Five falls, inside one lap of a track, at the end of an Olympic marathon that he entered the stadium leading.
Why the marathon is a strange distance
The modern marathon is 26 miles and 385 yards, and it is that odd number because of this race. The 1908 course ran from Windsor Castle to the White City Stadium in London, and the finish line was positioned in front of the royal box. The 385 yards were the distance from the entrance of the stadium to that point.
The distance was formalised afterwards. Every marathon since has been run to the length of a walk across one stadium in 1908.
The last lap
Pietri arrived at the stadium first, well clear, having taken the lead late in extreme heat. He entered the arena, turned the wrong way, and was redirected by officials.
Then he collapsed. He got up. He went a short distance and collapsed again. This happened five times in front of ninety thousand people. The stadium doctor was seriously concerned for his life. Officials took hold of him and helped him across the line.
The ruling
The American team protested immediately, on the entirely correct grounds that he had been physically assisted. The protest was upheld. Pietri was disqualified and the gold medal went to Johnny Hayes of the United States.
There is no injustice here to complain about. The rule is the rule and he was helped. What makes the story is what happened next.
The cup
Queen Alexandra had watched from the royal box. The following day, at the closing ceremony, she presented Pietri with a gilded silver cup made for the purpose, an object that exists for no other reason than that a crowd disagreed with a correct decision.
Arthur Conan Doyle, covering the race for the Daily Mail, wrote that the Italian's run would be remembered when the winner's was forgotten.
Why it goes on a wall
Because it is the clearest case in sport of the record book and the memory disagreeing, and the memory winning.
The official result says Johnny Hayes. Ask anyone who knows the marathon to name someone from the 1908 Olympic race, and they will say Dorando.
Five falls, one lap, no medal.