James DUFFY

Jimmy Duffy was born in County Sligo, Ireland, but moved as a child to Scotland with his family. In 1911, he emigrated to Canada where he worked as a craftsman, primarily as a stone cutter, in Toronto. In October 1912, after his Olympic appearance, he won the Ward Marathon in Toronto in record time. In 1914, he won his biggest victory, taking the Boston Marathon by 15 seconds over countryman Édouard Fabre. After his Boston victory, he turned professional but ran only a few races.

In September 1913, Duffy joined the Canadian Army and was assigned to the 91st Argyle Regiment, but later transferred to the 16th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force (Manitoba Regiment). On April 23, 1915, he was fatally wounded near Ypres, Belgium during a night-time counter-attack. On that same day, Fabre succeeded Duffy as Boston Marathon champion.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-25:01 (1914).