Updated Results Map

This image was published in the Indianapolis News on June 8, 1909 to report the progress of the national championship balloon race that was hosted by and started at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 5, 1909. It charts the landing position of each of the balloons in the both the events, the national championship and the handicap race. The Indianapolis Star, the city's morning edition (the News was the evening paper) published a similar map but had a major inaccuracy and incomplete information.
 
The University City balloon of John Berry and Paul McCullough was crowned the winner of the national championship event. This was the Aero Club of America championship decided on distance from point of origin. Berry and McCullough landed further south than any other competitor at Freestone Peak on Lookout Mountain near Ft. Payne, Alabama.
 
The New York balloon of Pilot A. Holland Forbes and assistant Clifford Harmon was second on distance but won a trophy donated by Speedway Founder and President Carl Fisher to recognize the balloon with the longest duration flight. The New York was aloft a reported 35 hours and 10 minutes. Dr. Goethe Link and assistant Russe "R.J." Irvin were the crew of the Indianapolis which won both the distance and duration awards for the handicap race.
 
Check out this legend I created just for you:
 
National Championship:

 
Handicap Race:

 
 

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