Clarence DeMar
A stubborn, seven-time Boston Marathon champion who defied doctors and conventional wisdom, proving endurance athletes could have long, powerful careers.
1888–1958 (age 70)·American marathon runner·Birthday: June 7·The Lost Generation
Biography
Clarence DeMar ran not with graceful elegance, but with a relentless, piston-like stride that seemed to defy human limitation. His career was a rebellion against the medical advice of his era. As a young man, a doctor detected a heart murmur and told him to avoid strenuous activity. DeMar, a printer by trade, ignored the warning. He won his first Boston Marathon in 1911, then was persuaded to take years off, only to return and dominate the race like no one else, winning six more times into his late thirties. His approach was austere and disciplined; he trained year-round, often running to and from work, and believed in a sparse diet. At the 1924 Paris Olympics, he earned a bronze medal, a testament to his world-class status. More than just a champion, 'Mr. DeMarathon' became a living argument for the durability of the human heart, continuing to race competitively into his sixties and shaping the modern perception of the marathon as a test of will as much as speed.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Clarence was born in 1888, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clarence Was Born
The biggest hits of 1888
Clarence's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1888Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1893Started school
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Became a teenager
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1904Could drive
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could vote
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Turned 21
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1918Turned 30
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1928Turned 40
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1938Turned 50
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 60
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 70
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
Key Achievements
- Won the Boston Marathon a record seven times (1911, 1922–24, 1927–28, 1930), a feat that stood for decades.
- Won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.
- Set a U.S. marathon record in 1922 with a time of 2:18:10 at the Boston Marathon.
- Continued to run competitive marathons past the age of 65, challenging age-based limitations in athletics.
Did You Know?
He was famously told by a doctor to stop running due to a suspected heart condition, advice he disregarded.
He worked full-time as a printer and later a teacher, fitting his training around his job.
He authored a running manual titled 'Marathon' in 1937.
An autopsy after his death from cancer revealed his coronary arteries were two to three times the normal size.
“I just run. I don't know why I run. I just run.”
