Category: Athlete

Inducted: Thursday, July 12, 2007

One of the premiere distance runners in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador, his great racing achievements had Ronald O’Toole elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame.

From impressive victories in local races to stellar performances in a wide range of prestigious races outside of the province, Ronald O’Toole earned a place in the athletic history of the province.

His career started during the First World War with wins in a series of short distance races. Under coach Stan Cullen, he graduated to finishing first in the three-mile runs that were a traditional part of local garden parties.

He won the very competitive Evening Telegram ten-mile run for the first time in 1923 and that led to many more successes.

A member of the Newfoundland entry that took the team honours at the 1925 Halifax Herald Marathon, he set a record for the race in 1928 that lasted 17 years.

In 1929, thanks to sponsorship by the Guards Athletic Association, he was eighth in the Boston Marathon and returned the next year to take sixth position despite having to run the final mile in blood-stained stocking feet.

That determination made Ronald O’Toole the toast of the Boston media and he received more coverage than winner Johnny Miles. For a distance running career that was filled with outstanding feats, Ronald O’Toole was inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame April 27, 1974.