John Charles Lordan (or Lorden) (born June 30, 1874, or June 29, 1876, died February 12, 1960) was an American

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

who won the 1903

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...

and competed in the marathon at the 1904 Summer Olympics in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

. Born in Murragh, Cork, Ireland. Lordan was trained by fellow Cantabridgian

Tad Gormley Francis Thomas "Tad" Gormley (December 23, 1883 – December 5, 1965) was an American athletic trainer, coach and official. He was a native of Cambridge, Massachusetts and was the head of the New Orleans Gymnastics Club and Amateur Athletic Union ...

. After finishing fifth in 1901 and third in 1902, Lordan finished ahead of

Sammy Mellor Samuel Alexander Mellor, Jr. (December 19, 1879 – November 5, 1948) was an American long-distance runner who won the 1902 Boston Marathon and competed in the marathon at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri. Early life Mellor w ...

and Michael Spring to win the 1903 Boston Marathon in a time of 2:41:29, At the

1904 Summer Olympics The 1904 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the III Olympiad and also known as St. Louis 1904) were an international multi-sport event held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from 29 August to 3 September 1904, as part of an extended s ...

, condition were very warm during the marathon and Lordon was reported to have begun vomiting within the first half mile of the race. He did not finish the competition. The next year, he entered the Boston Marathon but finished twelfth in a time of 2:57:51. He was an Irish immigrant who worked as a shipping agent for a manufacturing company in Cambridge. He trained at night only because of his job. On August 18, 1909, Lorden raced a marathon in

St. John’s, Newfoundland St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North Ame ...

against his former teammate and 1898 Boston Marathon champion Ronald MacDonald on a six-lap-to-the-mile track at

St. Bonaventure's College St. Bonaventure's College (commonly called St. Bon's) is an independent kindergarten to grade 12 Catholic School in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located in the St. John's Ecclesiastical District, adjacent to the Roman Cat ...

before 3,000 spectators. MacDonald was four laps behind at the twenty mile mark when Lorden "

hit the wall In endurance sports such as road cycling and long-distance running, hitting the wall or the bonk is a condition of sudden fatigue and loss of energy which is caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles. Milder instances ...

." At the end, MacDonald finished 40 yards and ten seconds ahead of Lorden, in a time of 3:07:50 over 25 miles (40 km). A monument was erected in his home town, Bandon, Co. Cork, to commemorate his victory in the Boston Marathon of 1903.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lordan, John 1876 births 1960 deaths American male long-distance runners Olympic track and field athletes of the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1904 Summer Olympics American male marathon runners Boston Marathon male winners People from Bandon, County Cork Sportspeople from Cambridge, Massachusetts Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923)