Scotty Rankine

Born in Hamilton, Scotland in 1909 Robert Scade “Scotty” Rankine moved to Canada as a youngster where he became one of the best distance runners of his time. His career spanned two decades, which saw him take victory in 250 individual races, win medals at the British Empire Games, and compete at two Olympic Games. Most of Rankine’s victories came in North America, which included five consecutive wins at the Berwick Run for the Diamonds race in Pennsylvania and seven wins at the Around the Bay 19-mile race in Hamilton, Canada.

In 1932 Rankine ran in the 5,000 metres at the Los Angeles Olympics where he came 11th. Two years later he was part of the Canadian track and field team that competed at the British Empire Games in London. He won silver in the 6 miles, finishing only a couple of seconds behind the English athlete Arthur Penny. Rankine also ran in the 3 miles where he just missed out on a medal, finishing fourth. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics he ran in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres but left the Games disappointed, failing to win a medal in either race. In the 5,000 metres he could only finish tenth in his heat, therefore not advancing to the final, and in the 10,000 metres Rankine suffered an injury at the 7,000 metres mark and had to be helped off the track. In 1938 he competed at the British Empire Games in Sydney, winning silver in the 6 miles and bronze in the 3 miles.

Rankine was bestowed with multiple honours for his achievements including the Lionel Conacher Award in 1935 for Canada’s male athlete of the year, the Norton H. Crowe Memorial Trophy in 1937 for the best Canadian amateur athlete, and induction into the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

Personal Bests: 3 miles – 14:24.0 (1938); 5000 – unknown; 10000 – 31:34.0 (1936).