Pat Dengis (July 18, 1902 – December 17, 1939) was an American

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 ...

. He was AAU marathon champion in 1935, 1938 and 1939 and marathon world leader in 1938.

Biography

Joseph Franz "Pat" Dengis was born in

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

, Wales. Dengis worked as a

seaman Seaman may refer to: * Sailor, a member of a marine watercraft's crew * Seaman (rank), a military rank in some navies * Seaman (name) (including a list of people with the name) * ''Seaman'' (video game), a 1999 simulation video game for the Seg ...

until his emigration to the United States in 1926; he settled in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, where he became a steel mill worker. Later, he worked as a toolmaker and airplane mechanic for the

Glenn L. Martin Company The Glenn L. Martin Company—also known as The Martin Company from 1957-1961—was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company founded by aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin, and operated between 1917-1961. The Martin Company produc ...

, a job he held until his death. Dengis took up running in Baltimore; he placed fifth at the Port Chester Marathon in 1932 and fourth in 1933 before scoring his first victory in 1934. In 1935 he placed second behind

John A. Kelley John Adelbert Kelley (September 6, 1907 – October 6, 2004) was an American long-distance runner who twice represented his native country at the Summer Olympics, in 1936 and 1948, and competed in the Boston Marathon over 50 times, winning in 19 ...

at the

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...

(2:34:11.2) and won the AAU national championship marathon in

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

in 2:53:53. After gaining US citizenship in October 1935, Dengis entered 1936 as one of the leading candidates to qualify for the American Olympic team, but in both of the Olympic tryout races (the 1936 Boston Marathon and the 1936 AAU championship marathon) he suffered from medical problems; he failed to finish in Boston, and dropped from the lead to eighth place in the AAU race. Dengis won the marathon at the 1937

Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, defeating

José Ribas José Ribas (born 1 October 1899, date of death unknown) was an Argentine long-distance runner. He competed in the marathon at the 1932 Summer Olympics. References 1899 births Year of death missing Athletes (track and field) at the ...

in 2:42:43. In 1938 he won the Salisbury Beach Marathon in 2:30:27.6, the fastest time in the world that year; he also regained his AAU championship title by winning the

Yonkers Marathon The Yonkers Marathon, is a marathon race held annually in Yonkers, New York. Founded in 1907, it is the second oldest marathon in the United States, after the Boston Marathon. It is held on the third Sunday in October. In addition to the mar ...

. He repeated as national champion in 1939, breaking the Yonkers Marathon course record with his time of 2:33:45.2; the race also served as a tryout for the ultimately cancelled

1940 Summer Olympics The 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad, were originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo City, Empire of Japan. They were rescheduled for Helsinki, Finland, to be held from ...

in Helsinki. Despite his successes, Dengis never won the Boston Marathon. In the last two years of his career he won nine marathons and lost only twothe 1938 and 1939 Boston Marathons. In the 1938 Boston Marathon he placed second behind Les Pawson; in 1939 he caught a cold before the race and placed fourth as Ellison "Tarzan" Brown broke the course record. Dengis died in an airplane crash near Baltimore on December 17, 1939.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dengis, Pat 1902 births 1939 deaths Sportspeople from Swansea American male marathon runners Welsh male marathon runners Welsh emigrants to the United States Accidental deaths in Maryland Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States