Track and field on Prince Edward Island is a sport that has a long and storied history, and we would like to share with you some athletes from our past.

Jim Pendergast was a weight thrower of great strength and, in 1904, held the World’s Record for throwing the 56-pound weight for height at the Old Madison Square Garden in New York. In 1906, he participated in track and field and boxing in the Klondike, winning gold nuggets and gold dust. He was a top-rate boxer throughout the New England States from 1912 to 1915.

Bill Halpenny was the first Islander to participate in the Olympic Games, and in 1912 he became the first who has been there twice. His track and field interest encompassed the high jump; the broad jump; the hop, step and jump; the hurdles; and the pole vault, but it was the pole vault in which he excelled. 

Michael “Mick” Thomas of Lennox Island was Prince Edward Island’s first outstanding distance and Marathon runner. For three consecutive years – 1910, 1911 and 1912 – he would be champion over large entries of the top North American distance runners, and he was the first Islander to compete in the Boston Marathon, where he finished 26th.

Alf Groom would go on to hold the Canadian Pole Vaulting Championship for four years and break the existing Canadian record twice, the last time being in August 1962 with a 14′3 3/4″ vault. Alf won the Canadian Olympic trials of 1960, which were held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and he would also win the British Empire and Commonwealth Games trials twice. He represented Canada in the Empire Games of 1962, held in Perth, Australia, where he finished 7th.

In 1969, Bill MacKinnon won a gold medal in the 100-yard dash at the first Canada Summer Games held in Halifax-Dartmouth. In this same year, Bill was also the Eastern Canadian 100-metre champion and came second in the 200-metre Canadian Championship. He finished his season with an appointment to the first Canadian Pan-Pacific Games team, representing Canada in Japan. Over the course of three Japanese meets, Bill took two gold, one silver and two bronze medals and had one fourth-place and one eighth-place finish. 

Adele Marchbank Gillis set a provincial mark in the discus with a throw of 113’10″ at 16 years of age. Following this feat, she attended the 1969 National Age Class Championships in Ottawa, where she came away with the Canadian Juvenile crown, thanks to her throw of 135′. At the 1969 Canada Summer Games, Adele placed 4th in the discus and 5th in the shot, despite having injured her hands before the competition.

Jared Connaughton is the Maritime record holder for the 100 and 200-metre event and a two-time Olympian. He was the first Prince Edward Island native to win two Gold Medals at one set of Canada Games in 2005. Jared went on to become one of the premier 4x100 relay runners on the international stage. Jared Connaughton 

Athletics P.E.I. was created in 2000 and has been active since then as the Provincial Sport Organization, which sanctions all competitions and governs the sport in the province.