Cogwagee * Tom Longboat 1886-1949

An Onondaga from the Six Nations of the Grand River, Tom Longboat was one of the world's great long-distance runners. He ran his first race in Caledonia in 1905 and two years later shot to international attention with a record-breaking win in the Boston Marathon. He represented Canada in the 1908 Olympics. Hailed as professional world champion the following year, Longboat went on to set world records for 24 and 32 km races. During the First World War he served as a despatch runner with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces (1916-1919). Tom Longboat is a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.