Lecture Notes: Tom Longboat - A Canadian Legend

Early Life

• Name: Tom Longboat (Onondagin Name: Kogwagi)
• Birth: Born in 1887 on Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario
• Residential School: At age 12, enrolled in Mohawk Institute Residential School under the Indian Act
  • Initially attempted escape; successful second attempt, lived with uncle

Discovery of Talent

• Worked odd jobs during early teenage years, realized his speed
• Began participating in races around Ontario, winning significantly

Training and Rise to Fame

• YMCA Involvement: Joined West End YMCA in Toronto
  • Trained extensively at the YMCA, now known as Longboat Hall
  • This place also hosted early basketball games
• Boston Marathon 1907: Won and broke the record by five minutes
  • Celebrated by a torchlight parade to Toronto City Hall

Olympic and Professional Running Career

• 1908 Olympics in London: Participated but fell ill during the race
• Returned to Toronto for further training
  • His training methods, involving rest, were ahead of their time
• Professional Career: Participated in head-to-head marathon races in New York City
  • Became professional marathon champion of the world
  • Races were similar to championship boxing, with significant public interest and prize money

Personal Life

• Marriage: Married first wife in 1908
• World War I: Served as dispatch runner, reported dead twice
• Upon return, found first wife remarried; he remarried and had children
  • Lived in Toronto and Ontario after the war

Later Years and Legacy

• Maintained employment through the Great Recession
• Continued to run and compete successfully
• Death: Passed away in 1936 from pneumonia at age 61 on Six Nations Reserve
• Legacy:
  • June 4th is National Tom Longboat Day in Canada
  • Named in honor of Longboat: Schools, running clubs, and more

Conclusion

• Tom Longboat is remembered as one of Canada's finest athletes and a celebrated figure in Canadian history.