Google honors legendary marathoner Tom Longboat

Google is using its logo Monday to celebrate one of Canada's most renowned marathon runners.

June 4 marks the 131st birthday of Tom Longboat, born on Six Nations Reserve in Ontario.

Google's logo features an animation of Longboat running behind the backdrop of a city. Right next to it is the Canadian maple leaf.

Longboat started racing in 1905, winning the Boston Marathon two years later. In 1909, he began his career as a professional racer.

According to Google, one of Longboat's biggest achievements was his workout routine. He was the first to apply a technique well known to fitness buffs: mixing days of hard workouts, easier workouts and recovery days.

While racing professionally, Longboat served as a dispatch runner for the Canadian Army during World War I, delivering messages between military posts.

Longboat is so important to Canadian sports history, Ontario celebrates "Tom Longboat Day" every year on his birthday.

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