Sprinter Max Kantor was a naturally gifted runner with no formal training whose running prowess began to garner attention when he ran for St. John’s Tech. In his final year of high school in 1935, he won the 100 and 220 yard finals, setting a provincial record of 23 seconds that stood for 18 years. After high school, Kantor ran for the Winnipeg Athletic Association (WAA) at the annual local Scottish Games, where his coach was fellow Jewish sprint legend Laurie Cohen (inducted in 1989).
The highlight of Kantor’s sprint career came in 1938 when he won a Gold Medal at the National Track & Field Championship in the glamour event: the 100 yard dash. Unfortunately that year, hamstring injuries effectively ended his competitive sprint career. Max Kantor’s son Ron followed in his father’s fleet footsteps, when he ran anchor for the 4 x 100 metre relay team that won Gold and set a record at the University of Manitoba.
b. July 10, 1918
