The Man Who Ran Faster Than Everyone

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

At the turn of the 20th century, long-distance running was one of the
most popular spectator sports in the world. The sport was dominated by
Caucasian champions until Tom Longboat, a self-taught athlete from the
Onondaga First Nations reserve in Ontario, exploded onto the world stage
in 1905. By racking up victories including the 1907 Boston Marathon,
Longboat propelled himself and his country into the world sporting
limelight. Yet even in his home country, reporters branded him simply
“The Indian” and rarely gave him favorable coverage before a race or
even the praise he deserved if he won. When World War I broke out, he
enlisted in the Canadian army and served faithfully as a runner, one of
the most dangerous occupations at the front. Upon his return to civilian
life, the best his “grateful” country could do for him was give him
a job in Toronto as a garbage collector.

This superb book chronicles the triumphs and tragedy of one of
Canada’s greatest athletes. By reexamining archival information,
Batten debunks long-held myths that Longboat’s troubles were a result
of his own poor training methods and bad business sense. The text is
supported with dozens of period photographs and newspaper excerpts.

Winner of the 2002 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s
Non-fiction, The Man Who Ran Faster Than Everyone is a must-read for
anyone interested in Canadian history, sports, or just a great story.
Highly recommended.