Johnny Hayes Johnny Hayes John Joseph "Johnny" Hayes (April 10, 1886 – August 25, 1965) was an American athlete, a member of the Irish American Athletic Club, and winner of the marathon race at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Hayes' Olympic victory contributed to the early growth of long-distance running and marathoning in the United States. He was also the first man to win a marathon at the now official standard distance of 26 miles 385 yards when Olympic officials lengthened the distance to put the finish line in front of the Royal Box (the 1896 and 1904 Olympic marathons had been less
The Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia's History The Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia's History The Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia's History is a history book by Geoffrey Blainey. First published in 1966, the book examines how Australia's geographical remoteness, particularly from its colonizer Great Britain, has been central to shaping the country's history and identity and will continue to shape its future. The long distance between Australia and its colonial forebears in Europe, and also the United States, made Australians unsure of their future economic prosperity. The expression "the tyranny of distance" from the book's title has become common parlance in Australia. Although