Silas Dennison McLellan, (17 March 1897 – 10 February 1974) was a Canadian

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

runner. He won the Halifax Marathon five times as well as competing in the Boston marathon, the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

and the

British Empire Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

. Military Service Silas was drafted on the 11th of June 1918 at Camp

Aldershot Aldershot () is a town in Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme northeast corner of the county, southwest of London. The area is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Alders ...

. He joined the 1st Depot Battalion Nova Scotia Regiment. He arrived in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

on the 16th of August 1918 with the 17th reserve battalion. He remained in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

until June 1919 when he returned to Canada and was discharged on the 5th of July 1919 in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...

. Silas trained under Victor MacAuley. Silas competed in the 1928 Olympics and beat

Clarence DeMar Clarence Harrison DeMar (June 7, 1888 – June 11, 1958) was a U.S. marathoner, winner of seven Boston Marathons, and Bronze medalist at the 1924 Paris Olympics. He was known by the nickname "Mr. DeMarathon." Biography DeMar was born in Madei ...

, five-time winner of the Boston Marathon. Two years later Silas won the 1930 Halifax Marathon. In the same year, Silas McLellan finished sixth in the 1930 British Empire Games marathon. McLellan also finished 9th in the Boston Marathon 19 Apr 1930. He was inducted into the

Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame The Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame was established in 1964, to honor outstanding athletes, teams and sport builders in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The facilities are located at the World Trade and Convention Centre in the provincial c ...

. McLellan died at age 76 in

Noel, Nova Scotia Noel is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Municipal District of East Hants, which is in Hants County, Nova Scotia. The community is most well known for being named after its most prominent resident Noël Doiron a ...

External links

Silas McLellan – Official Website

References

Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame citation
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLellan, Silas 1897 births 1974 deaths Canadian male marathon runners Olympic track and field athletes for Canada Athletes (track and field) at the 1928 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1932 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games competitors for Canada Athletes (track and field) at the 1930 British Empire Games English emigrants to Canada Members of the Order of Canada People from Hants County, Nova Scotia Sportspeople from Nova Scotia