Champagne, cocaine and some very long walks: when pedestrianism ruled the sporting world

Crowds once flocked to see ambling athletes pull off amazing feats of stamina. Edward Payson Weston was chief among them More than $1.4bn has been staked on prediction markets for this week’s US midterm elections, according to CNN. Though a lot of people are about to win – or lose – a lot of money, it’s hard to imagine any wagers as consequential as the election bet that birthed a sporting craze spearheaded by a chancer who walked and talked his way into becoming one of the greatest athletic stars of the 19th century. Continue reading...

Tom Dart · Tue, Nov 3, 2026, 1:30 AM
US news | The Guardian

Champagne, cocaine and some very long walks: when pedestrianism ruled the sporting world

Crowds once flocked to see ambling athletes pull off amazing feats of stamina. Edward Payson Weston was chief among them

More than $1.4bn has been staked on prediction markets for this week’s US midterm elections, according to CNN.

Though a lot of people are about to win – or lose – a lot of money, it’s hard to imagine any wagers as consequential as the election bet that birthed a sporting craze spearheaded by a chancer who walked and talked his way into becoming one of the greatest athletic stars of the 19th century.

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