Paul Hardrock Simpson ran ultra distances and extreme races beginning in the late 1920s and continuing into the 1950s. Simpson was a letter carrier for the U.S.P.S. in Burlington, NC. Simpson made a name for himself by defeating a horse in a long distance race and went on to compete in numerous distance races as long as across the continent. The horse died as a result of the race.

Simpson is one of the featured runners in [The Great American Footrace] http://www.itvs.org/footrace/runnerbio/bio1020_11.htm#simpson

Simpson placed 36th in the 1928 race from Los Angeles to New York City, one of fifty-one runners to complete the race according to author Don Bolden. In a second transcontinental race, Simpson finished 5th amongst nineteen finishers.

Simpson endeared himself to baseball fans in the Carolina League by running around the inside of the Burlington Athletic Stadium

Burlington Athletic Stadium

Burlington Athletic Stadium is a vintage baseball stadium in the central North Carolina Piedmont city of Burlington. It seats 3500 and serves as home field for the minor league Burlington Royals of the rookie Appalachian League...

during every minute of the games as mentioned here: http://www.allbusiness.com/health-care-social-assistance/social-assistance-individual/880369-1.html and here http://www.news-record.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070827/NRSTAFF/70826013/-1/breaking

External references

• SI Vault article What makes Hardrock run?
• Newspaper article with photograph
• book featuring Simpson [The Great American Footrace]
• book Remembering Alamance County: Tales of Railroads, Textiles and Baseball By Don Bolden