Heritage Minute: Tom Longboat

This #HeritageMinute follows the life of Onondaga long-distance runner Gagwe:gih, whose name means “Everything.” Known around the world as Tom Longboat, he was one of the most celebrated athletes of the early 20th century.

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Tom Longboat was an Onondaga long-distance runner whose name, Gagwe:gih, meant “Everything.” Running away from the Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ontario in 1900, he continued running his whole life. Despite the racism he faced as an Indigenous athlete, Tom won many races, including his record-breaking win at the 1907 Boston Marathon, making him a household name. As the story goes, while serving as a Dispatch Carrier during the First World War, an Officer he was escorting struggled to keep up and complained, “Who do you think I am? Tom Longboat?”—Tom replied, “No, Sir… I am” and continued to run. Tom Longboat was one of the most celebrated athletes of the early 20th century and has inspired generations of athletes.

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Credits:
Adult Tom Longboat - Joshua Odjick
Young Tom Longboat - Sladen Peltier
Voice of Tom Longboat - Gary Farmer
Narrator – Cindy Martin
Director – Jason Brennan
Director of Photography – John Ashmore
Editor – Chris Coote
Composer – Nigel Irwin
Written by – Jessie Anthony
Story Editor – Jason Brennan
Producer – Josée Langlois
Produced By Nish Media

“FASTEST MARATHON EVER RUN BY LONGBOAT” from the Boston Globe. ©1907 Boston Globe Media Partners. All rights reserved. Used under license.