Robert Fowler (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Robert J. "Bob" Fowler was an American
long-distance runner who is recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations
as having set a world's best in the marathon on January 1, 1909 with a time of 2:52:45.4 at the Empire City Marathon in Yonkers, New York
.
Fowler competed for the United States in the marathon at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri as well as the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens, Greece. He did not finish either race. Including the 1906 Games, Fowler was a three-time member of the United States Olympic Marathon Team.
Fowler finished third in the 1905 Boston Marathon
behind Fred Lorz and Louis Marks. Two years later in Boston, he finished second to Thomas Longboat in a race in which he was blocked by a freight train
in Framingham, Massachusetts
for approximately two minutes. Fowler was in a second pack of runners that was separated from Longboat's lead pack when the train crossed the tracks. He competed in a total of four Boston Marathons.
Fowler was born in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and attended Saint Bonaventure's College
in St. John's
. He emigrated with his family to Boston
in 1898 and was living in Cambridge, Massachusetts
at the time of the 1904 Olympic games. Fowler is the first Newfoundland-born Olympic marathoner
and, as he did not become a US citizen until 1906, is considered by some to be the first Newfoundland Olympian.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
long-distance runner who is recognized by the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
as having set a world's best in the marathon on January 1, 1909 with a time of 2:52:45.4 at the Empire City Marathon 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...
.
Fowler competed for the United States in the marathon at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri as well as the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens, Greece. He did not finish either race. Including the 1906 Games, Fowler was a three-time member of the United States Olympic Marathon Team.
Fowler finished third in the 1905 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...
behind Fred Lorz and Louis Marks. Two years later in Boston, he finished second to Thomas Longboat in a race in which he was blocked by a freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
in Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
for approximately two minutes. Fowler was in a second pack of runners that was separated from Longboat's lead pack when the train crossed the tracks. He competed in a total of four Boston Marathons.
Fowler was born in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and attended Saint Bonaventure's College
Saint Bonaventure's College
St. Bonaventure's College is an independent kindergarten to grade 12 Catholic School in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located in the historic centre of North America's oldest city, adjacent to the Roman Catholic Basilica of St...
in St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
. He emigrated with his family to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1898 and was living in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
at the time of the 1904 Olympic games. Fowler is the first Newfoundland-born Olympic marathoner
and, as he did not become a US citizen until 1906, is considered by some to be the first Newfoundland Olympian.
External links
See also
- Ronald J. MacDonaldRonald J. MacDonaldRonald MacDonald was a Canadian runner and winner of the second Boston Marathon in 1898.- First marathon :...