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Carlo Airoldi (Origgio, 21 September 1869–1929) was an Italian marathon runner, famous for walking to the 1896 Olympics.[1] September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ...
1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ...
1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Modern day marathon runners The marathon is a long-distance road running event of 42. ...
Early life
Airoldi was born in Origgio near Saronno, to a farming family. He began to participate in sporting contests in the territory of Varese (the first documented occasion was at Gorla) and later at national and international contests where he outdid his major rival of the time, Louis Ortègue of Marseilles. In 1892 he won in the Lecco-Milano; followed by a victory in the Milano-Torino. He became famous very quickly and was one of the foremost marathon runners of his time. His biggest success was the victory in the Milano-Barcellona (September 1895), a competition in 12 legs over a total of 1050 km. This victory brought him 2000 pesetas. Saronno is a comune of Lombardy, Italy, in the Province of Varese. ...
Varese is a city in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan. ...
The Olympics Airoldi sought to participate in the Athens Olympics of 1896 and he had a good chance of victory. He needed money, however, to get to the Greek capital. He sought money from the director of a well known magazine of the time - "La Bicicletta", and Airoldi proposed to travel cheaply. He would go on foot through Austria, Turkey and Greece - an adventurous journey that forced him to cover 70km per day in order to arrive in Athens on time. The magazine was to document all the stages of his journey and help supply him with the necessary information. The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, were held in 1896 in Athens, Greece. ...
Athens (Greek: Αθήνα AthÃna IPA ) is the capital of Greece and one of the most famous cities in the world, named after goddess Athena. ...
The magazine accepted and his journey began. The stage from Milan to Spalato, passing through Trieste and Fiume, met with no problems. Airoldi had intended to pass along the Dalmatian coast then through Kotor and Corfu. Unfortunately, before arriving at Ragusa he fell and hurt his hand and was forced to spend two days in a tent. He was advised against corssing Albania on foot so he boarded an Austrian boat that took him to Patrasso from where he continued to Athens on foot following the railway lines as there were no roads. Map of Croatia with Dalmatia highlighted Dalmatia (Croatian: Dalmacija, Serbian Cyrillic: Далмација, Italian: Dalmazia) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, (mostly) in modern Croatia, spreading between the island of Rab in the northwest and the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) in the southeast. ...
Alley in Kotor Kotor Cathedral View from one of the beaches Kotor is a town in Serbia and Montenegro, located more precisely in southwestern Montenegro; it has a population of 19,000, with a municipality of 23,481 (2003). ...
Pontikonisi Island Corfu (ancient and modern Greek ΚÎÏκυÏα, Kérkyra, Latin Corcyra; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is an island of Greece, in the Ionian Sea. ...
After his 28 day journey Airoldi was unfortunately not able to compete in the marathon. He went to the royal palace to sign up for the games where he was questioned by the head of the Olympic Committee. He decided that the money received for winning the Milano-Barcellona competition meant that Airoldi was considered a professional athlete and thus not eligible to compete. Telegrams were sent from Italy but nothing worked: Airoldi was not allowed to participate. There was a strong feeling in Italy that the organisors were not allowing a strong competitor to take part in a race that the Greeks wanted to win. Airoldi never accepted the decision and issued a challenge to Spiridon Louis - the winner of the marathon - that was never taken up. Spiridon Spiros Louis (January 12, 1873 – March 26, 1940) was a Greek water-carrier who won the marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics, thereby becoming a national hero. ...
His later years On his return home, Airoldi attempted many times to beat the record of Spiridon Louis without ever succeeding. He continued to race mainly in Lombardy and Switzerland, where he was married and worked (He worked in Berne and Zurich). Finally he moved to South America to seek his fortune.
See also The renovated Panathinaiko Stadium At the 1896 Summer Olympics, twelve athletics events were contested. ...
Spiridon Spiros Louis (January 12, 1873 – March 26, 1940) was a Greek water-carrier who won the marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics, thereby becoming a national hero. ...
Bibliography - Manuel Sgarella, La leggenda del maratoneta, Macchione Editore
External links - Recensione al testo di Sgarella
- History of Carlo Airoldi and his journey to Athens
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