Tom Longboat
Encyclopedia
Cogwagee (June 4, 1887 – January 9, 1949) was an Onondaga
distance runner
from the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Indian reserve
near Brantford, Ontario
, and for much of his career the dominant long distance runner of the time. When he was a child a Mohawk
resident of the reserve, Bill Davis, who in 1901 finished second in the Boston Marathon
, interested him in running races.
race at Caledonia, Ontario
. His first important victory was in the Around the Bay Road Race
in Hamilton, Ontario
in 1906, which he won by three minutes. In 1907 he won the Boston Marathon in a record time of 2:24:24 over the old 24-1/2 mile course, four minutes and 59 seconds faster than any of the previous ten winners of the event. He collapsed, however, in the 1908 Olympic
marathon, along with several other leading runners, and a rematch was organized the same year at Madison Square Garden
in New York City
. Longboat won this race, turned professional, and in 1909 at the same venue won the title of Professional Champion of the World in another marathon.
His coaches did not approve of his alternation of hard workouts with “active rest” such as long walks. When he was a professional, these recovery periods annoyed his promoters and the sports press often labelled him “lazy,” although the practice of incorporating "hard", "easy", and "recovery" days into training is normal today. Because of this and other disputes with his managers Longboat bought out his contract, after which his times improved.
Longboat's chief rival was Alfred Shrubb
, whom he raced ten times, winning all the races at 20 miles or more and losing all those at shorter distances.
He served as a dispatch runner in France
in World War I
while maintaining a professional career. He retired following the war.
Longboat is also commemorated annually by the Toronto Island 10 km race.
Onondaga (tribe)
The Onondaga are one of the original five constituent nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. Their traditional homeland is in and around Onondaga County, New York...
distance runner
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
from the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation Indian reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
near Brantford, Ontario
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
, and for much of his career the dominant long distance runner of the time. When he was a child a Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
resident of the reserve, Bill Davis, who in 1901 finished second in the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
, interested him in running races.
History
He began racing in 1905, finishing second in the Victoria DayVictoria Day
Victoria Day is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25, in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday. The date is also, simultaneously, that on which the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday is recognized...
race at Caledonia, Ontario
Caledonia, Ontario
Caledonia is a small riverside community and former town located on the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. Haldimand County is in the western part of the Niagara Peninsula, and had a population of 43,280 in 2001. The current mayor of Haldimand County is Ken Hewitt; Caledonia is...
. His first important victory was in the Around the Bay Road Race
Around the Bay Road Race
Around the Bay Road Race, is the oldest long distance road race in North America, held in Hamilton, Ontario since 1894, nearly three years before the Boston Marathon, though is not marathon length...
in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
in 1906, which he won by three minutes. In 1907 he won the Boston Marathon in a record time of 2:24:24 over the old 24-1/2 mile course, four minutes and 59 seconds faster than any of the previous ten winners of the event. He collapsed, however, in the 1908 Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
marathon, along with several other leading runners, and a rematch was organized the same year at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Longboat won this race, turned professional, and in 1909 at the same venue won the title of Professional Champion of the World in another marathon.
Longboat's chief rival was Alfred Shrubb
Alfred Shrubb
Alfred "Alfie" Shrubb was an English middle distance runner. During an amateur career lasting from 1899 to 1905 and a professional career from 1905 to 1912 he won over 1,000 races of about 1,800 started...
, whom he raced ten times, winning all the races at 20 miles or more and losing all those at shorter distances.
He served as a dispatch runner in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
while maintaining a professional career. He retired following the war.
Private life
In 1908 he married Lauretta Maracle. After he was mistakenly declared dead during World War I, Lauretta remarried in 1918. He later married Martha Silversmith, with whom he had four children. After the war Longboat settled in Toronto where he worked until 1944. He retired to the Six Nations Reserve and died of pneumonia on January 9, 1949.Legacy
In 1951 the Tom Longboat Awards were instituted by Jan Eisenhardt. This program, administered since 1999 by the Aboriginal Sport Circle, annually honours outstanding First Nations athletes and sportsmen in each province; national male and female winners are selected from the provincial winners. Longboat was inducted into both the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame and the Indian Hall of Fame.Longboat is also commemorated annually by the Toronto Island 10 km race.
General references
- Jack Batten. The Man Who Ran Faster Than Everyone. Tundra Books, 2002.
- Bruce Kidd. Tom Longboat. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1992.
- David Blaikie. Boston, the Canadian Story. Seneca House Books, 1984 ISBN 0920598048