Six Nations Reserve athlete featured in Google doodle
Posted Jun 4, 2018 03:07:08 PM.
Last Updated Jun 4, 2018 03:49:10 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Tom Longboat, who was an Onondaga distance runner and winner of the 1907 Boston Marathon, is front and centre on Google’s front page today.
He’s the feature on their daily “doodle,” a customized version of their logo that is seen a top their search bar to celebrate his 131st birthday.
Born June 4, 1887, Longboat was known as one of the most dominant and famous long-distance racers of his time, even setting the Boston Marathon record — over the old 24 and a half mile course — at 2:24:24, which was nearly five minutes faster than any other previous winner.
The record was later broken in 1911 by winner Clarence DeMar of the United States.
In 1909, he won the world professional marathon championships at Madison Square Garden, pulling ahead of British champion Alfie Shrubb in the final mile of the race.
In 1912, he set a new 15-mile world record of one hour, 18 minutes, and 10 seconds — seven minutes better than his fastest amateur time.
He also served as a dispatch runner in France in the First World War.
Longboat died in January 1949 at age 61.
