In The 1920s There Was A Footrace From Los Angeles To New York

Cool Weird Awesome with Brady Carlson

On this day in 1928, the start of the Trans-America Foot Race, aka the "Bunion Derby," in which about 200 runners in Los Angeles set out to run all the way to New York City. Only 55 of them made it through the entire grueling route, which could be called a spectacle, boondoggle and landmark all at once. Plus: in honor of Vermont becoming a state today in 1791, a look at the state's famous Long Trail hike from one end to the other.

Endurance Racing: First Leg, the Bunion Derby (New York Public Library)

The 1928 Bunion Derby: America’s Brush with Integrated Sports (BlackPast)

The Long Trail (Green Mountain Club)

We've got some big plans with our Patreon backers this month (but don't worry, none of them are cross-country foot races)