Wilfred McCormick’s Big Win!

Often we’re requested to assist with research of many kinds. While aiding an out-of-town grandson of former Cornwall businessman Jack Sones piece together aspects of the family business’ history (LINK), one day he brought up the subject of his other (maternal) grandfather who won a trophy for a landslide victory in a 1930s footrace. The family had an undated newspaper clipping and were unable to confirm the date.

The Cornwall Freeholder newspaper article reads:

“McCormick Wins Twelve Mile Marathon Race from Longue Sault to Park:  MADE GOOD TIME. More than 3,000 persons attended the sports day program presented under the auspices of Courtaulds’ Sports Committee  at St. Lawrence Park Monday. The day’s events got underway at ten o’clock in the morning and continued until evening. It is the intention of the committee in charge to make the field day an annual affair.  Sharp at 9:30 in the morning, a corps of marathon runners left the Longue Sault, 12 miles west of the city, commencing a gruelling run to the tape at St. Lawrence Park. At 10:40, McCormick, winner of the race, was sighted on Montreal Road and completed the run in exactly 82 minutes to win the prize of $15 which was offered. A few minutes later, Tyo, winner of the second award of $10 pulled under the tape, his time being 91 minutes.”

I was able to find the event mentioned in an Ottawa newspaper as well as a more detailed account in a different Cornwall paper. Here are some excerpts from the July 4, 1929 edition of the former Cornwall Standard newspaper:

“COURTAULDS SPORTS DAY: Many Interesting Events Witnessed by a Large Crowd – List of Winners. On Dominion Day in the St. Lawrence Park, Courtaulds held the first of what they intend to be Annual Sports and Gala Day. Over three thousand people witnessed the events, which commenced at 10 a.m. and were not completed until 6 p.m. The Cornwall City Band was in attendance and in the evening there was dancing and fireworks. … At 10:40 a.m. the first of the Marathon runners was sighted (these men having left Longue Sault at 9:30 a.m.) and the winner was given a great ovation having run a distance of almost 12 miles in 82 minutes., the second arriving nine minutes later. … Men. Marathon – McCormick, 82 mins., $15; Tyo, 91 mins., $10.”

Neither news account included even a single photograph, nor mention of that fact that McCormick’s time was even better than stated. Because he jumped over the tape, he was made to repeat the last 1/4 mile. To add a bit of irony, reportedly McCormick was filling in for another runner who couldn’t participate.

The fruit of our combined research efforts was shared with branches of the family, with the result that one of the relatives living in another part of the country, unbeknownst to much of the family, had possession of that very trophy. And … he was offering to gift it to his family member or to our Museum. Thank you, Richard and Jim!

This was Wilfred McCormick just before the 1929 race. He was born in 1907 and died in Hamilton Hospital on July 7, 1987.

Pictured here is Jim Sones of Brockville with his wife Joan when Jim donated the trophy to our collection in 2019. The couple is pictured standing in front of a Sones Jewellers table that Jim previously donated.

UPDATE:  Richard Wilfred McCormick Sr. of York, Ontario, who cared for the trophy all those years, passed away on June 5, 2021. Our sincere condolences to his family.

The SD&G Historical Society’s archives and artifact collection at the Cornwall Community Museum includes many additional reminders of our past, including reminders of the role which Courtaulds played as a major Cornwall employer from 1925 until 1992.