The Great American Foot Race

March 1, 2017

Gr 6 Up-The story of the first footrace across the continental United States, from Los Angeles to New York City. Sponsored in 1928 by boosters of the newly created Route 66 as a way to publicize the road, the footrace stands as a symbol of the Roaring Twenties, in all its excess and aspiration. One hundred ninety-nine racers, or "bunioneers," stood at the starting line in Los Angeles, and 55 crossed the finish line in New York. Debut author Speno follows their journey through the small towns of America, recounting events of the race and regaling readers with interesting cultural and historical asides. Much of the book's attention is devoted to C.C. Pyle, the race's lively promoter, and his travails as he attempted to turn a profit on what turned out to be a fairly expensive endeavor. If Speno's highly readable account has a flaw, it is that the focus is too wide; episodes involving the runners are frequently told in summary. Students looking for an individual runner to root for will be hard-pressed. But the true star of the narrative is the landscape of the United States. Readers learn about the so-called Age of Ballyhoo, when pastimes such as flagpole sitting were all the rage; witness the racism encountered by African American runners as the competition moved through Texas; and hear of the disappointment of the citizens of Oklahoma when their hometown runner didn't stop to give a longer speech as he passed through. VERDICT A solid addition to narrative nonfiction collections where niche history topics are popular.-Bobbi Parry, East Baton Rouge Parish School System, LA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2017
Marathons are commonplace now, but one of the earliest 20th-century long-distance races was the multiday, coast-to-coast Transcontinental Foot Race, little known now but an event that captured the world's imagination in 1928. The race began in Los Angeles and finished in New York City, covering 3,423.5 miles. Out of the 199 runners who began on March 4, 1928, only 55 finished 84 days later. Newspapers called it the Bunion Derby. The race was conceived by Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery at the height of the Roaring '20s, a time of optimism and excess. Charles Lindbergh had recently made the first solo trans-Atlantic flight. People tried to outdo each other with outrageous stunts. Dance marathoners danced for days, and pole-sitters sat atop flagpoles for weeks to set and break records. Avery teamed up with C.C. Pyle, the "P.T. Barnum of Professional Sports," to organize the race. The nearly 200 men of all races and nationalities who started the race faced a variety of obstacles--extreme weather, poor food and living conditions, prejudice, and injury. Speno's detailed, engaging narrative brings the times and the race vividly to today's readers. Chapters are broken up into topical subsections (on the "Good Roads Movement" and international participation, for instance), and plentiful archival material complements the lively narrative. An absorbing story of colorful times. (photos, maps, statistics, bibliography, source notes) (Nonfiction. 10-16)

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February 1, 2017
Grades 6-8 In 1928, amidst dance marathons and crazy stunts, C. C. Pyle, the P. T. Barnum of professional sports, hatched the idea to have a transcontinental foot race. Nicknamed the Bunion Derby, the race would be run from Los Angeles to New York, with $25,000 awarded to the first-place winner. Pyle, along with state highway official Cy Avery, planned to promote newly built Route 66. This inspiring book recounts the story of some of the 199 men (no women allowed) from all over the world who entered this grueling race. It recalls their struggles against difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions, injuries, and the prejudice some of the black racers encountered. Pyle failed to get sponsorship funds, and the runners feared there would be no money to win. The strength of this debut lies in the racers' compelling reasons for running. Included are archival photos, a route map, facts about race-related topics, source notes, a bibliography, and an index. This overview of a little-known race will appeal to fans of extreme sports, history, and survival stories.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)