MONTREAL – This week marks the anniversary of the first-ever varsity victory for a student-athlete from McGill University, an event in 1873 that was covered by many newspapers across North America. A month after graduating with a law degree, Duncan Bowie made a trip down to Springfield, Mass., to compete in the inaugural Bennett Challenge Cup race before 3,000 fans at what was one of the first-ever intercollegiate running competitions in North America.

In a two-mile foot race held at Hampden Park on July 17, 1873, Bowie rallied from third-place to win a silver trophy worth $500 – with a present day value of over $15,000 – that was offered by James Gordon Bennett, Jr., publisher of the New York Herald, to "undergraduates of any college or university in America during most of the past year". This wording opened the door for Bowie's competitors to question his eligibility since he was from a Canadian university. In a pre-race protest hearing, Bowie used his law background to successfully argue that Canada was part of North America. The race organizer ruled in his favour and Bennett later stated that Bowie had won the competition, both on the track and on paper.

An all-round athlete of Scottish heritage, Bowie was a talented runner and jumps specialist. He was also a formidable snowshoe racing champion and an accomplished lacrosse player. In fact, he was later part of an all-star entourage with lacrosse founder William G. Beers, that introduced the game before Queen Victoria during an overseas tour to the UK in 1876. Bowie was also a fleet-footed footballer who was credited with initiating the concept of competing in the inaugural game of North American rugby-football, and he was a key player when McGill confronted Harvard for the first time, in 1874. 

Born Duncan Ewen Bowie on Sept. 6, 1952 at St. Therese, Que., he was initially schooled in Lancaster, Ont., and Montreal High School, before graduating from McGill in 1873. Bowie was called to the bar the following year and went on to become a prominent Montreal lawyer. He died after a lengthy illness, on Dec. 14, 1914, at the age of 62, in  his residence on Sherbrooke Street, a stone's throw from his alma mater.
 
The inaugural Bennett Challenge Cup foot race took place on an overcast, muggy day and was preceded by a light rain that fell at the announced 10 a.m. start time. The athlete introductions began about 45 minutes late, followed by the race at 11 a.m., in front of a "vast crowd that welcomed all contestants with loud applause". The competitors were expected to do four laps around a half-mile outdoor track.

Three registered entries – Dartmouth's Henry D. Lawrence of Springfield, Cornell's George F. Dudley of Newfield, N.Y., and Harvard's Joseph Maurice Sheahan, a future physician from Braintree, Mass.,– all withdrew as they were recovering from illness and/or injuries that had interrupted their training.

The 20-year-old Bowie, who measured 5-foot-11 and 147 pounds, was described by the press as having a lithe and sinewy frame. He won the two-mile "pedestrian" race in 11 minutes, 18.5 seconds, finishing about 18 feet ahead of Cornell's Edward L. Phillips (11:20) of Newark, N.J. The pre-race favourite, Otis B. Benton, an Amherst College rower from Cleveland, had led for most of the race but was passed by Bowie about 200 yards before the finish line. Benton stopped abruptly and did not complete the race.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (July 18, 1873) noted that the end result was "the success of a Canadian lacrosse player, whose training in that running game gave him an advantage over the Yankee competitors."

In The Chicago Tribune (July 17, 1873), Benton was chronicled as a 21-year-old sophomore who had a "compact and sinewy frame", measuring about 5-foot-8 and 137 pounds. He reportedly dropped 17 pounds from eight days earlier, when he began a vigorous training routine. "He is used to hard work, having been captain last year of the freshman crew from Amherst, and is thus far the decided favorite."

The Boston Globe (July 18, 1873) reported that "a large amount of money was lost on Benton, while a few old sports did a good thing on Bowie. Benton was the largest man of the three, but appeared to lift his feet higher on the recover (phase) than his rivals. Phillips swayed and moved his arms about more than the others and Bowie was by far the handsomest runner."

Phillips, a 21-year-old freshman, was depicted as a thick-set athlete who measured 5-foot-9 and 144-pounds with endurance developed as a member of the Cornell rowing team. He was assigned the inside lane, next to Bowie in the middle and Benton started on the outside.
 
The New York Post (July 18, 1873) described Bowie as wearing an undershirt with light trousers, a blue silk sash around his waist and a straw hat. Phillips wore a white undershirt, dark blue "pantaloons" and a cap. Benton had a white undershirt with light trousers and a handkerchief around his head.

The New York Times (July 18, 1873) painted an even more vivid picture of the three runners. 

"The first to enter the arena was Phillips, of Cornell, a small, wiry man, in a white merino undershirt, bare legs, and white sandals. He had the inside (lane). Next to him was (Bowie) the Canadian, in white tights, with blue cincture. He wore a small straw hat. He was very thin, rather taller than the Cornell man, and evidently in good condition, and a fast mover. When Benton made his appearance and took the outside position, there was a hum of expectation and interest. He was a very large man and wore a peculiar running costume, which closely resembled the garments that Robinson Crusoe made for himself out of goat's hide. Hubbard, his trainer, was busy talking to him, and placed in each palm a tuft of grass, which he clutched nervously. He looked in admirable condition, and many bets were made on him, although the authorities altogether countenanced it. There were many men with dyed mustaches, watch-chains of ponderous size, white vests, and villainous countenances, who went about betting '$25 even on the Canada (against) the field'; and many undergraduates, with more money than sense, took them up for the honor of Columbia."
 
The Springfield Daily Republican (July 17, 1893) stated that "Benton is probably of all the amateurs, the most thoroughly trained, and has undergone rubbing down and the like, quite as liberal as any trotting horse gets on Hampden Park, where he has been taking his daily discipline. He has formed a definite plan of running this race, and intends to make his last quarter no faster than his first, unless unexpectedly pushed. It is confidently expected that he will run the two miles in at least 10:40. His sturdiest contestant will probably be Bowie, the Canadian, against whose entrance for the race it is said, protests will be entered by the other men or their friends, on the grounds, first, that he does not belong to the United States (though Mr. Bennett's requisitions include "America") and second, that he is a professional runner, or at least has run for money."

A report from The Springfield Daily Republican described the finish. "Bowie, who had been contentedly trotting along through the whole race, keeping side-by-side with Phillips, suddenly darted away from him, and shot past Benton with a spurt that left him at once in the rear, and then ran like a deer down the home stretch. When Benton saw this unlooked-for conduct on the part of Bowie, he evidently felt that he was nowhere, for, to the surprise of all, he suddenly turned out and stopped."

The Boston Globe described the Bowie finish as "a glorious burst... leaving both his competitors with the greatest of ease, crossed the line."

The N.Y. Times went into much detail about Benton's exit.

"The (humid) weather, too, was against the runners, and to this must be ascribed the breakdown of (the) Amherst (runner), who (a few days earlier) ran the distance in 10:18, more than a minute less. His size was greatly against him on this occasion, every ounce of weight telling in the heavy atmosphere (i.e. humidity) and heavy track... Mr. Benton, of Amherst, had no sooner thrown himself on the grass than he was surrounded by friends and attendants, who administered restoratives, wrapped him in rugs, and placed him in a carriage that left the ground instantly. Information was given to the present writer that he was only overcome by the heavy atmosphere, and that he is not in any way injured by his exertions."

A detailed account of the race was published in an Ontario-based newspaper as follows:
 
THE FOOT-RACE
The Hamilton Spectator
July 19, 1873

At 11 o'clock a.m., and while the Harvard-Brown ball game was in progress, a sensation at the Grand Stand of Hampden Park drew hundreds in that direction, and it was announced that the foot-race for the Bennett Challenge Cup was about to take place.
 
For this the entries had comprised representatives from Amherst, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, and the McGill University of Canada, but H.P. Lawrence of Dartmouth and J.M. Shean (sic) of Harvard had withdrawn, and the athletes who came to the front were only O.B. Benton of Amherst, E.M. Phillips of Cornell, (and) D.E. Bowie of McGill University, Canada.
 
Benton was a brawny, thick-set, strong-limbed fellow who had been thoroughly trained in foot-racing, and was apparently a dangerous rival to the slim, wiry Canadian, and the somewhat heavier and tougher Cornell man. He was supposed to be in excellent condition, and it was generally thought his powers of endurance would tell in his favor on the last half-mile. His theory of foot-racing was somewhat different from that of his rivals, and indeed of all runners, for he started with a somewhat rapid gait, but one which he proposed to maintain steadily to the close. His last half-mile was to be made with the same speed as the first, second and third. The result proved that his theory, though somewhat novel, had nothing else to recommend it; for, after a long lead for nearly a mile and a half, he abruptly yielded in the last half-mile, and almost within reach of victory, suddenly withdrew from the race. He wore a white running suit, with white handkerchief.
 
Bowie stepped forward modestly robed in a graceful running suit, and was followed by Phillips, who looked tough and determined. The judge, Wilbur Bacon, and the timekeeper, J.C. Babcock, mounted the judge's stand, while the grand stand opposite was crowded with eager collegians. The decision of position by lot, gave to Phillips the inside position; Bowie was in the middle and Benton took the outside. The course to be run was two miles in length, being four times around a half-mile course.
 
All preliminaries being at length arranged, the men stepped under the line, and in a moment, the word "go" released them.
 
Phillips led slightly for a moment, with Bowie second, and Benton third. Before a quarter mile had been run, however, Bowie had taken the lead, and Phillips was last of the three. Benton now settled into the steady, rapid gait which he proposed to maintain, and took the lead; while his shrewder rivals followed well together, but some distance in the rear.
 
As they passed under the line on the first time around, Benton was nearly 30 feet in advance, and was still gaining. Bowie and Phillips were still about even, while the former was evidently reserving the wonderful strength which he afterward exhibited, and at the end of another quarter mile was gradually closing the gap which had so long existed between himself and the Amherst runner.
 
The men passed under the line on the third time around in the midst of wild cheering, for the race was now drawing to a close. The next three minutes were to settle the question of endurance, and all were now nearly as even as at the start. The shouts and cheers inspired new vigor into the Canadian, who made a spending struggle and passed Benton, who had been leading almost from the beginning. The cheering was now loud and prolonged, but Bowie had evidently taken the lead only to show what he could do, for a minute later, he suffered Benton to again step to the front, while he jogged easily on a few feet behind him.
 
Phillips was number three, but was (a) little behind, and Benton's endurance, which had served him well for a mile and a half, was now beginning to fail. Everyone was now on his feet, and the race was growing exciting, for the flagging of Benton and the struggles of Phillips were again bringing the three runners abreast, and only a quarter mile to run. Bowie now for the first time put forth his speed; Benton was losing ground rapidly; and Phillips was gaining slowly.
 
The crowd rushed forward from the grand stand to greet the victor, though it was still doubtful who the victor was to be. Benton struggled hard, but it was useless, for he was now far in the rear, and within 200 yards of the goal, withdrew from the race.
 
Bowie came in splendidly, occasionally glancing over his shoulder at Phillips who was slowly gaining. For the last 25 yards, Bowie showed a wonderful speed – greater by far than at any former period in the race. He was too strong for Phillips and left him still farther in the rear. He won easily, though Phillips did finely, and lost by only a second and a half.
 
The following is the score (i.e time) of the first man to cross the line each time at the end of the half mile course: First half mile (2:49), second half mile (5:40), third half mile (8:36) and end of the race: 11:18.5 for Bowie, 11:20 for Phillips.
 
The baseball match was between the Harvard and Brown nines and was not of special interest. The score was 31 to 30 in favor of Harvard.
 
ED. NOTE: According to a newspaper report, the Bennett Cup was engraved and later shipped to Montreal but it was held up at Canadian Customs, which demanded a 15 per cent duty of the $500 value, from Bowie. 

SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
514-983-7012 (Tel.)
www.mcgillathletics.ca
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca