Calvin Hanson, Winner 1960 Mt. Whitney Marathon

Very few people know that there were three full marathon races on Mt. Whitney. However, back in 1959-1961, Mary Jefferson was there personally to see them and shared her story with me and fellow ultra runner Dr. Ben “Badwater” Jones. Mary and her husband operated the livestock pack station on Mt. Whitney from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. Join us for this fascinating look back at the marathon running history in America.

Mary & Alan Robinson

The Mt. Whitney marathons were some of the first American marathons ever, and while they only ran for three years, they remain–an important part of American running and worth remembering!

PUSH BUTTON @ BOTTOM OF PAGE TO PLAY SHOW!

Special thanks to Dr. Ben “Badwater” Jones for setting up and researching this important historical interview to preserve the history of California distance running in Inyo County. 

–Ron Jones, MS, Historical Kinesiologist, Physical Educator

Mary Jefferson & Ron Jones

More Info:

• “Aparejo Packing in the Sierras” by Mary Jefferson (1978)

Contact Ron Jones & visit The Lean Berets iTunes

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