Indigenous runner follows in footsteps of ancestor as he gears up for 2025 Boston Marathon run

Kristian Jamieson says he loves to push himself beyond his limits. 

It's that determination which led the 22-year-old student at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry in London, Ont., to qualify for next year's Boston Marathon. 

"Finding out that I was able to qualify, I was essentially on cloud nine. All the hard work and preparation leading up to that day, it finally paid off," said Jamieson about the moment he received the news after a race last week. 

"It was just a mixture of emotions. There were tears of joy and there were tears of agony and pain after the run, but there's no better feeling than when you cross that finish line. It's truly remarkable."

Jamieson finished a 42-kilometre run 2:52:55 at a marathon in his hometown of Niagara Falls on June 15. With his time being less than three hours, Jamieson became a contender for Boston. 

Competing in the marathon is more than just a lifelong dream for Jamieson. It also runs in his family as he is a great, great-grandson of legendary Onondaga runner Tom Longboat, from Six Nations of the Grand River near Brantford, Ont., who won the Boston Marathon in 1907. 

Longboat's record-breaking victory took him to the 1908 Olympics in London, England at the age of 21. An opportunity to carry on the runner's legacy is deeply meaningful, said Jamieson, who also grew up on the Six Nations Reserve.  

"When I found out I was related to a Canadian Hall of Fame runner, I really took that as motivation to see how far I could take this running. The goal is to be able to follow in his footsteps by doing the same races that he competed in," he said.

"It's nice to know everyone back home is rooting for me and cheering me on. It adds more meaning and purpose to this