Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Ellison Myers Brown was born in 1914 and grew up in Alton and Charlestown. He was a member of the Narragansett tribe, and his nickname, “Tarzan,” came from his climbing and strength as a boy.
He was coached early on by Tippy Salimeno and ran long distances on country roads in Washington County.
Boston
In 1936 Brown won the Boston Marathon. During the race he was passed by defending champion Johnny Kelley on the Newton hills, then pulled ahead again. A writer said the moment broke Kelley’s heart, and the climb became known as Heartbreak Hill.
He ran the marathon at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin but did not finish. In 1939 he won Boston again, in a course-record time.
Later years
Brown never made much money from running and worked as a laborer and stonemason. He died in 1975 after being struck by a vehicle in Westerly.
He was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame. A road race in Charlestown and a historical marker honor him, and he is remembered as one of the great American runners of his time.
Add South County Independent as a preferred source on Google (opens in a new tab)
