James Cormack
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (Scottish) |
| Born | 28 January 1877 Ayr, Scotland |
| Died | 22 January 1965 (aged 87) Kingswood, Surrey, England |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | long-distance/marathon |
| Club | London AC Edinburgh Harriers Pretoria Harriers |
James Noble Cormack (28 January 1877 – 22 January 1965) was a British and Scottish track and field athlete who competed at the 1906 Olympic Games (renamed the Intercalated Games after World War II).[1]
Biography
[edit]Cormack, born in Ayr, Scotland, was educated at Ayr Academy and Edinburgh Institution.[2] He started his career as a middle distance runner[1] and ran in the 1901 Scottish AAA Championships, finishing fourth in the 880 yards.[3] The following year, he represented Scotland in an international match against Ireland and over the same distance claimed second place.
Cormack was a member of the Edinburgh Harriers and the London AC before he took work in Johannesburg, South Africa working for the government in 1903.[4] He initially raced for Pretoria Harriers following a move to the city to work in the Public Works Department.[1]
In South Africa, he won their national cross country championship before returning to Europe.[1] By 1906, Cormack had stepped up in distance and participated in the marathon for Great Britain during the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens.[5]
During World War I, he served with the Royal Highlanders although he had returned to South Africa and was working in Transvaal at the time. He married Mary Walters in Durban on 5 June 1924. He retired from the Institute of South African Architects in 1931.[4]
Cormack died in Kingswood, Surrey, England, on 22 January 1965.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "James Cormack". Olympedia. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ "Eastern Athletic Notes". Scottish Referee. 19 April 1901. Retrieved 10 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The Scottish Athletic Championships". Edinburgh Evening News. 22 June 1901. Retrieved 10 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b "View entry James Cormack". Europeans In East Africa. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ "The Scottish Athletic Championships". Somerset Guardian and Radstock Observer. 21 April 1906. Retrieved 10 April 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- 1877 births
- 1965 deaths
- Olympic athletes for Great Britain
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1906 Intercalated Games
- Scottish male marathon runners
- British male marathon runners
- Scottish male long-distance runners
- British male long-distance runners
- Sportspeople from Ayr
- People educated at Ayr Academy
- People educated at Stewart's Melville College
- 19th-century Scottish sportsmen
- 20th-century Scottish sportsmen
- Black Watch soldiers
- British military personnel of World War I
- Military personnel from South Ayrshire
- British expatriates in South Africa