The Rogue's Letter

Har Har Har Har! There's a new puzzle in town! Don't worry, my blog hasn't been taken over by hackers, I've just found a new puzzle! It's called The Rogue's Letter, and it's by Sam Loyd. In the Rogue's Letter, an international group of crooks have committed a great bank robbery. They are supposed to visit a series of 19 American cities, that are encoded in a letter. You, as the police, must decipher it.
This is the letter:
Dear Jim-I won the race. The track was at the Olympic level and hard as cobalt. I more than won, for my position was central-eight before and eight behind. They had all a start from a half to a mile-to them a considerable advantage, but I can win on a run or walk and overtake and meander by-or kill-the best of them. Treading from early day to night the roads we follow.ELLSWORTH.(End of letter.)
I am in the process of solving this puzzle (16 cities so far!) and I am hope that I will solve it soon.
Enjoy!