Councillor Amber Morley (left) and MP James Maloney (right) at unveiling of Jerome Drayton Lane.
Local world-class marathoner Jerome Drayton may soon have his exploits immortalized on a Canadian flag.
Drayton, who was one of South Etobicoke’s sporting heroes, was honoured by having a laneway named after him at the June 7 Eight Annual Grilled Cheese Challenge.
Dozens of residents and dignitaries gathered on Sixth Street as a cover bearing Jerome Drayton Lane was unveiled to a round of applause and cheers.
The long-time New Toronto and Mimico resident was a world-class marathoner who competed in the Montreal Olympics and won the Boston Marathon and others in Japan.
Childhood friends of the famed marathoner Bob Ferguson (left) and Dave Smyth say Drayton was one of the best athletes ever produced in South Etobicoke.
Drayton passed away last February at the age of 80.
“He made our community proud,” said Councillor Amber Morley. “He was proud of his community.”
MP James Maloney said he will conduct paperwork in Ottawa to try and have the world-renowned runner grace a Canadian stamp.
“It is something that we will look at,” Maloney said at the unveiling ceremony. “We will look into it and see what is required.”
Lakeshore Village BIA member Chris Korwin-Kuczynski called Drayton ‘the Wayne Gretky marathon running.”
Drayton lived in Mimico and New Toronto for most of his life.
A laneway just north of Sixth Street and Lake Shore Blvd. W. will be named after the famous runner, whose portrait is on the New Toronto Wall of Fame, on Sixth Street.
His long-time friends Bob Ferguson and Dave Smyth, who attended high school with the athlete, maintain he was ‘the best athlete ever to come out of South Etobicoke.’
Drayton was a Canadian long-distance runner who competed internationally and was at one time ranked the top marathoner in the world.
He became well-known internationally after winning the famous Boston Marathon in 1977. He also won the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan in 1969, 1975 and 1976.
Drayton was the first Canadian in 29 years to win the Marathon.
He also competed and placed sixth in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games and second in the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton.