1901 Boston Marathon

1901 Boston Marathon
Drawing of the top two finishers in the Hamilton Spectator
Venue	Ashland to Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Date	April 19, 1901 (Patriots' Day)
Competitors	36
Champions
Men	Jack Caffery (2:29:23)

The 1901 Boston Marathon was the fifth edition of the marathon race in Boston, Massachusetts. It took place on April 19, 1901, from Ashland to Boston. Rather than the modern marathon distance of 26.2 miles (42.2 km), the distance was officially 25 miles (40 km), though it was since retroactively measured to be about 23.1–23.9 miles (37.2–38.5 km). About 25,000 spectators lined the course, many of them following and cheering on their preferred runners for significant stretches as they passed.

John P. Caffrey of Canada repeated as champion, improving his course record from last year by a further 10 minutes and becoming the first person to win the Boston Marathon two years in a row. His accompaniment William Davis, a Mohawk Canadian, finished runner-up as Sammy Mellor finished third.

The race

The starting line of the race, as captured by The Boston Globe

The race started at 12 pm local time, with conditions described as favorable with no wind. Fred Hughson of the Hamilton Y.M.C.A. and John J. Caffrey (also of Hamilton, Ontario) took the early lead. The first mile was reportedly covered in 4 minutes and 40 seconds, a pace that only five runners in history have averaged across a full marathon as of 2024. By the railroad tracks in Ashland center, Hughson led with Caffrey close behind and both leading C. Crimmins from Cambridgeport Gym by 50 yards (46 m).

Mounted police clearing the way through the crowds during the race

This pace proved to be too fast for some of the anticipated favorites, including John Vrazanas of Greece who was not seen again after the first few miles. C. Crimmins tailed in third place, as William Davis led T. J. Hicks in fourth and fifth. There was little course control, as according to the Globe "hundreds" of bicyclists tailed the leading runners encumbered by automobiles, motor carriages, equipages, equestrians and children.

As the race advanced through Framingham and Natick, Hughson had built up a lead but was still closely tailed by Caffrey. 45 minutes in, Hughson passed the Natick town hall about 100 yards (91 m) ahead of Caffrey. McDonald at this point was 75 yards (69 m) behind Caffrey, and Sammy Mellor and Davis were running in fourth and fifth 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) behind McDonald.

The race dynamic began to shift as the runners approached Wellesley. Caffrey made his move and overtook Hughson on the Wellsley Hills steep incline. At this point a horse became frightened and ran into the street ahead of the runners, but a bicyclist grabbed the bridles and was able to stop the horse before any runners were injured.

With Caffrey now in the lead, the race progressed to Newton Lower Falls as Caffrey extended his lead over Hughson to about 150 yards (140 m). By this point, Ronald McDonald had passed C. Crimmins and was in 3rd place, leading Crimmins (who was described as an "unknown proposition") by about 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km).

Caffrey passed 15 miles (24 km) in 1 hour and 21 minutes – 9 minutes faster than last year's split – with a significant lead. Hughson was still in runner-up position, but at this point he was visibly struggling and onlookers predicted he would not finish the race. McDonald was 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) behind, and Crimmins was 220 yards (200 m) behind McDonald in fourth position.

At Waban, McDonald passed an ailing Hughson and was gaining ground on the leader Caffrey. With nine miles to the finish, McDonald had advanced to just 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) behind Caffrey. Meanwhile eventual runner-up William Davis was still only in fifth place, behind Caffrey, McDonald, Hughson, and Crimmins. Davis began to speed up, taking advantage of an incline on Cedar Street in West Newton to pass Crimmins and eventually Hughson.

A view of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in 1923, where a large crowd of spectators watched the runners

Davis, now in third, caught up to McDonald over the next mile, and McDonald was alerted to his presence by the "Indian warhoops and catcalls" being made by the crowd of cyclist fans following Davis. McDonald's followers tried to encourage him to maintain position, but nonetheless Davis passed McDonald on a downhill en route to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. Behind them, Hughson struggled significantly, falling on the road several times, and he was eventually brought off in a carriage and did not finish the race.

When the reservoir was reached, a "vast crowd" of spectators cheered on Caffrey and Davis, then about a mile back. There were so many onlookers on the reservoir that they blocked the runners, with some having to make a detour to pass by the pedestrians lined 20 or 30 deep. Confusion was heightened after a "young man clad in running togs" slid in from one of the side streets and joined the race behind Caffrey. The young man, noted for his "bad odor", fooled many of the spectators before he dropped out.

Illustration of the scene when Caffrey won the race, showing spectators storming the course

Despite Davis' efforts, the gap was unsurmountable as Caffrey finished first, breaking his own course record by about ten minutes in 2:29:23. Spectators stormed the course to embrace Caffrey. Davis and Mellor followed, with Crimmins and Hicks taking the fourth and fifth positions. The race continued for about an hour after Davis finished, after which the final competitor completed the distance.

Ronald McDonald poisoning allegations

Ronald McDonald in 1898

With about five miles remaining, 1899 Boston Marathon champion Ronald McDonald was about 90 seconds behind leader John P. Caffrey, a distance which McDonald thought he could easily make up. However, McDonald began to tire after dabbing himself with what he thought was a water sponge, which he received from his brother via a mobile canteen driven by a bicycle rider.

Showing visible signs of fatigue, McDonald was approached by Dr. J. S. Thompson of East Cambridge, who offered him 1⁄30th of a grain of strychnine in pill form, intended to "strengthen his heart" (anti-doping rules did not yet exist). The pills had the opposite effect, and McDonald soon collapsed and did not finish the race.

McDonald was carried home, where he was bedridden for several days. At 10 p.m. the night of the race Dr. Thompson visited and said, "on examining the sponge used in wiping the face of the runner I found a very strong odor of chloroform. That was seven hours after he had used the sponge, showing that the dose must have been a powerful one". Dr. Thompson further stated, "The only reason I can see was that he was a dangerous man, and some one wanted to get him out of the race. I think the canteen of the soldier bicycle rider must have been tampered with at Ashland, and the drug inserted there."

The Canadian delegation was not receptive to the poisoning idea, believing it to have cheapened Caffrey's win. They complained that "little, if any, attention was shown to" the Canadians and of the Boston Athletic Association's perceived exclusivity. They also noted that although McDonald was widely celebrated in Boston, the actual bettors did not place much money on him. The Hamilton Spectator stated, "A better excuse than this will have to be found for McDonald's defeat."

Legacy

Photograph of Caffrey, the repeat winner

Being a member of the Mohawk people, William Davis was the first indigenous American to medal at a Boston Marathon, finishing second behind his countryman Caffrey. He went on to coach Tom Longboat, winner of the 1908 Boston Marathon. John Vrazanis of Greece was the first Boston Marathon runner from outside North America, although he did not finish the race.

Caffrey's win and course record was a significant highlight in his athletic career. He was aided by Tom Kanaly, then a runner himself, who followed Caffrey on a tandem bike. Walter C. Kelly wrote in the Buffalo Courier, "The Marathon race of 1901 is a thing of the past. Like many other athletic events, it will now take its place in the annals of the athletic almanac. It will be forgotten, as athletic events are, but the performance of J. J. Caffery will long be remembered by the racing enthusiasts who long to see the runners reel off mile after mile until they have covered the quarter of a century".

Results

There were 36 reported participants, but not all names and times were recorded.

Pos.	Athlete	Residence	Time
	John P. Caffrey	Canada	2:29:23 3⁄5
	William Davis	Canada (Mohawk people)	2:34:45 2⁄5
	Samuel A. Mellor Jr.	New York	2:44:34 2⁄5
4	C. Crimmins	Massachusetts	2:47:15 3⁄5
5	Thomas J. Hicks	Massachusetts	2:52:32 3⁄5
6	John C. Lorden	Massachusetts	2:55:49 3⁄5
7	James McAuliffe	Massachusetts	2:56:44 3⁄5
8	E. Grusell Jr.	Massachusetts	3:02:02 4⁄5
AC	J. J. Kennedy	Massachusetts	Unknown
AC	Patrick Lorden	Massachusetts	Unknown
	John Vrazanis	Greece	DNF
	Ronald McDonald	Massachusetts	DNF
	Fred W. Hughson	Canada	DNF