A tract of land, known as "Columbia Oval" was owned by Columbia University at GunHill Road and Bainbridge Avenue. Columbia Oval was used for sporting events including the first United States marathon (40 km), from Stamford, Connecticut in 1896. (The winner of that marathon was John McDermott, who later won the first Boston marathon.) Columbia Oval became the site of Columbia University's War Hospital, which was taken over by the United States Army as "U.S. Army General Hospital No. 1" during the World War I.