Great Runners of the Past: Tom Longboat

By Craig: Sometimes I feel that I am at a disadvantage when I show up at a race. I am not that scientific about my running. In fact, since my watch broke I haven't even been clocking my times. I can sort of gauge my time by how I am feeling along the way, but oh well...just get out there and run... right? Perhaps this is how Tom Longboat felt when he showed up at his first race wearing a pair of ratty looking running shoes. Is this guy for real? This is what some of the other runners must have thought when they first observed the lanky warrior at the starting line.

                                                     Tom Longboat (1887-1949)
      Tom Longboat was born on the Six Nations Reservation in Ontario, Canada in 1887. He was in his mid-twenties before he started entering foot races. It wasn't long before people began to take notice. Standing at roughly 5 feet 9 inches and weighing a buck fifty Longboat had a natural runners physique. In 1907 he won the Boston Marathon with a time of 2:24:24. He had set a new course record, shattering Jack Caffery's six year old record by 5 minutes! He was naturally one of the favorites to win the Olympic Marathon in London. However, after running with the leaders for much of the race, Longboat was forced to drop out due to exhaustion. The American runner, johnny Hayes was declared the winner after the Italian runner dorando Pietri was disqualified for receiving assistance before crossing the finish line. After the Olympic race, Longboat returned to the United States where he met Pietri for a one-on-one race around an oval track at Madison Square Garden. Pietri led for most of the race, but was passed by Longboat during the last mile. Longboat also held races against the great British long distance runner Alfie Shrubb. In a series of races between the two men, Longboat lost most of the races shorter than 20 miles, but won most of the events that were over that distance.

During the Great War, Longboat served as a messenger on the front lines in France, and ended up being wounded twice. He died on January 09, 1949 at the age of 61.