Tom Collins (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Thomas J. "Tom" Collins was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
born athlete who became a distance runner after immigrating to the United States. He competed for the Xavier Athletic Club and the Irish American Athletic Club
Irish American Athletic Club
The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York at the beginning of the 20th Century.-Early years:...
.
In 1906 Collins won the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
junior National cross country championships.
In 1908, in what The New York Times called "the greatest battle for athletic supremacy in the history of indoor track and field sports," Collins broke the world's record for the 5 mile distance at the indoor National championships of the A.A.U.
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
, held at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, with a time of 25 minutes and 19.4 seconds. He lowered the record set by E.C. Carter of 25 minutes 23.6 seconds, which was set in 1887, and stood for 21 years.
In 1910, in front of a crowd of more than 8,000 spectators at the field day of the Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
Athletic Club held at Celtic Park, Queens, New York, "the most interesting and probably best race of the day was seen in the four-mile handicap, which had Tom Collins of the Irish (American Athletic Club)
Irish American Athletic Club
The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York at the beginning of the 20th Century.-Early years:...
and Eddie Fitzgerald of the New York Athletic Club" starting from scratch. "A baker's dozen of aspiring distance men were sent out on marks up to 300 yards," but Collins still came up victorious, beating Fitzgerald who came in 2nd, by a distance of 15 yards, with a time of 20 minutes and 40 seconds.