The 6 - Day Race became a standard footrace distance in the 1870s .
Was a popular form of entertainment where up to 70,000 paying visitors , in 1877 , came to watch the Pedestrians battle it out .
The 6 - Day Race became a standard footrace distance in the 1870s and was a popular form of entertainment where up to 70,000 paying visitors , in 1877 , came to watch the Pedestrians battle it out .