Ellison Brown facts for kids
Ellison Myers Brown (born September 22, 1913 – died August 23, 1975) was a famous runner known as Tarzan Brown. He was a member of the Narragansett Tribe from Rhode Island. Tarzan Brown won the Boston Marathon two times, in 1936 and 1939. He also ran for the U.S. Olympic team in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. He was supposed to run in the 1940 Olympics too, but they were canceled because of World War II.
Tarzan Brown is one of only two Indigenous North Americans to win the Boston Marathon. The other was Thomas Longboat from Canada. Tarzan Brown is the only Indigenous person to win the race more than once. In 1973, he was honored and added to the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame. He also set new American records for the marathon in 1939 and 1940.
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Biography
Early life and nickname
Ellison Myers Brown was born on September 22, 1913, in Westerly, Rhode Island. His parents, Byron and Grace Brown, were both Narragansett. Ellison had three sisters and three brothers.
He didn't go to school for very long, only up to seventh grade. He attended the Tomaquag School for a few years.
People started calling him "Tarzan" when he was young. He loved being outdoors and was very strong. He enjoyed climbing trees and swinging from branches, just like the famous fictional hero, Tarzan. People were amazed by his strength and balance.
His running talent was first noticed when he was just 12 years old. A Native American runner named Horatio "Chief" Stanton was training. Tarzan Brown would follow him, trying to keep up.
When Tarzan Brown turned 16, a trainer named Thomas "Tip" Salimeno started coaching him. This was the beginning of his amazing running career. Salimeno once said that Tarzan ran to win, not just to break records.
Heartbreak Hill and 1936 Boston Marathon
Heartbreak Hill is a famous part of the Boston Marathon course. It's a tough uphill climb about 20 to 21 miles into the race, near Boston College. It's the last of four "Newton hills." Runners often feel very tired here because their energy stores are low. This feeling is sometimes called "hitting the wall."
In the 1936 Boston Marathon, Tarzan Brown started very fast. Another runner, John A. Kelley, caught up to him on Heartbreak Hill. Kelley even patted Tarzan on the back as he passed him.
After that, Tarzan and Kelley battled for the lead. Tarzan was faster on the downhills, and Kelley was better on the uphills. But Tarzan eventually pulled ahead and won the race. Kelley finished fifth. A reporter named Jerry Nason called the hill "Heartbreak Hill" because Tarzan "broke Kelley's heart" there.
1936 Olympic Games
Tarzan Brown was chosen to be on the U.S. Olympic team for the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. He was a teammate of the legendary track and field star Jesse Owens.
During the Olympic marathon, Tarzan Brown was among the top five runners for more than half the race. However, he started having leg cramps.
Later in 1936, Tarzan Brown won two marathons in a row. He won the Port Chester, NY marathon. The very next day, he won the New England Marathon Championship. He said he did this to show people he hadn't given up in the Berlin Olympics.
1939 Boston Marathon victory
In 1939, Tarzan Brown became the first runner to finish the Boston Marathon in under 2 hours and 30 minutes on the course used since 1926. He also broke every checkpoint record after the 17-mile mark. He qualified for the 1940 U.S. Olympic team, but those games were canceled because World War II had started in Europe.
Other memorable moments
In his first Boston Marathon in 1935, Tarzan Brown wore an outfit made from his mother's old dress and worn-out sneakers. This was just two days after his mother had passed away.
About 21 miles into that race, Tarzan took off his sneakers and threw them into the crowd. He ran the last five miles barefoot, finishing 13th. This moment made him famous among Boston Marathon fans.
By 1938, he was a fan favorite because of his exciting and unusual style. In the 1938 Boston Marathon, which was a very warm day, Tarzan was leading. Midway through the race, he ran off the road, waved to the crowd, and jumped into Lake Cochituate to cool off. After a swim, he got out and finished the race, even though other runners had already passed him. His friend and rival, Les Pawson, won that year.
Before the 1939 Boston Marathon, Tarzan was seen eating hot dogs and drinking milkshakes right before the race. He said he had missed breakfast. Some sports writers at the time wrote unfair things about him.
Personal life
Besides running, Tarzan Brown worked as a stonemason and a shellfish fisherman. He married Ethel Wilcox, a Narragansett woman, and they had four children: Sunny, Norman, Marlene, and Ethel. He often sold the medals and trophies he won from races to help support his family. A writer named Tom Derderian explained that during the Great Depression, life was hard for many Americans, especially for Indigenous people. Running was Tarzan Brown's way to escape poverty.
His nephews remember him as a great storyteller.
Death and legacy
Tarzan Brown died on August 23, 1975. He was hit by a van outside a bar in Westerly, Rhode Island. His injuries were very serious and he passed away.
Today, there is an annual road race named in his honor near the Mystic River in Mystic, Connecticut. This race celebrates past Native American runners and recognizes the important history of running in many Indigenous American cultures. In the 2016 Boston Marathon, a Narragansett tribal member named Mikki Wosencroft ran the race to honor Tarzan Brown and his legacy.
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