Running History  ›  Deerfoot

Lewis “Deerfoot” Bennett –

a Seneca Indian from the Cattaraugus Reservation, dominated the long-distance racing scene in the mid-19th century. Deerfoot won his first race in 1856 at the Erie County fair, running five miles in 25 minutes. His intuitive running paid off with a victory over the Irish Champion John Levett, running 10 miles in 53:35. During his 20-month European tour, Deerfoot went from mysterious runner, to entertainer, to world record holder. With the aid of pace makers, he set world records of 10 miles in 51:26 and 12 miles in 1:02:02. In August 1868, he won a five-mile race in Buffalo in 24:15, despite giving the rest of the field a quarter-mile head start. In 1857 Bennett beat the Massachusetts 10- mile Champion with at time of 56:19. He won the championship cup for the 10-mile (54:21) in England (1861). In 1862 Bennett set three world records, 10-mile (51:26), 12-mile (62:02) and a one-hour contest running 11 miles and 720 yards