Marathons weren’t always 26.2 miles. In 1956, even in a running magazine, you still had to specify the distance:
As the winner, Jack could afford to condescend to the old and fat:
Jack may have meant it at the time, but according to Tom Osler, once Jack stopped winning, he stopped racing.
The Shanahan Marathon is now known as the Philadelphia Marathon. It has been run since 1954 (with a few interruptions), which makes it one of the older American marathons.
(“Long Distange Log”, January/February 1956)