In the late 1800s, the spectacle of competitive walking was all the rage. Sometimes it took place in arenas with other pedestrians in the form of hours- or days-long “races,” and sometimes it was performed solo as feats of distance and time.
Not everyone was a fan, particularly when pedestrianism spectacles took place on the Sabbath:
Not until the invention of the safety bicycle (the sort we’re familiar with today) did the thrilling sport of pedestrianism fade into history.
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