Charles Archer Hefferon (25 January 1878 – 13 May 1932)
/ref> was an athlete representing South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
who competed mainly in the marathon. Hefferon was born in Newbury, Berkshire, England, to an Irish father and an English mother but moved with his family to Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and raised on a farm near Brandon
Brandon may refer to:
Names and people
*Brandon (given name), a male given name
*Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins
Places
Australia
*Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales
*Brandon, Q ...
, Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Winn ...
. He settled in South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
after fighting in the Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...
, where he worked as a prison officer in Bloemfontein
Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape To ...
.
He competed for South Africa in the 1908 Summer Olympics held in London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
in the marathon where he won the silver medal in the race famous for the dramatic finish of Dorando Pietri
Dorando Pietri (; often wrongly spelt Petri; 16 October 1885 – 7 February 1942) was an Italian long-distance runner. He finished first in the marathon at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London but was subsequently disqualified.
Biography
Earl ...
. Hefferon was leading until the last mile and a half, when he lost ground after accepting a drink of champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
and being patted on the back by a well-wisher in the crowd. He was overtaken by Pietri, who was subsequently disqualified for being helped over the line, and by the eventual winner, Johnny Hayes
John Joseph Hayes (April 10, 1886 – August 25, 1965) was an American athlete, a member of the Irish American Athletic Club, and winner of the marathon race at the 1908 Summer Olympics. Hayes' Olympic victory contributed to the early grow ...
of the United States.
In 1909, he won his fifth South African national title for the 4 mile run (as well as one for 10 miles), but turned professional and moved to England, winning 4 and 10 mile titles there in 1910. In 1912, he returned to Canada and settled near Simcoe, Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
. During World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he enlisted and served with the Royal Canadian Dragoons
The Royal Canadian Dragoons (RCD) is the senior armoured regiment of the Canadian Army by precedence. It is one of three armoured regiments in the Regular Force and forms part of the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps.
The colonel-in-chief of The ...
. After the war, Hefferon became acting chief of police in Dunnville
Dunnville is an unincorporated community located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada near the historic Talbot Trail. It was formerly an incorporated town encompassing the surrounding area with a total populat ...
before transferring to the Ontario Provincial Police
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is the provincial police service of Ontario, Canada. Under its provincial mandate, the OPP patrols provincial highways and waterways, protects provincial government buildings and officials, patrols unincorp ...
. He worked on special assignments in Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
and then transferred to motorcycle patrol with the Department of Highways in Brantford
Brantford ( 2021 population: 104,688) is a city in Ontario, Canada, founded on the Grand River in Southwestern Ontario. It is surrounded by Brant County, but is politically separate with a municipal government of its own that is fully independ ...
, Blenheim, and starting in 1930 in Brampton
Brampton ( or ) is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Brampton is a city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a lower-tier municipality within Peel Region. The city has a population of 656,480 as of the 2021 Census, making it ...
.
Hefferon died in Brampton in 1932, when he was hit by a motorist while on duty.[
]
References
External links
*
1878 births
1932 deaths
Military personnel from Berkshire
People from Newbury, Berkshire
English people of Irish descent
Canadian people of Irish descent
South African people of Irish descent
English emigrants to Canada
Emigrants from Canada to Transvaal Colony
South African male long-distance runners
Canadian male long-distance runners
South African male marathon runners
Canadian male marathon runners
Sportspeople from Manitoba
Sportspeople from Bloemfontein
Olympic silver medalists for South Africa
Athletes (track and field) at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Olympic athletes of South Africa
South African prison officers
British Army personnel of the Second Boer War
Medalists at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Olympic silver medalists in athletics (track and field)
Canadian military personnel of World War I
Ontario Provincial Police officers
Accidental deaths in Ontario
Road incident deaths in Canada
The Royal Canadian Dragoons soldiers
Sportspeople from Brandon, Manitoba
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