo were in Denver to witness the first real race ever staged there. The race was held at Broad wav park. The distance was 26 miles, 3S5 yards. The start found thirty-five well-qualified well-qualified runners in the frav. After the race had progressed about ten miles the ! high altitude began to tell on the east- j ern stars and Hatch was compelled to withdraw. Johnson ran about twelve miles and then withdrew. The event proved to the onlookers that the western runners were just as good as the eastern stars and the finish found Saul Haavre, an Indian of Grand Junction, leading Forshaw by a half-mile. The time for the event was 3 hours and 21 minutes. The next day Johnson and Sidney Hatch accomplished a feat that has never been equaled. Both of these veterans started from Manitou for Pike's Peak and the fans of the resort laughed at them. Thev ran the distance, both up and down, in the remarkable time of 4 hours and 55 minutes. min-utes. The entire distance was nineteen miles. The altitude at Manitou is 72S0 feet, while at the peak it is close to 15,000 feet. In Salt Lake Races. Returning to Salt Lake, Johnson entered en-tered the Commercial club run. and, although al-though defeated by Williams, he put up a hard battle and forced the San Francisco Fran-cisco star to show all he had in order to win. The Olympic club star set the record rec-ord for the course at :'9 minutes and 31 seconds and the record stood through three meets. Last October Ted entered Hiis last race in Utah and had but one thought in mind, and that was "a new-record. new-record. " After a fast start the veteran managed to step out and obtain a lead of almost a block over his closest opponent, op-ponent, and when be crossed the tape with a perfect stride he had accomplished ' his ambition and taken ten seconds from the former record. During his career he has competed against suen well-known stars as Sidnev Hatch. Oliver Mallard, Frank Hall, William Wil-liam Forshaw, Bob Finn, Viilar Kyronen, Herbert Williams and numerous others At San Francisco in 1915 he ran the hearts out of the best the country had in the twelve and three-eighths-mile run at the Panama-Pacific meet. He has competed com-peted against the best, and his showing last October in the local Deseret gym nasium cross-city run fully convinced many fans that he is as good as ever The race in Denver this year will' ee the best bets in the western country in harness and the fans of that oitv'are hopeful of witnessing a hard-fought (COntfnned on Following Page.) TED JOHNSON WILL DOFF RUNNING TOGS (Continued From Preceding Page.) struggle. Johnson and Al "Warden will i represent this city In the meet and the local fa,ns expect these two to make a sreat showing. Frank Hall, Colorado col-lge col-lge star, is again entered and the fight for first place will probably be between Johnson and the youngster from Colorado Springs. Ted retires with scores of victories and his many friends will wish him success in his new enterprise. In regaxd to his , retiring. Ted said: "I have been trotting over the long-distance course for the past : eight years and during that time I have competed against the best. I broke the record for the local cross-city run last October and hope to win the run in Denver Den-ver next May, and with these two feats accomplished it is time for me to lay off my running togs and let the younger stars of this section develop and defend the state's titles. I sincerely hope that the local youngsters will be able to show the invaders some real class in the future and am satisfied that they will be able to take care of this end of the game. Distance stars are uncovered every day, and why not here?" |