Umberto Blasi (12 October 1886 - 1 July 1938) was an

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

who was a three-time national champion in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

and competed in the men's marathon at the 1908 Summer Olympics.

Biography

On 3 June 1908 Blasi won Italy's first national marathon championship in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in a time of 3:01:04. Given that the race also served as the nation's Olympic trial for that year's Games, he earned a spot on the Italian Olympic team with Augusto Cocca and

Dorando Pietri Dorando Pietri (; often wrongly spelt Petri; 16 October 1885 – 7 February 1942) was an Italian long-distance runner. He finished first in the marathon at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London but was subsequently disqualified. Biography Earl ...

. The following month in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, Blasi was one of 56 who lined-up to start the marathon on a warm and muggy afternoon. He dropped out after 8 miles and did not finish. Blasi later won his second consecutive national championship with a 2:38:30 on a 40 kilometer course in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

on 19 September 1909. One week later on an official distance course in Voltri, Italy, his 2:48:44 mark lowered the Italian marathon record set three months earlier by Arturo deMaria. On 2 April 1910 Blasi was one of ten professional competitors in a marathon with 16,000 spectators at the

Polo Grounds The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built fo ...

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. Dropping out after 18 miles, he was reportedly "carried to his dressing room". Supporters of Blasi and another Italian runner, Fortunio Zantis, forced an early end to another marathon in Rocky Point, Rhode Island, on 10 July 1910, by crowding the track and attempting to trip the leader, Patrick Dineen of Boston. Dinnen, who completed 21 laps, was declared the winner while Blasi finished in fifth. Three weeks later at the Rocky Point baseball grounds, 3,500 spectators witnessed Blasi compete with five other runners in a 20-mile race that was subsequently believed to have been "considerably less than 18 miles". He was reported to have led Zantis at the half-mile post by 45 yards and crossed the mile mark first in 4:36 before fading to a fourth-place finish. Blasi eventually ran his marathon personal best with a 2:38:00.8 performance to capture his third and final national title in

Legnano Legnano (; or ''Lignàn'') is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the north-westernmost part of the Metropolitan City of Milan, Province of Milan, about from central Milan. With 60,259, it is the thirteenth-most populous township in Lombardy. Le ...

, Italy on 29 November 1914. Although not recognized as a

world best A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

by the

International Association of Athletics Federations World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...

, the

Association of Road Racing Statisticians The Association of Road Racing Statisticians is an independent, non-profit organization that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics regarding road running races. The primary purpose of the ARRS is to maintain a valid list of world road record ...

lists this mark in their progression of world records in the marathon as well as the world's fastest for 1914. Blasi was born in Rome, Italy.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Blasi, Umberto 1886 births 1938 deaths Italian male marathon runners Italian male long-distance runners Olympic athletes for Italy Athletes (track and field) at the 1908 Summer Olympics Athletes from Rome Italian Athletics Championships winners