James Duffy (marathoner)
Encyclopedia
Jimmy McNiff/Duffy was a distance runner from Canada
. He was the winner of the 1914 Boston Marathon
.
Duffy, born in Ireland, grew up in Edinburgh
, Scotland
. In 1911 he emigrated to Canada, where he worked as a tinsmith
and stonecutter
. He came in second in the 1911 Ward Marathon, a twenty-mile event in Toronto
. In May 1912 he came in second again in the nineteen-mile Spectator Marathon in Hamilton, Ontario
, which served that year as the Canadian Olympic
trial.
Duffy placed fifth in the marathon
at the 1912 Summer Olympics
in Stockholm
. In October 1912 he won both the Ward Marathon and the Hamilton Herald's race around Hamilton Bay, setting a new course record in the latter event. After the Hamilton Bay race Duffy accepted full-time coaching from athletic trainer Tommy Thomson.
With Thomson as trainer, Duffy won seven consecutive marathons, including one in Yonkers, New York
. On April 20, 1914, Duffy won the Boston Marathon in 2:25:14. His first request after his victory was for a cigarette, and after his post-race medical examination he asked for a bottle of beer.
After the Boston Marathon Duffy turned professional, but ran only one professional race, which he lost to Edouard Fabre
(who had come in second in Boston) before enlisting in the Canadian Army at the outbreak of World War I
. He joined the 91st Argyle Regiment and was subsequently transferred to the 16th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
.
Duffy was killed in a charge against the Germans while serving with the 16th Battalion near Ypres, Belgium.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He was the winner of the 1914 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...
.
Duffy, born in Ireland, grew up in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In 1911 he emigrated to Canada, where he worked as a tinsmith
Tinsmith
A tinsmith, or tinner or tinker or tinplate worker, is a person who makes and repairs things made of light-coloured metal, particularly tinware...
and stonecutter
Stonecutter
A Stonecutter is a person who carries on the trade of stonecutting or stonemasonry.Stonecutter or Stonecutters may also refer to:* Stonecutter, one of twelve magical Swords in the Books of the Swords series...
. He came in second in the 1911 Ward Marathon, a twenty-mile event in 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...
. In May 1912 he came in second again in the nineteen-mile Spectator Marathon in 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...
, which served that year as the Canadian Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
trial.
Duffy placed fifth in the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
at the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. In October 1912 he won both the Ward Marathon and the Hamilton Herald's race around Hamilton Bay, setting a new course record in the latter event. After the Hamilton Bay race Duffy accepted full-time coaching from athletic trainer Tommy Thomson.
With Thomson as trainer, Duffy won seven consecutive marathons, including one in Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
. On April 20, 1914, Duffy won the Boston Marathon in 2:25:14. His first request after his victory was for a cigarette, and after his post-race medical examination he asked for a bottle of beer.
After the Boston Marathon Duffy turned professional, but ran only one professional race, which he lost to Edouard Fabre
Édouard Fabre
Édouard Fabre was a Canadian marathon runner.Born in Sainte-Geneviève, Quebec, he won the Boston Marathon in 1915, with a time of 2:56:41.8. In 1914, he had come in second in the Boston Marathon to fellow Canadian James Duffy...
(who had come in second in Boston) before enlisting in the Canadian Army at the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He joined the 91st Argyle Regiment and was subsequently transferred to the 16th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Canadian Expeditionary Force
The Canadian Expeditionary Force was the designation of the field force created by Canada for service overseas in the First World War. Units of the C.E.F. were divided into field formation in France, where they were organized first into separate divisions and later joined together into a single...
.
Duffy was killed in a charge against the Germans while serving with the 16th Battalion near Ypres, Belgium.