1934 WALKATHON
From the Re-Echo, December 2007

In 1934, in the depths of the Great Depression, the phenomenon of dance marathons sprang up around the country. The concept was that dancers would dance continually, with only a five minute break each hour, until they dropped out, leaving one couple to collect fabulous prizes. Bleachers were set up for the audience, which was entertained with live music and stunts. A prominent movie about dance marathons is “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” starring Jane Fonda.

Incredibly such a marathon, called a "walkathon," came to St. Louis Park in 1934, when a company set up a tent on Wayzata Blvd., close to McCarthy's restaurant. Thanks to Earl Ames, whose father worked as a security guard at the event, we have two pictures, one showing five seriously fatigued couples, and one of a large wedding party posing in the tent. The latter shows that there were 18 couples left, and that they had completed 598 hours. You can view the wedding picture on our website at www.slphistory.org/history/walkathon1934.asp

And we have a newspaper article that should be quoted in full (probably from the Minneapolis Journal):

WALKATHON HIT BY GRAND JURY

Retiring Body Says "Cheap, Contemptible Spectacle" Should Be Stopped

Denouncing the walkathon now in the last stages in a huge tent on Wayzata boulevard as a "cheap, contemptible spectacle," the retiring grand jury Saturday called for a legislative act prohibiting similar contests.

Laws now on the statute books governing itinerant carnivals should be invoked to stop the walkathon on the grounds that it is injurious to the health of participants and detrimental to public morals, the report held.

The next legislature should pass an act specifically prohibiting "any such ridiculous endurance contests being established anywhere in the state."

In addition to the walkathon now nearing its close in St. Louis Park, another similar contest is being held near Shakopee, while several others are attracting crowds at other points in the state.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.