Moh Ahmed smashed the 5,000 Canadian record & Canadian sprinter Harry Jerome should be a household name
Pro teams are finding ways to race
Hi all -
This week had one of the greatest Canadian running performances ever. Moh Ahmed ran 12:47 in the 5,000m in a intrasquad meet for his training team, the Bowerman Track Club. That time makes him the fastest 5,000m runner ever in North America and puts him 10th on the all-time world list.
I get to that a bit later in the newsletter, along with some other performances and links to share. But this issue kicks off with a look at the career and legacy of one of Canada’s greatest sprinters, a man who is often overlooked by history, Harry Jerome.
Thanks for reading, let get’s to it.
— Erin @ Run the North
Canadian sprinter Harry Jerome was once the fastest man alive. Why isn’t he more famous?
Canadian Harry Jerome was the fastest man in the world in the 1960s. He was a three-time Olympian and a seven-time world record holder.
And yet, in 2020, he feels more like an afterthought or a footnote in Canadian sport than an icon.
It’s time to change that.
This Wednesday, July 15, 2020, is the 60th anniversary of the first world record Canadian sprinter Harry Jerome set. So this issue is dedicated to looking back on Harry’s life and legacy.
His early life
Harry was born on Sept. 30, 1940 in Prince Albert, Sask. He moved to Vancouver with his family when Harry was about 11 years old.
In Vancouver, his family would endure racism and racial violence as one of the few Black families in the areas.
Harry’s grandfather John “Army” Howard was the first Black athlete to represent Canada at the Olympics, competing in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m at the 1912 Games in Stockholm.
Harry set his first national record at 18 years old, when he broke the record for the 220-yard dash, which had stood for 31 years. This attracted the attention of legendary coach Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon, who would coach Harry for the next several years.
His rise to the top
Harry made international headlines for the first time as a 19-year-old. He’d only been running track for three years when he lined up at the 1960 Canadian Olympic Trials, which were held in Saskatoon that year. He surged ahead of his competitors to run the 100m in 10 seconds flat — a world at the time (You can see some archival footage of this race in the CBC video below).
According to the CBC, he actually ran 9.9 but officials rounded it up because they did not believe it was possible for Harry to have broken the world record.
According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, he became the first Canadian to own a track world record with the run.
From the Winnipeg Tribune’s article about the race:
“Jerome was off quickly. Hanging on his heels were Fisher-Smith and Eves. Fisher-Smith began to fade slightly at the 40m mark as the slow breaking Short moved up quickly. It was at the 50 metre mark that the race broke open. Somehow, Jerome managed to shift into high gear, and it looked so simple. His stride lengthened slightly, and a split second later he was alone. He won by 5 yards”. Jerome’s initial reaction showed a mastery of understatement “Yes, I’m quite happy about the whole thing”. He later said “I got a good start, and I felt like running”.
With his win, he was named to his first Olympic team.
His Olympic debut in 1960 did not go well. He pulled a muscle in the semi-finals of the 100m and pulled out of the race.
Injuries would prevent Harry from performing well for the next few years. He struggled in races in 1961 and 1962, and was labelled a “quitter” by media. He didn’t compete at all in 1963.
He had a torn quad muscle an and it was doubtful he would ever run again.
"In those days, there was no support," said Ted Reynolds, now the late CBC Sports journalist, in a 2000 interview with this writer. "You had a coach, and you were very lucky to have your own coach at those meets. These people, very young, had never really been exposed to the media."
A remarkable comeback
Against all odds, Harry got healthy and started running at a world-class level again.
He was fully healed and set to represent Canada at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He won bronze in the 100m and placed fourth in the 200m.
You can watch the 100m final below:
Here are the world records Harry Jerome set (source):
1960: 100m, 10.0 (tied German Armin Hary)
1961: 100 yards, 9.3
1962: 100 yard, 9.2 (Harry ran 9.2 twice in 1962, tying his own record)
1962: 4x110-yard race, 40.0
1964: 60 yards, indoor, 6.0
1966: 100 yards, 9.1
He went to this third and final Olympics in 1968, which were held in Mexico. He would retire from track at the end of that season, at 29 years old.
After his track career, Harry worked as a teacher, and became an advocate for athletes, fighting for better health care, coaching, financial aid and scholarships and other resources. He also became involved in getting underprivileged children and more Black children in sports.
Harry died on Dec. 7, 1982 from a brain aneurysm. He was only 42 years old.
Harry’s legacy
Throughout his life and career, Harry dealt with vicious racism and skepticism about his success. He was branded difficult, arrogant, a quitter, unpatriotic, too outspoken — you name it — throughout his career for things like dealing with injuries, speaking out about how athletes were treated and racism and more.
Some questioned his toughness or patriotism.
“Jerome Denies He's a Quitter,” read the Canadian Press headline following a race just two months after his Saskatoon world record.
A Toronto Telegram writer said Jerome's “sheer bad manners has placed this young Negro down at the bottom as an athlete ambassador for Canada.”
Harry’s sister Valerie, who also represented Canada at the 1960 Olympics, spoke to Global News about the racism they faced as Black athletes in Canada.
“I just don’t think there’s been the interest in people of colour, so to speak, unless they’ve been promoted and made a big foofaraw in the United States,” she said.
CBC Saskatchewan did a good piece about how the current anti-Black racism protests and Black Lives Matter movement are inspiring a look back at Black athletes like Harry:
A statue of Harry is in Stanley Park in Vancouver. There’s also a track meet in B.C. named after him.
He was named to the Order of Canada in 1970 and British Columbia named him the province’s athlete of the century in 1971. In 2001, he was given a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Donovan Bailey, who won the gold medal in the 100m at the 1996 Olympic Games, is one of the voices leading this movement to make Harry a household name in Canada.
Bailey and others hope the Black Lives Matter movement will change North American society, but also prompt a greater appreciation for Jerome and other Black Canadians.
“We are at a place where everyone is listening. At least we're all becoming aware of what systemic racism looks like,” Bailey said.
“There was no one faster on the planet than Harry. He should be celebrated far more than he is. I hope we get to a place where people are judged by what they do as opposed to what they look like.”
Learn more about Harry
A documentary was made about Harry in 2020 called Mighty Jerome. You can rent it for $2.95 from the National Film Board. Here’s the trailer:
There’s a 10-minute version of the film, called Harry Jerome: The Fastest Man on Earth, available for free here.
There is a biography for younger readers about Harry, called Runner: The Life of Harry Jerome, World's Fastest Man and written by Norma Charles, that came out in 2017. I haven’t read it, but if you want to check it out, it’s available on Amazon.
CBC Sports has an excellent profile on Harry, with several good archival videos.
Moh Ahmed smashed the 5,000m Canadian record
Canadian Moh Ahmed trains in Portland with the Bowerman Track Club. You know, the club that Shalane Flanagan trained with, turned into a force in women’s track and now coaches, alongside legendary coach Jerry Schumacher.
On July 10, the squad held their second team meet, in an effort to keep racing during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the last meet, Moh ran the 1,500m and ran a PB of 3:39.84, the first time he broke 3:40 in the distance.
This time? Well, Moh ran the 5,000m and obliterated his own national record in the distance. His time of 12:47.2 is the fastest time recorded by a North American runner and is the 10th all-time fastest mark at the distance.
His previous record and personal best was 12:53.16, which he set in 2019.
Moh was born in Mogadishu, Somalia and came to Canada when he was 11 years old. He discovered his talent for running when he took up track at 16 years old, which earned him a scholarship at the NCAA DI school the University of Wisconsin. He represented Canada at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and first broke the 5,000m national record in 2016. The first time he broke it he ran 13:01.74.
Moh has steadily been getting better and in 2019 became the first Canadian long-distance runner to win a medal at an Olympics of world championships when he took home bronze in the 5,000m. Now he’s on his way to potentially claiming the title of best Canadian long distance runner ever. At 29, he has a long career ahead of him still.
CBC Sports has the video of just Moh’s race.
BTC posted the entire meet on their YouTube page:
Andre De Grasse wins 100-yard at the Inspiration Games
Andre De Grasse competed at the Inspiration Games on July 9.
The meet featured athletes participating from three different venues around the world. The event was held in place of the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League meet, which was cancelled due to COVID-19.
The Inspiration Games featured 30 athletes competing in eight events across six different stadiums around the world.
Andre was in Florida, racing against Americans Omar McLeod and Jimmy Vicau. Andre ran 9.69 to win the 100-yard race.
Andre talked to the media about how great it was to be back racing and how the pandemic threw off his momentum coming off a successful world championships.
“I felt like I was in great shape coming off of last year, winning a silver and a bronze, so I just wanted to try to ride that momentum into next year,” De Grasse said. “I'd been working on my start a lot before the pandemic hit because I knew that was going to be key to getting me to win that gold medal.
“So yeah, it's pretty tough to go through this, but everyone's going through it, we've just got to fight through it and figure out what's next and hopefully things will get turned around, and if this is the new norm for next year, then just got to be ready.”
Andre posted the full race on his Instagram, click through to watch:
Black Canadian athletes write letter to young athletes
52 Black Canadian athletes signed this letter published by Radio-Canada, encouraging young athletes to follow their footsteps. It shares the extra obstacles Black athletes face — explicit racism alongside institutional issues like fewer scholarship and sponsorship opportunities — but ultimately shares a message of hope. Dreams are worth pursuing:
Our message to you, black athletes and black athletes in the making, is a simple one: believe in yourself. Don't let society dictate what you can and cannot become.
To all allies, those who have not experienced this discrimination, we are aware that it is difficult for you to understand our reality. You cannot walk in our shoes, but try to educate yourselves and do not turn a blind eye to the problematic instances of racism that you have witnessed and will be brought to witness.
We are hoping for a future in which equality can become the norm, a world in which differences will no longer be marginalized.
But first and foremost, we, black athletes, must to take pride in our roots and in who we are. We must continue to fight for change and, most importantly, give ourselves the chance to make it to the top.
Athletes, both retired and currently active, from a wide range of sports signed the letter, including soccer players, figure skaters, football players, basketball players, weightlifters and more.
Runners that signed the letter include:
Aaron Brown, sprinter and Olympic bronze medallist (4x100 at the 2016 Games)
Andre De Grasse, sprinter, two-time Olympic medallist
Farah Jacques, sprinter and 2016 Olympian
Hank Palmer, sprinter and 2008 Olympian
Tony Sharpe, sprinter and Olympic bronze medallist (4x100 at the 1984 Games)
Oluseyi Smith, sprinter and bobsledder, 2012 and 2018 Olympian
Bruny Surin, sprinter and Olympic gold medallist (4x100 at the 1996 Games)
Katherine Surin, sprinter, represented Canada at the 2019 world championships
Tia Thevenin, 100m hurdler, competed at Syracuse University
Angela Whyte, 100m hurdler and 2004 Olympian
Strides: other stuff to know about
👟Terry Fox 40th anniversary shirts are back in stock at Adidas. All profits from the shirts go to the Terry Fox Foundation, which supports cancer research.
👟 Tracksmith did an advertorial in the New York Times featuring notable amateurs sharing why they love running — including Canadian Malcolm Gladwell. Malcolm competed at a provincial level in cross-country growing up in Ontario before growing up and becoming a New Yorker writer:
As a kid, I was very caught up in the competitive aspect. And I got too disheartened when I lost races as opposed to focusing on the tremendous pleasure that the activity gave me. What I understand now is that the joy of running doesn't come from winning. To the contrary, simply going for runs by yourself or gathering with a group of people at track practice or finishing in the middle of the pack in a road race are all incredibly meaningful. Now I could care less when I enter a race where I finish.
👟 Athletics Canada CEO David Bedford talked to Sports Management Hub about his career, athletics during COVID, leadership and what keeps him motivated:
Every CEO needs a team they work with to help execute the over-arching strategy of the organization – when you form a team, what do you look for?
Smart, driven people who know that the strength of the team is only as strong as its weakest link. I want people who are not afraid to make decisions and view mistakes as opportunities to learn. I want people who will empower their reports, and allow them to make decisions as well.
I always tell them, if you are 80% sure, make the call. This means you will be wrong 20% of the time… but we learn from mistakes, not from what we do right. If you are 50% sure or less, test your hypothesis with others. Most times you will find that your gut is right, and it will be validated by testing the hypothesis. And never come to me and ask me what to do. Come to me and give me a situational analysis and your recommendation before asking what I think.
👟 This piece in Runner’s World by Emma Sklarin about how her life revolved around training cycles until the pandemic hit, and she had to find new reasons to run resonated with me:
For years, I dreaded the holes in my training calendar. My goal races gave me something to focus on, easing my anxiety and giving me a sense of control over my body I believed I had ceded. I was afraid that if I stopped running, I would be forced to face the trauma I had neglected to process for so long. I was afraid to do the work of healing.
The suspension of movement around the world stilled me long enough to recognize that I was building and reconstructing a body that only needed forgiveness to begin with. At its core, healing has a lot in common with endurance sports. The mind and the body are deeply connected. Repetition might turn pain into rhythm, but recovery doesn’t march on if you don’t give your body time to process and heal.
That’s it for this week! If you’re reading online or it was forwarded by a friend, you can subscribe here:
Run the North comes out Monday mornings.
Next week, I’ll take a look back at the 2015 PanAm Games, which took place in Toronto. It’s the five-year anniversary of these Games right now. And I’ll bring you whatever other news may pop up between now and then.
Thanks for reading. Keep on running, and stay safe. I’ll see you next week.