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The Independent
12-02-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Jerome Drayton, 1976 Olympian and last Canadian man to win Boston Marathon in '77, dies at 80
Jerome Drayton, who finished sixth at the Montreal Olympics, won the 1977 Boston Marathon and held the Canadian men's marathon record for 43 years, has died. He was 80. Drayton died unexpectedly on Monday in Toronto, according to Cardinal Funeral Homes. Runners World magazine said he died during knee surgery. Born in Germany with the name Peter Buniak, Drayton changed his name after immigrating to Canada in 1956. He won Detroit 's Motor City Marathon in 1969 in a North American record time of 2 hours, 12 minutes, and shaved 47 seconds off the mark in winning the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan later that year. He won the 1973 Canadian championship before finishing third in Boston in 1974. Three years later — his fifth try in Boston — he pulled ahead when eventual four-time winner Bill Rodgers began to tire in the 77-degree heat and gave Canada its first victory in the race in three decades. Drayton finished second at the New York Marathon that fall. 'Jerome remains the most recent Open Division Men's Champion from Canada, and set the stage for generations of world class Canadian marathoners to follow in his footsteps,' Boston Athletic Association President Jack Fleming said. Drayton also set a world record on the track for the 10-mile run in 1970 in 46:37.6, and was the top Canadian in the men's marathon at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. The Canada Sports Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 1978, said that Drayton held 12 national titles and set 13 records in his career. After retiring, Drayton worked as a consultant with the Sports and Fitness Division of Ontario's Ministry of Youth, Culture and Recreation. 'He was a runner who cared not only about his own performance but the growth and development of the sport," Fleming said. 'The feedback and interest he showed in the Boston Marathon undoubtedly helped shape the marathon in the late 70s and beyond.'
Associated Press
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Jerome Drayton, 1976 Olympian and last Canadian man to win Boston Marathon in '77, dies at 80
TORONTO (AP) — Jerome Drayton, who finished sixth at the Montreal Olympics, won the 1977 Boston Marathon and held the Canadian men's marathon record for 43 years, has died. He was 80. Drayton died unexpectedly on Monday in Toronto, according to Cardinal Funeral Homes. Runners World magazine said he died during knee surgery. Born in Germany with the name Peter Buniak, Drayton changed his name after immigrating to Canada in 1956. He won Detroit's Motor City Marathon in 1969 in a North American record time of 2 hours, 12 minutes, and shaved 47 seconds off the mark in winning the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan later that year. He won the 1973 Canadian championship before finishing third in Boston in 1974. Three years later — his fifth try in Boston — he pulled ahead when eventual four-time winner Bill Rodgers began to tire in the 77-degree heat and gave Canada its first victory in the race in three decades. Drayton finished second at the New York Marathon that fall. 'Jerome remains the most recent Open Division Men's Champion from Canada, and set the stage for generations of world class Canadian marathoners to follow in his footsteps,' Boston Athletic Association President Jack Fleming said. Drayton also set a world record on the track for the 10-mile run in 1970 in 46:37.6, and was the top Canadian in the men's marathon at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. The Canada Sports Hall of Fame, which inducted him in 1978, said that Drayton held 12 national titles and set 13 records in his career. After retiring, Drayton worked as a consultant with the Sports and Fitness Division of Ontario's Ministry of Youth, Culture and Recreation. 'He was a runner who cared not only about his own performance but the growth and development of the sport,' Fleming said. 'The feedback and interest he showed in the Boston Marathon undoubtedly helped shape the marathon in the late 70s and beyond.'
CBC
12-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Jerome Drayton, who held Canadian marathon record for 43 years, dead at 80
Social Sharing Legendary long-distance runner Jerome Drayton, who won the Boston Marathon in 1977 and held the Canadian men's marathon record for 43 years, has died. He was 80. Drayton died unexpectedly on Monday in Toronto, according to Cardinal Funeral Homes. Runners World magazine said he died during knee surgery. Drayton was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1978. Born as Peter Buniak on Jan. 10, 1945, in Kolbermoore, Germany, he came to Canada in 1956 and changed his name. WATCH | Drayton runs to victory at 1977 Boston Marathon: Jerome Drayton's 1977 Boston Marathon win 6 years ago Duration 0:37 He turned heads in 1969 by winning the Motor City Marathon in a North American record time. Later that year, he won the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan with another North American record. Over his career, Drayton held 12 national titles and set 13 records over various distances, according to the hall of fame. In 1970, he recorded a world record on the track in the men's 10-mile with a time of 46:37:6. Drayton set the Canadian marathon record of 2:10:09 in Fukuoka in December 1975 and finished sixth in the Olympic marathon the following year in Montreal. Drayton's Canadian marathon mark lasted until 2018 when Cam Levins bettered it in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. In 1977, Drayton was the first Canadian in 29 years to win the Boston Marathon. He won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games the next year. After retiring, Drayton remained involved in the athletic world as a consultant with the Sports and Fitness Division of Ontario's Ministry of Youth, Culture and Recreation. WATCH | Levins breaks Drayton's Canadian marathon record: Cam Levins shatters 43-year-old Canadian marathon record 6 years ago Duration 1:48 In his marathon debut, Cam Levins of Black Creek, B.C., broke Jerome Drayton's 43-year-old Canadian men's marathon record by 44 seconds. Levins finished fourth in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon with a time of 2:09:25.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Winner of the Boston Marathon, legendary Canadian runner Jerome Drayton dies at 80
TORONTO — Legendary long-distance runner Jerome Drayton, who won the Boston Marathon in 1977 and held the Canadian men's marathon record for 43 years, has died. He was 80. Drayton died unexpectedly on Monday in Toronto, according to Cardinal Funeral Homes. Runners World magazine said he died during knee surgery. Drayton was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1978. Born as Peter Buniak on Jan. 10, 1945, in Kolbermoore, Germany, he came to Canada in 1956 and changed his name. He turned heads in 1969 by winning the Motor City Marathon in a North American record time. Later that year, he won the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan with another North American record. Over his career, Drayton held 12 national titles and set 13 records over various distances, according to the hall of fame. In 1970, he recorded a world record on the track in the men's 10-mile with a time of 46:37:6. Drayton set the Canadian marathon record of 2:10:09 in Fukuoka in December 1975 and finished sixth in the Olympic marathon the following year in Montreal. Drayton's Canadian marathon mark lasted until 2018 when Cam Levins bettered it in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. In 1977, Drayton was the first Canadian in 29 years to win the Boston Marathon. He won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games the next year. After retiring, Drayton remained involved in the athletic world as a consultant with the Sports and Fitness Division of Ontario's Ministry of Youth, Culture and Recreation. --- This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2025 The Canadian Press
