A World History of Long Distance Running (1880-2002)

Download or read book A World History of Long Distance Running (1880-2002) written by Roberto L. Quercetani and published by Sep Editrice Srl. This book was released on 2002 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Track and Field Athletics is the most universally known and practised of all sports. Its modern forms first emerged for the most part around 1860 in Great Britain and USA. Its coming of age was accelerated with the revival of the Olympic Games (Athens 1896) and the foundation of the IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation) in Berlin, 1913. The latter is the governing body of the sport with over 200 affiliated countries, still with the same letterhead which now stands for International Association of Athletics Federations. Long distance running has always been a very important section of the sport. This book recounts the history of the two longest distances on the track programme - 5000 and 10000 metres. Each chapter covers a given period and brings back to life the outstanding figures in their multiform human, competitive and technical aspects. Women's long distance running has a relatively short history which is also related in detail. As in most of RLQ's works, throughout the book one finds interesting asides devoted to sundry episodes emanating from the myriad of aspects of this most varied of sports.