Tom Longboat was a Canadian long-distance runner who was one of the greatest athletes of his time.
He was born on the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada in 1887 and began running at a young age.
Longboat’s career as a professional athlete began in 1906 when he won the Toronto World Fair Marathon.
He went on to win the Boston Marathon in 1907 and set a new world record for the marathon distance with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 24 seconds.
Longboat’s success on the race course made him a national hero in Canada and he became known as the “Boston Marathon King.”
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Tom Longboat Road to Olympics
In 1908, he was selected to represent Canada at the Olympic Games in London. Despite being a heavy favorite to win the marathon, Longboat was forced to drop out of the race due to illness.
After the Olympics, Longboat continued to compete and set numerous records in long-distance running.
He retired from professional racing in 1916, but remained an active member of the Six Nations community.
Longboat passed away in 1949, but his legacy as one of Canada’s greatest athletes lives on. He was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1955 and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1975.
The Legacy of Tom Longboat
Today, the Tom Longboat Awards are given annually to recognize outstanding Indigenous athletes in Canada.
The Tom Longboat Awards are an annual award given to recognize outstanding Indigenous athletes in Canada. The awards are named after Tom Longboat, a Canadian long-distance runner who was one of the greatest athletes of his time.
Longboat was born on the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada in 1887 and began running at a young age. He had a successful career as a professional athlete, winning the Toronto World Fair Marathon in 1906 and the Boston Marathon in 1907. He also represented Canada at the 1908 Olympic Games in London.
The Hall of Fame
After retiring from professional racing, Longboat remained an active member of the Six Nations community. He passed away in 1949, but his legacy as one of Canada’s greatest athletes lives on. In 1955, he was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and in 1975 he was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.
The Tom Longboat Awards were established to honor Longboat’s legacy and to recognize Indigenous athletes who have achieved success in their respective sports. The awards are given in various categories, including Male and Female Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Team of the Year.
Past winners of the Tom Longboat Awards include many notable Indigenous athletes such as Waneek Horn-Miller, a gold medalist in women’s water polo at the 2000 Olympic Games, and Caroline Ehrhardt, a gold medalist in bobsleigh at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
The Tom Longboat Awards are an important recognition of the achievements of Indigenous athletes in Canada and serve as an inspiration to future generations of Indigenous athletes.
