Ralph Williams (August 7, 1900 – July 6, 1941) 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 stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

. He competed in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

at the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...

. He made it on the US Olympic Team after finishing 7th in the

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by eight 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 ins ...

on April 19, 1924, with a time of 2:41:58.6. The Boston Marathon was later measured and found to be 152 meters short.

1924 Summer Olympics

Prior to the marathon, the American team ran a 15-mile time trial. It was a particularly warm day in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, where the Olympics were being held, and Williams quit after 3 miles. Coach Michael Ryan, who didn't finish either of the two Olympic marathons he ran, suggested that Williams be pulled from the event. The "head coach and the chairman of the Selection Committee" overruled Ryan and chose to run Williams rather than Carl Linder. Williams did not finish the race.

References

External links

* 1900 births 1941 deaths Athletes (track and field) at the 1924 Summer Olympics American male marathon runners Olympic track and field athletes for the United States Sportspeople from Quincy, Massachusetts 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-longdistance-athletics-bio-stub