William Sherring
Encyclopedia
Billy Sherring was an Irish Canadian
athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1906 Intercalated Games (or 1906 Olympic Games, as they were at the time considered to be).
In the early 1900s, Billy Sherring from Hamilton, Ontario
was acknowledged to be the world premier marathoner. He had won a second place behind a fellow countryman Jack Caffery
at the Boston Marathon
in 1900. He also had won the Hamilton Around the Bay Road Race
on two occasions.
In 1906, Sherring - an athlete of St. Patrick's Athletic Club - was chosen to represent Canada in the Athens Olympic Games. However, it was left up to him, a working man with meager resources (he was a brakeman at the Grand Trunk Railway
), to finance his journey to Athens
. Sherring managed to collect an amount claimed to be between $45 and $90 (a clearly insufficient amount to travel to Athens), which he then bet on a horse named Cicely which won with good odds. He arrived to Athens seven weeks before the Olympic Games and started to work as a porter at the Athens railway station.
At the marathon race, the 45 kg (98 lb) Sherring led almost all the distance. Prince George of Greece
ran the last 50 metres of the marathon alongside Sherring. Sherring received a live lamb and a statue of Athena
as a reward. When he returned to Canada, Hamilton City Council awarded him $5000 and the City of Toronto
awarded him a further $400.
Upon his triumphant return from the Marathon, Sherring quit athletics and worked as a Customs Officer in Hamilton until his retirement in 1942.
After his death, his original claim-to-fame, the Around the Bay Road Race
was renamed to the Billy Sherring Memorial Road Race, and Hamilton has since built a Billy Sherring Park to commemorate their most famous athlete.
Sherring is thought to have inspired the founders of Panathinaikos to adopt the shamrock
as the Greek athletic club's official emblem.
Irish Canadian
Irish Canadian are immigrants and descendants of immigrants who originated in Ireland. 1.2 million Irish immigrants arrived, 1825 to 1970, at least half of those in the period from 1831-1850. By 1867, they were the second largest ethnic group , and comprised 24% of Canada's population...
athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1906 Intercalated Games (or 1906 Olympic Games, as they were at the time considered to be).
In the early 1900s, Billy Sherring from 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...
was acknowledged to be the world premier marathoner. He had won a second place behind a fellow countryman Jack Caffery
Jack Caffery
John Peter Caffery was a Canadian track and field athlete who competed in the marathon at the 1908 Summer Olympics where he finished in 11th place. Caffrey was also a two-time champion of the Boston Marathon...
at 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...
in 1900. He also had won the Hamilton 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...
on two occasions.
In 1906, Sherring - an athlete of St. Patrick's Athletic Club - was chosen to represent Canada in the Athens Olympic Games. However, it was left up to him, a working man with meager resources (he was a brakeman at the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
), to finance his journey to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. Sherring managed to collect an amount claimed to be between $45 and $90 (a clearly insufficient amount to travel to Athens), which he then bet on a horse named Cicely which won with good odds. He arrived to Athens seven weeks before the Olympic Games and started to work as a porter at the Athens railway station.
At the marathon race, the 45 kg (98 lb) Sherring led almost all the distance. Prince George of Greece
George II of Greece
George II reigned as King of Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947.-Early life, first period of kingship and exile:George was born at the royal villa at Tatoi, near Athens, the eldest son of King Constantine I of Greece and his wife, Princess Sophia of Prussia...
ran the last 50 metres of the marathon alongside Sherring. Sherring received a live lamb and a statue of Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
as a reward. When he returned to Canada, Hamilton City Council awarded him $5000 and the City of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
awarded him a further $400.
Upon his triumphant return from the Marathon, Sherring quit athletics and worked as a Customs Officer in Hamilton until his retirement in 1942.
After his death, his original claim-to-fame, 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...
was renamed to the Billy Sherring Memorial Road Race, and Hamilton has since built a Billy Sherring Park to commemorate their most famous athlete.
Sherring is thought to have inspired the founders of Panathinaikos to adopt the shamrock
Shamrock
The shamrock is a three-leafed old white clover. It is known as a symbol of Ireland. The name shamrock is derived from Irish , which is the diminutive version of the Irish word for clover ....
as the Greek athletic club's official emblem.