150 years ago, America’s favorite sport was … walking

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In 1860, two men made a friendly wager over whether Abraham Lincoln would win the upcoming presidential election.  The result was a national frenzy over the sport of competitive … walking. 

This largely forgotten chapter of American history is the subject of a new book by author Matthew Algeo called “Pedestrianism: When Watching People Walk was America’s Favorite Spectator Sport.” 

He’ll be appearing in Bucks County later this week, and he spoke with NewsWorks Tonight Producer Shai Ben-Yaacov.

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