Adrian Sutherland

Thomas Charles Longboat was born on June 4 1887 on the Six Nations reserve. He was a role model, because of his athletic abilities and bravery. His cree name was “Cowagee” which meant “Everything” . When Thomas was a child, he and his family lived on a small farm. When his father died, everybody had to help pitch in with their mother so that she can pay the bills. When he was around the age of 12 years old, he was was taken to Mohawk Institute Residential School. He escaped twice by running away and the second time he made it to his uncles who agreed to hide him from the authorities.

In his teen years, his running career began. When he was 19 he entered his first race, the annual Victoria Day five mile race in Caledonia. He did not win this race. His career really took off in 1907 when he won the Boston Marathon. He beat the last best record time by four minutes and fifty-nine seconds. Thomas made it to the Olympics in 1908 but during his race he and another competitor collapsed for unknown reasons and were not able to complete the race on their own. Many rumours were said after the situation by trainers. After this, he took control of his own career and training. The same year Thomas met and married Lauretta Maracle, a school teacher on the Tyendinaga Reserve . He finished off the year by setting a new national record, and claiming his third consecutive Ward Marathon win. He had many more races that he had won.

At the age of 27, Thomas Longboat joined in the First World War, where he served as a dispatch runner in France and Flanders with distinction .He was wounded twice during the war and was once mistakenly reported dead . When he returned home from the war, Longboat discovered that Lauretta had remarried a man in 1918 after hearing the news of his death. Lauretta stayed married to her new husband and Thomas later married Martha Silversmith who had four children. Thomas retired from racing and moved back to his reserve. He passed away