1912 Penobscot native-American Olympic marathon athlete from Maine. Andrew was born and grew up on Indian Island across the Penobscot River from the community of Old Town, Maine. He was a second cousin to Louis Sockalexis, a pioneer Penobscot native-American professional baseball player. He.
His interest in running very likely grew out of his father's love of running. Francis Sockalexis was a runner with remarkable endurance, who was known to excel in the tribe's traditional five-hour race held in the island's tribal community hall. Beginning age 10, with his father's aid and encouragement, Andrew began running. He was determined to become a marathon runner and ran all year-round. The promising athlete was eventually trained by Tom Daley, of Bangor, until age 18, then, beginning 1n 1911, by Arthur Smith, of Orono, track coach of the University of Maine.
Andrew was invited to run in many races around New England. He completed in the Boston Marathon in 1911 (his first competitive race, finishing 17th) and 1912 (finishing second). His 1912 second place plus Coach Smith prepared Andrew for the 1912 United States Olympic Team tryouts held at Harvard University. He qualified with eleven other runners for the marathon and participated in the 1912 Olympics hosted by Sweden. The Penobscot Indian, age 20, was now a member of the prestigious North Dorchester Athletic Club, from the greater Boston area, and he was widely regarded as a serious contender to win the event.
The US Olympic marathon team plan was to hold back and let the 90-plus degree heat take its toll on the field. But Andrew, known for his smooth and effortless running style, would later say he waited too long –– that he should have picked up the pace at the 12.5 mile mark instead of at 22 miles. Although he made up much ground on the leaders, it came too late in the race and he finished fourth in 2:42:07. He was five minutes behind the winner and only seconds behind the third place finisher.
Andrew received a royal welcome on returning home, as though he had won the marathon. He never turned down an invitation to run and beat most of the competition. In 1912, he finished second to the great Clarence DeMar, 7-time winner of the Boston Marathon, in a 19-mile race from Old Town to Bangor's Maplewood Park.
Andrew entered the Boston Marathon again in 1913 and was considered one of the favorites to win. Andrew held back for much of the race, hoping that the early leaders would wear down, and it looked like the strategy was going to work as he passed runner after runner. But Fritz Carlson of Minneapolis had too much of a lead, and even though Andrew ran the final miles faster than Carlson, he could not close the gap, finishing second again in 2:27:12 to Carlson's 2:25:14.
In 1916, Andrew ran his last race, a 15 mile race from Old Town to Bangor. Andrew's long time friend and Olympic teammate, Clarence DeMar, brought a team from Dorchester, Massachusetts to run against the team that Andrew compiled from Indian Island. Andrew's team consisted of Sylvester Francis, Arthur Neptune and Everett Ranco. Prior to the race date, Andrew was suffering from a severe cold and complained of chest pains. Against his doctor's warnings, Andrew insisted on running the race because he did not want disappoint his good friend Clarence, or the fans and his family who attended the race to watch the two Olympians compete again. Andrew ran with the bad cold and ahead of the field of runners from the start of the race. As they came to the 12 mile marker, Andrew was ahead of his friend Clarence by a couple of hundred yards and was easily going to win the race. Andrew crossed the finish line in Bangor and as he stopped running, he started to cough up blood and collapsed.
Soon after the race, Andrew was diagnosed with Tuberculosis, a disease that had plagued his family. Andrew was very sick for three years and in the summer of 1919, he died in the town of South Paris, Maine. The United States Olympic Committee gave the Sockalexis family a grave monument that read: "A Member of the American Olympic Team at the Fifth Olympiad held in Stockholm, Sweden, July 1912."
On 9 November 1913, Andrew married Pauline Shay, daughter of Sabastis Shay, one of the Penobscot head tribesmen, at St. Anne's Catholic Church, Oldtown, Maine, by Father J. J. Rice. The wedding joined two of the oldest families of the tribe.
Andrew's running career was short lived but he had run countless miles during his training and competitions in various races. Andrew was only turning 22 years old when he ran the 1912 Olympic Marathon and the Boston Marathon. At the young age of 27, Andrew had died. His legacy lives on within all the young boys and girls who aspire to run and to those who support the young runners from the Penobscot Nation. Andrew Sockalexis was inducted posthumously in the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1984. He was also inducted into the Maine Running Hall of Fame in 1991, and in 2001 he was inducted into the National American Indian Hall of Fame.
Info about his marriage was provided by Spirit Keeper (48726433)
His interest in running very likely grew out of his father's love of running. Francis Sockalexis was a runner with remarkable endurance, who was known to excel in the tribe's traditional five-hour race held in the island's tribal community hall. Beginning age 10, with his father's aid and encouragement, Andrew began running. He was determined to become a marathon runner and ran all year-round. The promising athlete was eventually trained by Tom Daley, of Bangor, until age 18, then, beginning 1n 1911, by Arthur Smith, of Orono, track coach of the University of Maine.
Andrew was invited to run in many races around New England. He completed in the Boston Marathon in 1911 (his first competitive race, finishing 17th) and 1912 (finishing second). His 1912 second place plus Coach Smith prepared Andrew for the 1912 United States Olympic Team tryouts held at Harvard University. He qualified with eleven other runners for the marathon and participated in the 1912 Olympics hosted by Sweden. The Penobscot Indian, age 20, was now a member of the prestigious North Dorchester Athletic Club, from the greater Boston area, and he was widely regarded as a serious contender to win the event.
The US Olympic marathon team plan was to hold back and let the 90-plus degree heat take its toll on the field. But Andrew, known for his smooth and effortless running style, would later say he waited too long –– that he should have picked up the pace at the 12.5 mile mark instead of at 22 miles. Although he made up much ground on the leaders, it came too late in the race and he finished fourth in 2:42:07. He was five minutes behind the winner and only seconds behind the third place finisher.
Andrew received a royal welcome on returning home, as though he had won the marathon. He never turned down an invitation to run and beat most of the competition. In 1912, he finished second to the great Clarence DeMar, 7-time winner of the Boston Marathon, in a 19-mile race from Old Town to Bangor's Maplewood Park.
Andrew entered the Boston Marathon again in 1913 and was considered one of the favorites to win. Andrew held back for much of the race, hoping that the early leaders would wear down, and it looked like the strategy was going to work as he passed runner after runner. But Fritz Carlson of Minneapolis had too much of a lead, and even though Andrew ran the final miles faster than Carlson, he could not close the gap, finishing second again in 2:27:12 to Carlson's 2:25:14.
In 1916, Andrew ran his last race, a 15 mile race from Old Town to Bangor. Andrew's long time friend and Olympic teammate, Clarence DeMar, brought a team from Dorchester, Massachusetts to run against the team that Andrew compiled from Indian Island. Andrew's team consisted of Sylvester Francis, Arthur Neptune and Everett Ranco. Prior to the race date, Andrew was suffering from a severe cold and complained of chest pains. Against his doctor's warnings, Andrew insisted on running the race because he did not want disappoint his good friend Clarence, or the fans and his family who attended the race to watch the two Olympians compete again. Andrew ran with the bad cold and ahead of the field of runners from the start of the race. As they came to the 12 mile marker, Andrew was ahead of his friend Clarence by a couple of hundred yards and was easily going to win the race. Andrew crossed the finish line in Bangor and as he stopped running, he started to cough up blood and collapsed.
Soon after the race, Andrew was diagnosed with Tuberculosis, a disease that had plagued his family. Andrew was very sick for three years and in the summer of 1919, he died in the town of South Paris, Maine. The United States Olympic Committee gave the Sockalexis family a grave monument that read: "A Member of the American Olympic Team at the Fifth Olympiad held in Stockholm, Sweden, July 1912."
On 9 November 1913, Andrew married Pauline Shay, daughter of Sabastis Shay, one of the Penobscot head tribesmen, at St. Anne's Catholic Church, Oldtown, Maine, by Father J. J. Rice. The wedding joined two of the oldest families of the tribe.
Andrew's running career was short lived but he had run countless miles during his training and competitions in various races. Andrew was only turning 22 years old when he ran the 1912 Olympic Marathon and the Boston Marathon. At the young age of 27, Andrew had died. His legacy lives on within all the young boys and girls who aspire to run and to those who support the young runners from the Penobscot Nation. Andrew Sockalexis was inducted posthumously in the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1984. He was also inducted into the Maine Running Hall of Fame in 1991, and in 2001 he was inducted into the National American Indian Hall of Fame.
Info about his marriage was provided by Spirit Keeper (48726433)
1912 Penobscot native-American Olympic marathon athlete from Maine. Andrew was born and grew up on Indian Island across the Penobscot River from the community of Old Town, Maine. He was a second cousin to Louis Sockalexis, a pioneer Penobscot native-American professional baseball player. He.
His interest in running very likely grew out of his father's love of running. Francis Sockalexis was a runner with remarkable endurance, who was known to excel in the tribe's traditional five-hour race held in the island's tribal community hall. Beginning age 10, with his father's aid and encouragement, Andrew began running. He was determined to become a marathon runner and ran all year-round. The promising athlete was eventually trained by Tom Daley, of Bangor, until age 18, then, beginning 1n 1911, by Arthur Smith, of Orono, track coach of the University of Maine.
Andrew was invited to run in many races around New England. He completed in the Boston Marathon in 1911 (his first competitive race, finishing 17th) and 1912 (finishing second). His 1912 second place plus Coach Smith prepared Andrew for the 1912 United States Olympic Team tryouts held at Harvard University. He qualified with eleven other runners for the marathon and participated in the 1912 Olympics hosted by Sweden. The Penobscot Indian, age 20, was now a member of the prestigious North Dorchester Athletic Club, from the greater Boston area, and he was widely regarded as a serious contender to win the event.
The US Olympic marathon team plan was to hold back and let the 90-plus degree heat take its toll on the field. But Andrew, known for his smooth and effortless running style, would later say he waited too long –– that he should have picked up the pace at the 12.5 mile mark instead of at 22 miles. Although he made up much ground on the leaders, it came too late in the race and he finished fourth in 2:42:07. He was five minutes behind the winner and only seconds behind the third place finisher.
Andrew received a royal welcome on returning home, as though he had won the marathon. He never turned down an invitation to run and beat most of the competition. In 1912, he finished second to the great Clarence DeMar, 7-time winner of the Boston Marathon, in a 19-mile race from Old Town to Bangor's Maplewood Park.
Andrew entered the Boston Marathon again in 1913 and was considered one of the favorites to win. Andrew held back for much of the race, hoping that the early leaders would wear down, and it looked like the strategy was going to work as he passed runner after runner. But Fritz Carlson of Minneapolis had too much of a lead, and even though Andrew ran the final miles faster than Carlson, he could not close the gap, finishing second again in 2:27:12 to Carlson's 2:25:14.
In 1916, Andrew ran his last race, a 15 mile race from Old Town to Bangor. Andrew's long time friend and Olympic teammate, Clarence DeMar, brought a team from Dorchester, Massachusetts to run against the team that Andrew compiled from Indian Island. Andrew's team consisted of Sylvester Francis, Arthur Neptune and Everett Ranco. Prior to the race date, Andrew was suffering from a severe cold and complained of chest pains. Against his doctor's warnings, Andrew insisted on running the race because he did not want disappoint his good friend Clarence, or the fans and his family who attended the race to watch the two Olympians compete again. Andrew ran with the bad cold and ahead of the field of runners from the start of the race. As they came to the 12 mile marker, Andrew was ahead of his friend Clarence by a couple of hundred yards and was easily going to win the race. Andrew crossed the finish line in Bangor and as he stopped running, he started to cough up blood and collapsed.
Soon after the race, Andrew was diagnosed with Tuberculosis, a disease that had plagued his family. Andrew was very sick for three years and in the summer of 1919, he died in the town of South Paris, Maine. The United States Olympic Committee gave the Sockalexis family a grave monument that read: "A Member of the American Olympic Team at the Fifth Olympiad held in Stockholm, Sweden, July 1912."
On 9 November 1913, Andrew married Pauline Shay, daughter of Sabastis Shay, one of the Penobscot head tribesmen, at St. Anne's Catholic Church, Oldtown, Maine, by Father J. J. Rice. The wedding joined two of the oldest families of the tribe.
Andrew's running career was short lived but he had run countless miles during his training and competitions in various races. Andrew was only turning 22 years old when he ran the 1912 Olympic Marathon and the Boston Marathon. At the young age of 27, Andrew had died. His legacy lives on within all the young boys and girls who aspire to run and to those who support the young runners from the Penobscot Nation. Andrew Sockalexis was inducted posthumously in the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1984. He was also inducted into the Maine Running Hall of Fame in 1991, and in 2001 he was inducted into the National American Indian Hall of Fame.
Info about his marriage was provided by Spirit Keeper (48726433)
His interest in running very likely grew out of his father's love of running. Francis Sockalexis was a runner with remarkable endurance, who was known to excel in the tribe's traditional five-hour race held in the island's tribal community hall. Beginning age 10, with his father's aid and encouragement, Andrew began running. He was determined to become a marathon runner and ran all year-round. The promising athlete was eventually trained by Tom Daley, of Bangor, until age 18, then, beginning 1n 1911, by Arthur Smith, of Orono, track coach of the University of Maine.
Andrew was invited to run in many races around New England. He completed in the Boston Marathon in 1911 (his first competitive race, finishing 17th) and 1912 (finishing second). His 1912 second place plus Coach Smith prepared Andrew for the 1912 United States Olympic Team tryouts held at Harvard University. He qualified with eleven other runners for the marathon and participated in the 1912 Olympics hosted by Sweden. The Penobscot Indian, age 20, was now a member of the prestigious North Dorchester Athletic Club, from the greater Boston area, and he was widely regarded as a serious contender to win the event.
The US Olympic marathon team plan was to hold back and let the 90-plus degree heat take its toll on the field. But Andrew, known for his smooth and effortless running style, would later say he waited too long –– that he should have picked up the pace at the 12.5 mile mark instead of at 22 miles. Although he made up much ground on the leaders, it came too late in the race and he finished fourth in 2:42:07. He was five minutes behind the winner and only seconds behind the third place finisher.
Andrew received a royal welcome on returning home, as though he had won the marathon. He never turned down an invitation to run and beat most of the competition. In 1912, he finished second to the great Clarence DeMar, 7-time winner of the Boston Marathon, in a 19-mile race from Old Town to Bangor's Maplewood Park.
Andrew entered the Boston Marathon again in 1913 and was considered one of the favorites to win. Andrew held back for much of the race, hoping that the early leaders would wear down, and it looked like the strategy was going to work as he passed runner after runner. But Fritz Carlson of Minneapolis had too much of a lead, and even though Andrew ran the final miles faster than Carlson, he could not close the gap, finishing second again in 2:27:12 to Carlson's 2:25:14.
In 1916, Andrew ran his last race, a 15 mile race from Old Town to Bangor. Andrew's long time friend and Olympic teammate, Clarence DeMar, brought a team from Dorchester, Massachusetts to run against the team that Andrew compiled from Indian Island. Andrew's team consisted of Sylvester Francis, Arthur Neptune and Everett Ranco. Prior to the race date, Andrew was suffering from a severe cold and complained of chest pains. Against his doctor's warnings, Andrew insisted on running the race because he did not want disappoint his good friend Clarence, or the fans and his family who attended the race to watch the two Olympians compete again. Andrew ran with the bad cold and ahead of the field of runners from the start of the race. As they came to the 12 mile marker, Andrew was ahead of his friend Clarence by a couple of hundred yards and was easily going to win the race. Andrew crossed the finish line in Bangor and as he stopped running, he started to cough up blood and collapsed.
Soon after the race, Andrew was diagnosed with Tuberculosis, a disease that had plagued his family. Andrew was very sick for three years and in the summer of 1919, he died in the town of South Paris, Maine. The United States Olympic Committee gave the Sockalexis family a grave monument that read: "A Member of the American Olympic Team at the Fifth Olympiad held in Stockholm, Sweden, July 1912."
On 9 November 1913, Andrew married Pauline Shay, daughter of Sabastis Shay, one of the Penobscot head tribesmen, at St. Anne's Catholic Church, Oldtown, Maine, by Father J. J. Rice. The wedding joined two of the oldest families of the tribe.
Andrew's running career was short lived but he had run countless miles during his training and competitions in various races. Andrew was only turning 22 years old when he ran the 1912 Olympic Marathon and the Boston Marathon. At the young age of 27, Andrew had died. His legacy lives on within all the young boys and girls who aspire to run and to those who support the young runners from the Penobscot Nation. Andrew Sockalexis was inducted posthumously in the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1984. He was also inducted into the Maine Running Hall of Fame in 1991, and in 2001 he was inducted into the National American Indian Hall of Fame.
Info about his marriage was provided by Spirit Keeper (48726433)
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