Thomas Burke (athlete)

Burke was born in Massachusetts in 1875. He competed for the Suffolk Athletic Club in South Boston and the Boston Athletic Association (BAA).[3]

Burke, a student at Boston University School of Law, was a reputed runner in the 400 meters and 440 yards, having won the AAU title (440 yards) in 1895. He had no such reputation for the first event he entered in the inaugural modern Olympic Games in Athens, 1896. With many top sprinters absent, Burke surprisingly won the 100 meters. He was also noted for his "crouch start", which was uncommon at that time but in standard use now. His time in the final was 12.0 seconds. In the preliminary heat, he had an even better time – 11.8 seconds.[4]

At the same Olympics, Burke also won the 400 meters, his top event. His times for that event were 58.4 seconds in the preliminary heats and 54.2 seconds in the final, in both of which Burke finished first.[4]

Later in his career, Burke specialized in the longer distances, winning IC4A titles in the 440 and 880 yards events. In 1897, he was one of the initiators of the annually held Boston Marathon, inspired by the success of the marathon event at the 1896 Olympics.[1][4]

Burke later became a lawyer, but was also an athletics coach and a part-time journalist, writing for The Boston Journal and the Boston Post.[4]

In World War I he was commissioned a first lieutenant and at age 43 was the oldest man in the US military to earn his aviator's wings. In 1929, Burke died at the age 54.[3]

• Thomas Burke at legacy.USATF.org
• Thomas Burke at www.USATF.org
• Thomas Burke at Olympics.com
• Thomas Burke at Olympedia

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomas Burke (athlete).

• Wallechinsky, David; Loucky, Jaime (2012). The Complete Book of the Olympics (2012 ed.). London: Aurum Press. pp. 43–44, 77. ISBN 978-1-84513-695-6.