Lewis Tewanima
Encyclopedia
Louis Tewanima was an American
two-time Olympic
distance runner and silver medalist in the 10,000 meter run
in 1912. He was a Hopi
Indian and ran for the Carlisle Indian School where he was a teammate of Jim Thorpe
.
, where he finished in ninth place in the marathon
. He finished second to Finnish runner Hannes Kolehmainen
in the 10,000 meters in 1912
in Stockholm
, Sweden
, the same games where Thorpe won both the pentathlon
and decathlon
.
Tewanima is a running legend to the Hopi tribe and there is a race dedicated to him every year on top of Second Mesa. The race is primarily a 5K and 10K which is held on the weekend of Labor Day
. The course starts in the village on top of the mesa and follows the highway down the mesa. The 10K includes a 3 mile run through a riverbed. The last part of both the 5K and 10K is a climb up stairs to the top of the mesa where the finish line is located. Among other great runners, Billy Mills
has been sighted in attendance at this event called the Tewanima.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
two-time Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
distance runner and silver medalist in the 10,000 meter run
10000 metres
The 10,000 metres or 10K is a common long distance running event. As "10,000 metres" it is a track event, and appears in athletics events such as the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics; as "10K" it is a roadrace or cross country running event...
in 1912. He was a Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
Indian and ran for the Carlisle Indian School where he was a teammate of Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe
Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe * Gerasimo and Whiteley. pg. 28 * americaslibrary.gov, accessed April 23, 2007. was an American athlete of mixed ancestry...
.
Biography
Tewanima competed for United States in the 1908 Olympic Games, held in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he finished in ninth place in the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
. He finished second to Finnish runner Hannes Kolehmainen
Hannes Kolehmainen
Juho Pietari "Hannes" Kolehmainen was a Finnish long-distance runner. He is considered to be the first of a generation of great Finnish long distance runners, often named the "Flying Finns". Kolehmainen competed for a number of years in the United States, wearing the Winged Fist of the Irish...
in the 10,000 meters in 1912
Athletics at the 1912 Summer Olympics
These are the results of athletics competition at the 1912 Summer Olympics. 30 events were contested, all for men only.The athletics programme grew by 4 events since the 1908 Summer Olympics. The 5000 and 10000 metre races were introduced for the first time, as the 5 mile event was eliminated...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, the same games where Thorpe won both the pentathlon
Pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five different events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words pente and -athlon . The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games...
and decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
.
Tewanima is a running legend to the Hopi tribe and there is a race dedicated to him every year on top of Second Mesa. The race is primarily a 5K and 10K which is held on the weekend of Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
. The course starts in the village on top of the mesa and follows the highway down the mesa. The 10K includes a 3 mile run through a riverbed. The last part of both the 5K and 10K is a climb up stairs to the top of the mesa where the finish line is located. Among other great runners, Billy Mills
Billy Mills
William Mervin Mills or "Billy" Mills, also known as Makata Taka Hela , is the second Native American to win an Olympic gold medal....
has been sighted in attendance at this event called the Tewanima.