Michael J. Ryan (athlete)

Michael J. "Mike" Ryan (January 1, 1889 – December 27, 1971) was an American track and field athlete and a member of the Irish American Athletic Club. He was a distance runner and competed in the Marathon for the U.S. Olympic team in the 1908 Summer Olympics and 1912 Summer Olympics, but did not finish either race.

Boston Marathon

Ryan competed in the Boston Marathon in 1907, finishing 15th, in 1908 he came in fourth place with a time of 2:28:08. He did not finish the race 1909. He came in fifth place in 1910 with a time of 2:38:24, and ninth place in 1911 with a time of 2:36:15.^[1] On April 19, 1912, "over an unusually sticky course, Mike Ryan, wearing the colors of the Irish American Athletic Club of New York won the Boston Athletic Association's sixteenth Marathon race with a time of 2:21:18," cutting the former record by 21.04 seconds.^[2]

In 1909, he finished third place in the Yonkers Marathon, with a time of 2:49:40.^[3]

Canadian Marathon

In 1910, Ryan won the 2nd annual Canadian Marathon, held in Hamilton, Ontario, "defeating a field of over thirty of the best Canadian distance runners" with a time of 2:49:19. "The roads in parts of the course were muddy and rough and Ryan's performance was a remarkable one." He finished seven minutes ahead of the second place finisher, Charles Cook.^[4]

Marathon in London

On May 27, 1911, against an array of international athletes, Ryan came in second place in a marathon sponsored by the Polytechnic Harriers in London, England with a time of 2 hours 50 minutes and 45 seconds. The course for this race as nearly identical to the 1908 Olympic marathon. ^[5]

Notes

1. ^ 2008 Boston Marathon Media Guide, p. 82-83
2. ^ "Mike Ryan's Marathon - Irish American A.C. Runner Breakls Record for Boston Road Race." New York Times, April 20, 1912
3. ^ New York Times, Nov. 28, 1909.
4. ^ "Mike Ryan's Marathon - Irish-American Runner Wins Race at Hamilton Ont., in 2:49:19." New York Times, May 25, 1910.
5. ^ "Mike Ryan Second in Race." New York Times, May 28, 1911.

References

• Boston Athletic Association (April 21 2008) (PDF). 2008 Boston Marathon Media Guide. Boston: Boston Athletic Association / John Hancock. http://www.johnhancock.com/resources/pdf/2008mediaguide.pdf. Retrieved 2009-01-04. 
• Cook, Theodore Andrea (May 1909) (PDF). The Fourth Olympiad London 1908 Official Report. London: British Olympic Association. http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1908/1908.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-29. 

External links

• Sports-reference profile
• Irish America Archives - NYU
• Winged Fist Organization

Persondata
Name	Ryan, Michael J.
Alternative names	Mike
Short description	American athlete
Date of birth	01 Jan. 1889
Place of birth	New York City, U.S.A
Date of death	27 Dec. 1971
Place of death	San Jose, California, U.S.A