Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA, April 29–30, 1921
At the Penn Relays, which continue to this day, there were no remarkable times set in the relay races in 1921. Syracuse University, anchored by 200-meter Olympic champion Allen Woodring, won the 4x440-yard relay with a time that barely made it into the world’s top six teams. However, the Penn Relays did set a crowd record, with 25,000 spectators roaring in the stands.
The individual events fared better. Antwerp bronze medalist Gus Desch ran the 440-yard hurdles in 53.8 seconds, though it was not recognized as a world record. The value of the result was elevated by the rainwater that poured down during the race. The Notre Dame student later improved his time to 53.4 seconds at the national championships, but this record wasn’t entered in the official books either, as one hurdle had fallen.
American football may have been a greater passion for Desch than hurdling — although it also involves navigating uneven terrain. In later life, he became a football coach and authored several coaching manuals on the sport.
Positions 1–3 (Spalding’s Athletic Almanac)