Carlo Airoldi

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Carlo Airoldi (September 21, 1869 – June 18, 1929) was an Italian marathon runner famous for walking to the 1896 Olympics in Athens. He came from Origgio, near Saronno, to a farming family and began competing in the Varese area before moving to national and international races. He battled a major rival, Louis Ortègue of Marseille, and won several races, including Lecco-Milano in 1892 and Milano-Torino the same year.

Airoldi’s biggest triumph came in the Milano-Barcelona race in September 1895. It was a long event: 12 stages totaling 1050 kilometers, and he won, earning 2000 pesetas. His growing fame made him one of the best marathon runners of his era. He wanted to compete in the Athens Olympics in 1896 but needed money to travel.

To get to Athens cheaply, he asked the editor of the magazine La Bicicletta for support. He proposed traveling on foot through Austria, Turkey, and Greece, covering about 70 kilometers a day. The magazine agreed to document his trip and provide help. He began the journey from Milan to Split, going through Trieste and Fiume, and planned to follow the Croatian coast to Kotor and Corfu.

Trouble hit near Dubrovnik when he fell and injured his hand, forcing a two-day delay. He was advised not to cross Albania on foot, so he joined an Austrian boat to Patras and then walked to Athens along railway lines where roads were scarce. After 28 days, he still could not compete in the marathon.

When he reached the royal palace to sign up, the Olympic Committee questioned him. They decided that winning Milano-Barcelona had made him a professional athlete, which made him ineligible to compete as an amateur. Italy sent telegrams, but nothing could change the decision. Many Italians felt the organizers kept a strong challenger from taking part.

Airoldi never accepted the ruling and challenged Spiridon Louis, the Athens marathon winner, but Louis did not accept the challenge. Back home, Airoldi tried repeatedly to beat Louis’s record without success. He continued racing mainly in Lombardy and Switzerland, where he got married and worked (in Bern and Zurich). He later moved to South America to seek his fortune.