This Day in Track & Field HIstory, April 10, Frank Hart wins O’Leary Belt (1890) at Madison Square Gardens, curated and written by Walt Murphy

Walt Murphy’s News and Results Service  ([email protected])

(c)Copyright 2026-all rights reserved. May not be reprinted or retransmitted without permission.

This Day in Track & Field–April  10

1880—Frank “Black Dan”  Hart won the  O’Leary Belt walking competition before a full house at Madison Square Garden, covering a record 565 miles in 142 hours. Hart was considered the premier “pedestrian” at a time when six-day walking races were all the craze.

http://www.blackpast.org/aah/hart-frank-black-dan-1859

http://www.runningpast.com/frank_hart.htm

NPR Story: http://www.npr.org/2014/04/03/297327865/in-the-1870s-and-80s-being-a-pedestrian-was-anything-but

(Scroll Down) https://onceuponatimeinthevest.blogspot.com/2018/07/v-8-n-48-all-kinds-of-stuff.html

1896–Greek Spiridon “Spyros” Louis, wearing shoes that had been donated by his fellow villagers, gave his country a thrill by winning the inaugural Olympic Marathon in Athens. According to the British paper The Guardian, Louis “…passed the leader, Edwin Flack, a London-based Australian accountant who had earlier won the 800 and 1500 metres.”

“Flack entered the marathon despite never having run further than 10 miles before. He eventually became delirious with dehydration and his companion asked a Greek spectator to help keep him on his feet.”

“But Flack was so confused he attacked the spectator and pushed him to the ground before being bundled into a carriage and taken away for treatment by Prince Nicholas of Greece.”  http://sport.guardian.co.uk/olympics2004/athletics/story/0,14782,1293622,00.html

http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/NewSport/SpiridonLouis.html

American Ellery Clark, a future Hall-of-Famer, won the High Jump (5-11 ½ [1.81]) and Long Jump (20-10 [6.35]) in Athens and M.I.T. grad Thomas Curtis won the 110-meter hurdles.

Another American, Tom Burke, who had earlier won the 400, won a 2^nd gold medal in the 100-Meters. As you can see in the photo below, Burke (2^nd from the left), was the only man in the final using the now-common crouch start. And the runners were separated by ropes!  (photo in the attached file if it doesn’t appear in this email)

Marathon Report: https://www.olympedia.org/results/56017

History of the Marathon: http://www.marathonguide.com/history/olympicmarathons/prologue.cfm

http://www.amazon.com/Olympic-Marathon-Centennial-History-Storied/dp/0275957713

Clark-HOF Bio: https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/ellery-clark

1963—John Pennel jumped 16-4 (4.98) in Natchitoches, Louisiana, to break his own American Record in the Pole Vault  (16-3/4.955). For unknown reasons, neither mark was ratified by the IAAF as a World Record.

1976–In his 2nd final in the event, Edwin Moses won a 400-meter hurdles race for the first time, running 50.6 at the Dogwood Relays in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee grad Doug Brown, the American Record holder in the Steeplechase, won his specialty (8:30.8) a day after winning the 10,000 (28:24.8).

A Tennessee foursome of Lamar Preyor (20.1), Ronnie Harris (20.3), Jerome Morgan (20.8), and Reggie Jones (20.5) won the 880y-Relay in 1:21.7 to equal Texas A&M’s 6-year old World Record.

I was at this meet and remember asking Moses’ coach, “Who is this guy?”. It wouldn’t be long before the whole world knew who Edwin Moses was. He would win the gold medal at the Montreal Olympics later in the year and went on to have a remarkable career that would see him win a 2^nd Olympic gold medal in 1984 and set 4 World Records (best of 47.02).

Related links: http://www.laureus.com/academy/members/edwin-moses

http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Moses_Edwin.html

Hall of Fame Bio(1994): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/edwin-moses

1982–Eager to put on a good show for the loyal Eugene fans, race director Alberto Salazar assembled a field for a special 10,000-meters in Eugene that included himself, World Record holder Henry Rono (27:22.4), 3-time NCAA 10k Champion Suleiman Nyambui (he would win his 4th in June), and Great Britain’s Adrian Royle, who had beaten Salazar to win the U.S.  X-Country title the previous fall. The Oregon alum told the Eugene Register Guard, “I haven’t run well here in three years…I’ve been injured and things just haven’t worked out. I owe people here a good performance”.

Well, the fans that stayed to watch the race after the Oregon-LSU dual meet was over, despite having to endure a heavy rain the whole time, were rewarded with one of the great distance races in history.

After Rono led through the first mile in 4:27, Salazar took over and went through a steady stream of laps in the 66-67 seconds range. Only Rono and Royle were able to stay with him, and by 4 miles it was just Salazar and Rono at the front. With just over a lap to go, Rono jumped into the lead, but Salazar stayed right with him. Coming off the final turn, Salazar sent the crowd of more than 5,000 fans into a frenzy as he drew even with Rono and the two greats went stride-for-stride down the final straight before Rono held on for a narrow win. Rono’s time of 27:29.90 was the 4th-fastest in history at the time, and Salazar’s 27:30.00 was #5 and just missed Craig Virgin’s American Record of 27:29.16. From: T&F News)

Much has been written about Rono’s past problems with alcohol, and he reportedly had one drink too many the night before this race, making his performance all the more impressive!

T&F News Cover(May): https://trackandfieldnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/1982_05.jpg

2021—Sha’Carri Richardson established herself as a potential Olympic gold medalist in the Women’s 100-Meters by running 10.72 at the Miramar Invitation in Florida. Or so people thought at the time—she would win the 100 at the U.S. Olympic Trials but lost her chance to compete at the Olympics after testing positive for a banned substance.

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2021/04/10/shacarri-richardson-100-meters/

Born On This Day*

Nathan Green 23 (2003) 2023 & 2025 NCAA Champion-1500 (Washington); 2022-7^th

5^th in the Mile at the 2023 NCAA Indoor Championships, 2^nd in 2025

2026 U.S. Indoor Champion-1500m…6^th at the World Indoor Championships

5^th in the 1500 at the 2024 U.S. OlympicTrials

2022 U.S. Junior Champion-1500

PBs: 1:46.23 (2024), 1:47.68i (2024), 1:46.50i (2024-O.T.), 2:18.56i (2024/#11 All-Time College),

3:32.20 (2024), 3:34.91i (2026), 3:53.67 (2024), 3:53.25i (2024), 3:50.31i (O.T./2026), 7:40.09i

(Dec.2024)

H.S. PB: 4:00.97 (2021)  2023 NCAAi:  Video   Coverage

Washington’s Milers (2024):

https://trackandfieldnews.com/article/husky-teamwork-pulls-washington-milers-forward/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Green_(runner)

Mya Lesnar  24 (2002)  2025 NCAA Champion-Shot Put (Colorado State)…4^th indoors

2024 NCAA Indoor Champion…5^th outdoors

PB: 64-3  ¾ (19.60/2025/#4 All-Time College)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mya_Lesnar

https://csurams.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/mya-lesnar/13924

Dad is well-known wrestler Brock Lesnar

Her dad  Upstaged

Vernon Norwood  33 (1993)  Mainstay of the U.S. 4×400 relay teams—has won 12 global medals!

2-time Olympic gold medalist-4×400 (2021/1^st round, 2024),

    Also a 2-time Olympic medalist in the Mixed 4×400 Relay -2021 (bronze), 2024 (silver)

4-time World Champion—4×400 (2015, 2019, 2022/ran 1^st round all 3 years, 2023)…silver medalist in 2025

2016 World Indoor Champion—4×400 (DQ’d for a lane violation in his heat of the 400); Silver medalist in the

    4×400 at the 2018 World Indoor Championships

Bronze medalist in the mixed 4×400 at the 2022 World Championships

4-time NCAA Champion-LSU (2014-4x400i; 2015-400, 4×400 (indoor & outdoor)

2016 U.S. Indoor Champion—400m, 3rd in 2018;

4^th at the 2019 & 2022 U.S. Championships

Became a mentor to 16-year old Quincy Wilson during the 2024 Olympics

PBs: 20.30 (2021), 32.38i (2026), 44.10 (2024), 45.31i (2015); 2025 SB: 44.34

IAAF Profile: https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/united-states/vernon-norwood-14490237

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Norwood

https://www.instagram.com/vernon400m/?hl=en

Christoph Harting—Germany 36 (1990) 2016 Olympic gold medalist—Discus

           With his brother Robert, the defending champion, sidelined by an injury, he kept the Olympic title in the family

    with his winning throw of  224-3 (68.37) in Rio.

8^th at the 2015 World Championships; didn’t make the final in 2013 & 2019

PB: 224-3 (68.37/2016); Last competed in 2024

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/134108

OG Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjQkmpDmunE

OG Report: https://www.olympedia.org/results/358794

Olivia Borlée—Belgium  40 (1986)  2008 Olympic gold medalist—4×100/Anchor(Upgraded from silver); Bronze medalist

  In the 4×100 at the 2007 World Championships;

  Borlée and 2008 Olympic teammates  Kim Gevaert, Elodie Ouedraogo, Hanna Marien were

  moved up from 2^nd place to 1^st after a member of the “winning” Russian team was

  retroactively disqualified for a doping violation. They received their gold medals 8 years after

  the race before 40,000 partisan fans at the 2016 Van Damme Memorial meet in Brussels.

PBs:11.39 (2007), 22.98 (2006), 53.38 (2014);

Upgrade: http://tinyurl.com/BelgiumGold2008

Member of the world’s fastest running family that includes brothers Jonathan (44.43),

    Kevin (44.56), and Dylan (45.57). All were coached by their father-Jacques.

Royal Family: http://spikes.iaaf.org/post/super-belgiums-borlee-brothers

Kara Patterson-Winger  40 (1986) 4-time U.S. Olympian-Javelin (1^st round in 2008, 2012, 2016, 2021);

Closed out her lengthy career in fine style in 2022:

Won her 9th U.S. title

Won her 1st global medal (silver) at the World Championships (on her final throw)

Won in Brussels and regained the American Record with her final throw of 223-5 (68.11)

Winner at the Diamond League final in Zurich

Became the first American woman to earn a #1 World-Ranking in the event by T&F News

Came out of retirement in 2024—finished 2^nd at the U.S. Olympic Trials, but didn’t have the Olympic qualifier

9-time U.S. Champion (’08-’11,’14-’15, ’17-’18, ‘22); 8^th at the 2015 World Championships, 5^th in 2019…didn’t

    make the final in 2017

2019 Pan-American Games Champion

All-American at Purdue: NCAA-2008(5^th), 2009(2^nd)

Married to discus thrower Russ Winger, who was one of her coaches!

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_Winger

https://www.karawinger.com/herstory

Olympic Dreams: www.denverpost.com/olympics/ci_28608727/wingers-throwing-dreams-together

Retirement: https://worldathletics.org/news/feature/kara-winger-usa-javelin-retirement

https://www.tracksmith.com/journal/article/kara-winger-still-in-flight-mode

Videos

’22 WC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmKrWB1ym-k

      Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uec9YdiHUMM

68.11: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5FoUjI2aZQ

DL Final: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgFMbmMUF6c

Dave Moorcroft  73 (1953)  Set a World Record of 13:00.41 for 5000-meters in Oslo in 1982;

Has donated the right shoe he wore that night to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA)

Other PBs: 3:33.79 (’82), 3:49.34 (’82); Former Chief Executive of British Athletics;

WR Video(Last 2-1/2 laps): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOvhTQM4TqA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Moorcroft

https://worldathletics.org/heritage/news/david-moorcroft-bislett-mowa

Deceased

Mae Faggs  66 (1933-Jan.27, 2000)  1952 Olympic gold medalist—4×100 (Bronze in 1956, 6^th in the

100 in ’52); Former Tennessee State Tigerbelle.

Hall of Fame Bio (1976/Charter Member): https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/mae-faggs

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mae_Faggs

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/77820

OG 4×100: https://www.olympedia.org/results/59185

Johnny Hayes 79 (1886-Aug.25, 1965)   1908 Olympic gold medalist—marathon

http://www.runningpast.com/johnny_hayes.htm

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Hayes

A Look Back: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/feb/29/50-stunning-olympic-moments

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/78532

Photos: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/gallery/2012/feb/29/olympics-2012-athletics

Floyd “Chunk” Simmons  84(1923-April 1, 2008)  2-time Olympic bronze medalist—Decathlon(1948,1952)

Competed collegiately for North Carolina—also played football for the Tar Heels

Became an actor and stuntman in Hollywood(became friends with Clint Eastwood), then became an artist and

  photographer; Earned a Purple Heart in World War II.

Mother called him her “Little chunk of love”

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Simmons

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.obituaries/4FKYev4LYbU

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0799754/

https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/79043

Video Interview (2 hours/recorded in 2007): https://lib.digitalnc.org/record/24744?ln=en