Johnny Miles was born October 30, 1905 in Halifax, England. Soon afterwards, his family moved to North Sydney, Cape Breton. Johnny began his running career in 1922 as a sixteen-year-old.

By 1925, he was the Canadian champion in the 5-mile distance and was considered Nova Scotia’s top distance runner. In 1926, Miles arrived at his first Boston Marathon and was pegged as a “curly-haired, freckled, saucy-nosed, 22-year-old” who had never competed in a race more than ten-miles long.

Before the race began, the big story was the match-up between Clarence DeMar and Albin Stenroos, two of the greatest marathoners in the world. It ended up being the “unknown” from Nova Scotia that shocked everyone by winning the Marathon. Miles won it again in 1929, making him the only Nova Scotian to win the Boston Marathon twice, an unbelievable feat.

Johnny Miles was also a member of the Canadian Olympic Track Team in 1928 and 1932 where he placed 16th and 14th, respectively. He also won a bronze medal as a member of the 1930 British Empire Games Track Team. Miles has received several prestigious awards in recognition of his talents.

In 1929, he received the Will Cloney International Award for Sports, and in 1969 was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. He received the Dalhousie Award in 1971 and in 1982 he was awarded the Order of Canada- this country’s highest honor. Johnny Miles holds a rightful place in Nova Scotia’s sport history, and he is honored annually by the “Johnny Miles Marathon” in New Glasgow. He is an Original Sport Hall of Fame Inductee.