August 23, 1975 - 2-time Boston Marathon champion Tarzan Brown dies

Today is Saturday, August 23rd, 2025 and on this day in 1975, two-time Boston marathon champion Ellison “Tarzan” Brown died at the age of 61.   In this episode we will learn about Brown’s background as a member of the Narragansett tribe of Rhode Island, hear how he famously overtook hometown favorite Johnny Kelley during the 1936 Boston Marathon, which led to the naming of the infamous “Heartbreak Hill”, and then sit down for a conversation with Brown’s granddaughter Anna to hear what Tarzan Brown was like off the race course.   Today is also #SaltySaturday, which means that this episode is sponsored by SaltStick. The summer heat is not going anywhere any time soon, which means that we all need to be replenishing electrolytes lost in sweat.   The FastChews from SaltStick are my personal favorite way to get electrolytes in mid-run, and they come in some great flavors, plus caffeinated and uncaffeinated versions, too! Listeners of Today In Running History can save 20% off of your order using⁠⁠ this link⁠⁠.   This episode and every single other was edited and produced by my good friend Rob Garcia, who many know by his own ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcast "Rob on the Run"⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you are looking to get into the podcasting or Youtube space, but need some help on the technical side, I HIGHLY suggest reaching out to Rob. His email is [email protected]   And as always, if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠follow me on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or send me an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠   Bibliography: https://www.naiahf.org/team/ellison-tarzan-brown/narragansett https://www.26-2.org/tarzanbrown https://rhodetour.org/items/show/300 https://riheritagehalloffame.com/ellison-brown/ https://www.wcvb.com/article/the-legacy-of-tarzan-brown-and-the-boston-marathons-heartbreak-hill/64479860 https://hmrrc.com/members/pacesetter/2020/august/how-heartbreak-hill-got-its-name-story-narragansett-indian-ellison-tarzan-brown https://marathonview.net/marathon-results-of-Ellison-M-Brown https://www.baa.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/BostonMarathonHistoricalResults.pdf