Gruber’s comments cause a bit of an uproar and debate across America. Gruber died five months later during a game of bridge at the age of 61. He claimed that one out of every two youths were rejected because of physical fitness. “Snitz” Gruber (1879-1941) who stated that American youth were “soft.” Gruber was the author and composer of the song “The Caissons Go Rolling Along.” In January 1941, speaking before a church’s men’s club in Kansas City, Missouri, he said, “Our men have been living too soft a life.” He stated that the military draft had revealed an astonishing weakness in the physical, vocational, and moral qualities of youth. Isolated 100-mile accomplishments took place to remind the public what the human body could do, but 100 miles was still considered to be very far and out of reach by all but freakish athletes.ĭuring the World War II years, 100-mile races ceased, but some solo endurance efforts were sparked due to comments made by Brigadier General, Edmund L. Occasionally the newspapers would pull out of their dusty archives a story about Edward Payson Weston’s walking wonders which was treated as “believe it or not” oddities, rather than something that others could accomplish.īut the spark of running or walking 100 miles on foot still smoldered during the next two decades despite the severe difficulties of the Depression and World War II. Memories of past accomplishments and records faded. Opportunities to earn a living as a professional runner dried up as public interest waned. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | Pandora | iHeartRadio | Stitcher | JioSaavn | Podcast Index | Email | TuneIn | RSS | More By Davy CrockettĪfter decades of 100-mile races, matches and successful finishes in less than 24 hours before 1930, the Great Depression turned ultrarunners’ attention to more important matters – surviving. Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:27 - 37.9MB)
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