Clarence DeMar, a dominant marathon runner from 1911 to 1930, initially faced skepticism regarding prolonged exercise and its effects on health. Despite warnings about a heart murmur and advice to limit his races, he continued training extensively, which led to remarkable achievements, including seven Boston Marathon victories. After his death, a study revealed that his heart was healthy, with arteries larger than average, contradicting earlier beliefs about the risks of endurance training. This study not only highlighted DeMar's exceptional physiology but also contributed to changing attitudes about the benefits of regular exercise.
He trained more than was commonly believed humanly possible at the time. He ran lots of mileage. And the idea in the past was that lots of mileage would wear you out that you would die early.
DeMar proved them all wrong, both during his lifetime and after, in ways that helped change people's minds about the benefits of exercise, and foreshadowed questions researchers are still asking today about how it affects the heart.
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