Arthur Burn

Arthur Burn was born and trained in Calgary, Alberta, but gained a reputation as an able marathon runner across Canada and into the United States. He first gained attention as a three-time Western Canadian long distance champion in 1905, 1906, and 1907. At the 1908 Olympic trials, he was not selected as part of Canada’s delegation to that year’s Games, but his club elected to pay his way to London anyways. Competing in the marathon, he finished 24th among 55 entrants. He blamed his placement on having accidentally drank a glass of wine that was handed to him along the route, one which made him ill.

Burn continued to remain an active competitor in distance running following the Games and won the Seattle Marathon in 1909. He received numerous offers to turn professional, but rejected them in the hopes of competing in a theoretical 1910 Olympic Games to be held in Athens. When this tournament was cancelled, he continued to train for the 1912 Summer Olympics and was considered the Alberta provincial champion when, in August 1911, he fell gravely ill with tuberculosis and died four months later, aged only 32.

Personal Best: Mar – unknown.