Today I learned: Somerville has a law against endurance contests

[ron_newman]

Thanks to the Boston 2024 Olympic bid, I learned today that Somerville still has this law on the books, probably left over from the 1930s:

Sec. 8-186. - Marathons, walkathons and other endurance exhibitions.

No person shall conduct in any hall or other public place in the city any dancing exhibition or other form of public amusement such as a walkathon or marathon exhibition wherein the participants therein are permitted to engage in an endurance contest, or wherein persons engaged in such a contest continue to dance or walk or engage in said contest for more than four hours in any one day; nor shall any amusement or entertainment conducted in connection with or as a part of such dancing or walking contest be permitted after 12:00 midnight on any weekday except Saturday, on which day said walking or dancing contest or amusement or entertainment conducted in connection therewith on the premises or place of amusement shall cease at 11:45 p.m.

I don't expect this to affect the Olympic cycling events that are proposed for Somerville, since none of them are likely to last over four hours or continue past 11:45 pm.