José Torres

José Torres belonged to the Tarahumara indigenous people from the Mexican state of Chihuahua who were known for their long-distance running ability. In March 1927 Torres ran the 90-mile ultra-marathon from San Antonio to the Texas Memorial Stadium in just under 15 hours. The following month he ran fifty-one miles from Kansas City to Lawrence in six hours 46 minutes and 41 seconds to break a record that had stood since 1882. His performances earned him a place on the Mexican team for the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics where he ran in the marathon where he finished 35th. When Torres crossed the finish line in Amsterdam he continued to run until the officials caught up with him as he was used to running much long distances rather than focusing on speed.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-54:00 (1928).