2008 Tom Longboat Awards

Tom Longboat Awards Brochure

Nominations Form

Honouring the Tom Longboat Legacy

Tom Longboat was one of the most celebrated and accomplished athletes in Canadian history. A member of the Onondaga Nation who resided in Six Nations of the Grand River, Tom Longboat was one of the most gifted long distance runners of his time. In just his third competitive race, he set the world record for the marathon, smashing the previous mark by over five and half minutes. In the years prior to the First World War, Tom Longboat won most of the major distance races in North America and Europe, including the Boston Marathon and the Powderhall Marathon in Edinburgh, Scotland. At a time when indoor marathon running attracted sell-out crowds, he was the world’s professional champion. At one point or another, he held every Canadian record from one mile to the marathon.Throughout his life, Tom Longboat spoke proudly of his First Nations heritage and held his head high in times of great adversity. He was the headline attraction wherever he raced, drawing huge crowds and a widespread following. In 1999, Maclean’s Magazine voted him the #1 Canadian sports figure of the twentieth century.

Established in 1951, the Tom Longboat Award serves as a proud national symbol for all Aboriginal peoples in Canada.

Dr. Bruce Kidd
Olympian & Tom Longboat Historian

The awards

The Aboriginal Sport Circle annually recognizes the achievements of gifted Aboriginal athletes. Every year, the top male and female Aboriginal athletes from each province/territory are selected for the Tom Longboat Regional Awards. These regional recipients automatically advance as nominees for the prestigious National Award that is presented to the most outstanding male and female Aboriginal Athlete in Canada.

What you win

National recipients will receive the following:

1) All expenses paid trip to receive the award
2) Commemorative Tom Longboat Award medallion
3) Custom Made Tom Longboat Award ring
4) Cash bursary of $500
5) Name engraved on the Tom Longboat Trophy on display at
Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

Who is eligible

Nominations are invited from all levels of sport. To be eligible, athletes must meet the following criteria:

– Must be of Aboriginal descent
– Must have amateur status in the sport which they are nominated
– Must be for athletic achievements within the calendar year
– Must submit a completed nomination form online or by mail before
the annual deadline (to the appropriate Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body or Aboriginal Sport Circle)

Deadline January 31, 2009

For Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body
visit the member organization section of this site

Nominations
How do you nominate an athlete? Complete the online nomination form downloadable on this page or complete the following three steps

Step #1
Complete a Nomination Form
(provide detailed information on the nominee and nominator, if applicable)

Step #2
Complete a supporting narrative
(see brochure for details)

STEP #3
Send the Nomination Form and Narrative to your Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body