• Age: 10
• Grade: 5

One of the greatest marathon runners of all time, Tom Longboat was one of the best-known athletes of the western world in the early 20th century. Longboat was an astonishing long-distance runner who grew up on the Six Nations reserve near Brantford, Ontario. He won the Boston Marathon in record time, 2:24.24, almost five minutes faster than the 10 previous winners. Longboat then raced in the Olympic Marathon in 1908, but he collapsed on the course amid rumours that his manager had drugged him with strychnine. At a rematch the following year in New York City, Longboat won the race handily, beating his nearest competitor. In 1916, Longboat enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces and worked as a dispatch carrier for the 107th Pioneer Battalion in France. He was left for dead on the battlefield, but somehow survived and returned to Canada only to discover that his wife, Lauretta, thinking he was dead, had remarried. Longboat's independent spirit and passion for running carried him through the many difficulties he faced as an Aboriginal person. His enduring legacy has been honoured with the Tom Longboat Awards, established in 1951 to celebrate outstanding First Nations athletes in Canada. He is a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Indian Hall of Fame.

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Tom Longboat: Running Against the Wind

Tom Longboat was one of Canada’s greatest athletes and one of the world’s best marathon runners in the early 20th century. Tom was born on the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario in 1887 where athletics was a big part of his life. He particularly loved to run and play lacrosse. Once his talent was noticed by others, Tom received invitations to enter the big running races that were all the rage at that time. Because he was of Aboriginal ancestry Longboat battled discrimination for most of his life. However, despite, or maybe because of this, Tom kept running and winning for most of his career. This story is an uplifting tale of determination and skill about a real Canadian hero whose legacy lives on to this day. Includes an historical timeline of his life and related world events.