In 1926: living at the edge of time - Monoskop

ENDURANCE 91
hand, to the emergence of new forms of subjectivity that are different
from the heroic subjectivity of traditional athletes. No other sport epitomizes
this more traditional-and more "philosophical"-form of subjectivity
as perfectly as long-distance running. [see Individuality = Collectivity
(Leader)] For the upper-class adolescents in Fritz Lang's
Metropolis, who meet "high above" the workmen's city in "Masterman
Stadium, gift of John Masterman, the richest man in Metropolis," longdistance
running is a sign of social distinction, and its representation in
the film evokes stereotyped images of ancient Greek culture (Lang, 22ff.).
In sports, the best traditional spirit of the discipline is embodied by the
Finnish athlete Paavo Nurmi, who, until September 11, holds the world
record for all events between 1,500 and 10,000 meters. Everyone knows
that Nurmi runs with a stopwatch in his hand. [see Timepieces] His
brand of competition is thus a battle of the will on two levels: first,
against the pain in his body and, second, against the fleeting time that
he measures. While his competitors normally have to slow down toward
the end of a race, Nurmi tends to accelerate in the home stretch. This
enclosure within a double loop of self-reference which makes him a
heroic subject is Nurmi's unique strength-and his only weakness. On
Saturday, September 11, in Berlin, this weakness causes Nurmi to lose a
race, and his world record, in the 1,500-meter event to Otto Peltzer of
Germany, who has recently broken the world record for 800 meters.
Instead of seeking, as Nurmi does, total control over his body through
self-centered concentration, Peltzer observes both himself and his competitors
from a distance, and then uses the opportunities that the moment
may offer: "An hour before the race I did a warm-up lap, and to
my surprise my legs felt quite light. From that moment on, I knew that
Nurmi would not be able to escape so easily." Yet Peltzer gains advantage
not only from his own bodily lightness, but also from Nurmi's
inability to react to an opponent's challenge-an inability that is endemic
to his character as an athlete. "I was still so fresh," said Peltzer, "that I
could make continual small attacks on him, just to unnerve him, so that
he would probably be unable to resist the next serious attack and would
have to let himself be bypassed. At 1,300 meters he looked around to his
left and did not see that I was just then passing him on his right. By the
time he noticed me, he had already lost the race." Although Nurmi
cannot counter the attack from Peltzer, the latter is willing to concede
how much his performance depends on the mechanism of challenge and